A Japanese clothing company has begun selling an “anti-swine flu” suit that it claims can help reduce the risk of catching the virus.
Haruyama Trading Co. said the suit is coated with a certain type of titanium dioxide, which it claims can break down virus molecules when under ultraviolet light. It also reduces odours such as cigarette smoke.
Spokesman Ryugo Yamamote told Sky News that the company experimented with a dirt and odour-resistent fabric, “but laboratory experiments proved that molecules of viruses were actually dissolved three hours after they adhered to the fabric”.
The suit is now on sale across Japan for $650, with nearly 300 menswear stores now selling the suit.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
