The innovative gear is a timely innovation for the new normal, as new variants continue to infect people.

As the health infrastructure in major countries across the world struggled to cope with rising hospitalisations, along with difficulties in monitoring infections during the pandemic, the UAE and its neighbours in the gulf displayed their ability to use screening devices paired with online apps, to detect and track positive patients. Breathalysers, thermal cameras and even methods to spot coronavirus from a person's voice were deployed across the Middle East, while ultraviolet technology was used for purifying the air and to sanitize hospitals as well.

To avoid any major outbreak even when the region is emerging from the shadows of the pandemic, authorities in Saudi Arabia roped in robots that use UV to clear holy sites of viruses during the annual hajj pilgrimage, while similar machines were used to clean up airplanes in the UAE. The zeal for fighting back against the pandemic with innovation, has now prompted researchers in the UAE to create a face mask, which generates an electric current to eliminate any trace of a virus, or at least render it harmless.

Devised by a team at UAE University, the mask has two graphene electrodes attached to it, which are connected to a power source and situated at a distance enough to cover the entire surface. Once activated, these electrodes create an electric field, which passes through the virus to completely or partially destroy it.

The power of the electric current and the time period for application can be adjusted, for the device which can be linked with any kind of apparel. The invention set to fetch a patent in the next seven months, follows the introduction of several similar medtech tools, including UV masks that cleanse the air of bacteria.

Rising awareness about personal health during the pandemic has led to a higher demand for portable devices like tiny oximeters as well as wearable wristbands that collect fitness data. Researchers in the Middle East have also come up with garments that have sensors weaved into them, for sending out updates about a person's vitals.