To protect healthcare workers and police personnel from getting coronovirus infection, Delhi-based Somesh Singh has designed a corona cement suit, CoValor-21. Made from cement, it is lightweight, easy to wear, and ensures minimum penetration or impact into a highly infectious area. Gloves, boots and hood are all integrated into the design, which has air pockets for breathing. It can be sanitised either by washing or by leaving it in the sun/ under infrared or ultraviolet rays. Here, Singh, who is the Co-Founder of Crafts Village, gives us an insight into the cement fabric and what all went into designing CoValor-21. Excerpts:
Tell us more about the cement fabric used to make CoValor-21.
The fabric is an IPR of Dalmia Cement, which we have innovated. It combines natural material (50-70 per cent) and synthetic material (30-50 per cent). It is comfortable to wear and not a use-and-throw garment.
What challenges did you face while designing it?
When I began my research on COVID-19 PPE, one area of concern was the infection in the air, hospitals being indoor environments. The length of virus containment is much longer in hospitals as compared to the outdoor environment. So the staff needed an airtight/ highly filtered protection. Then, the fabric needed to be waterproof so that doctors can take bath with the suit on or use a de-infect spray to get rid of the virus on the surface; changing garments may lead to the infection seeping in.
The suit had to be an integrated one so that there is no scope for external infected air to pass through. It had to be an easy-to-wear garment. It also needed to have some source of oxygen flow, and a communication device so that doctors and cops avoid touching the mobile phones or any external object that could have a possible infection.
For cops, the suit needed a face-and-body shield that offers protection from people they would interact with. Lastly, a fragrance finish to help the wearer de-stress and a glow-in-the-dark print so that someone seeking help can reach them easily.
How many suits can you produce in a day or a week?
That depends on a factory’s production capacity. I feel manufacturers should make this under CSR budget and supply it free of cost, or the government can help subsidise those manufacturing it. We must encourage creative production in India, else we would always be dependent on other countries for design, innovation and then manufacturing that will waste time.
Can a lay person who needs to go out to work also buy this suit?
This is a specialised design meant only for doctors and cops at the moment. For others, it needs to be downsized and customised depending on the individual’s work environment.
How are you disseminating this information?
Through social media. I have tweeted to the PMO, and also requested Dalmia Cement to take this further. Let us see how fast anyone comes forward to collaborate on this.