Safety and style with Nippon VirusGuard
> Paint and protect your home and loved ones
NIPPON Paint Malaysia recently unveiled Nippon VirusGuard, the first-ofits-kind anti-viral and antibacterial functional coating. The revolutionary water-based hygiene paint was developed with silver ion technology to prevent growth of virus and bacteria on walls.
In an independent marketing research consultancy survey, results showed that 88% of mothers tend to overlook walls as a medium of viral and bacterial growth, while 86% said they rarely clean or disinfect the walls.
“As young children play, crawl, or walk, they tend to touch the wall. We tend to overlook the wall as a medium that can host and transmit dangerous viruses and bacteria, which can lead to illnesses such as Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD) and H1N1,” said Nippon Paint Malaysia Group group managing director Yaw Seng Heng at the official product launch. The launch of Nippon VirusGuard was held at R.E.A.L Kids Centre in Bukit Jelutong, which received a coat of the paint on its walls.
University of Malaya (Faculty of Medicine) Department of Medical Microbiology associate professor Dr Chan Yoke Fun, who was present at the event, also stressed that HFMD is a common illness in Malaysia, caused by viruses such as Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) and Enterovirus 71 (EV71). A total of 13,497 cases were reported in the first four months this year.
“Common places that can transmit the viruses include areas where children normally converge, including play areas, nurseries, daycare centres, kindergartens and even at home. More worrying is the fact that HFMD is highly contagious as it can easily be transferred via close contact,” Chan added.
While there is no effective antiviral drug or vaccine available to treat HFMD, parents and guardians should take preventive measures to curb its spread. Yaw believes that Nippon VirusGuard is the “sustainable solution that families can trust to provide better protection against harmful micro-organisms, while aesthetically enhancing their surroundings.”
Moreover, silver is one of the world’s oldest antimicrobials, which resists growth of micro-organisms like viruses, bacteria, mould and fungi. The “Silver Ion Technology” in Nippon VirusGuard uses a three-step approach. It destroys the functions of viruses and bacteria, which in turn prevents production and growth of the micro- organisms. Eventually, the metabolism of the virus and bacteria slows down, causing it to slowly perish.
Initial tests done by the independent and USaccredited ATS Labs showed a 90% reduction of HFMD and H1N1 influenza viruses over a 24-hour exposure to Nippon VirusGuard paint compared to conventional paint. Nippon VirusGuard paint is available in a wide range of colours through its 1,500 dealers nationwide.
For more information, visit the Nippon Paint official website.