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Original poster

Virustatic Shield - any good?

64 replies

loubylou8 · 14/04/2020 15:13

Hello all

I've bought Virustatic Shields, which just arrived - and seeing them has made me feel a bit foolish as they seem very flimsy, and poorly made, for 20 quid.

I also can't find any science backing up the claims of being resistant to viruses - and I fear that the snoods have a good PR who is getting them in the papers, but I can't find any real research. As someone else said, if they were proven to work wouldn't they be part of PPE?

All I've really found online are pics of instagram bloggers wearing them, which always makes me feel suspicious of a product's qualities. Also at £20 they are an expensive bandana, as I have other scarves that I could be using for free!

I'd love to hear from anyone with a good experience of them, or see any data that could be shared before I try and get my money back. Or maybe the £60 is my emperor's new clothes tax??

OP posts:
ProfessorHasturLaVista · 17/04/2020 13:36

@goingoverground I’m not a GP, sorry if I’ve given that impression by linking an article to a GP review!
Personally, I grab the back of the snood and pull it forwards over my head and face.

Original poster
loubylou8 · 17/04/2020 15:55

Just to let you all know that my refund has been processed - and they haven't quibbled at all, so that's good!

OP posts:
Original poster
loubylou8 · 17/04/2020 17:04

Happily we have now had our refund processed, all good

OP posts:
Wilson666 · 18/04/2020 22:31

I have bought a few of the shields and have been very impressed. I think in these times the business is doing really well to get the products to me on time and be so helpful in general when I asked them for a little more detail on it.
I am not sure if anyone has seen all the press the brand has received - from working in marketing before having my kids - I know that journalists do their homework, especially those at nationals and the likes of the Guardian / Times and Daily Mail would not write and promote a brand that was a con - wouldn't be worth the legal risk. Editors as well check brands out before they print - they are like the police! So I would be VERY shocked if they would have had so much publicity if they could not prove their scientific evidence etc. Maybe they are little cautious of broadcasting it so another company doesn't copy it's rationale!
I also know that when any brand launches they are sure to have some teething issues and I can imagine this is all heightened in a world-wide pandemic.
I just think they are reacting quickly to negativity as they are wanting to do good - and remain positive.
I am very pleased with my shields and feel much more confident when shopping with it on.
A friend did have one of the snoods that had the size issue and the team offered her a replacement or refund and quickly - so I am sure anyone with issues will be dealt with. Again, I bet their team is working on a skeleton basis as is any business at this time.
I just think any company that is trying to get us out of this mess and coming with scientific-backed products is surely one to support not knock.
I will be recommending to my friends and family to purchase some in the hope the more we all mask-up the quicker this might all end.

ArseholesOnToast · 19/04/2020 14:00

Would anyone with one of the masks please measure the width of it laid flat? And say whether it fits them ok?

Mine is 21.7cm...I might just have a big head/face!

Mine is so tight and the stitching quite poor I think I’m going to ask for a replacement. The ones on their website look quite comfortably looser.

Tia 🙂

Original poster
loubylou8 · 20/04/2020 11:56

@arseholesontoast mine is exactly the same size as yours (21.7cm) and is very tight to get on and off - once it's on it's OK in the sense it stays up. The hem has pulled apart, which is why I got the refund - it was so tight there was no other way to get it on and off.

Apparently there was a bad batch and they are issuing replacements, but I felt that they were poorly made, sizing aside, for 20 quid

OP posts:
ArseholesOnToast · 20/04/2020 16:10

@loubylou8 thanks that’s really helpful. I’m going to email them for a replacement.

Mirrorxx · 20/04/2020 17:27

I ordered 2 and they have tiny. No reply to my email either.

Original poster
loubylou8 · 20/04/2020 23:37

@wilson666 are you on the Virustatic payroll??

OP posts:
Gingerkittykat · 20/04/2020 23:45

I had exactly the same problem with them being so tight that I could barely pull it over my head and feeling conned. I felt like I was suffocating wearing it and my nose tightly squashed.

I'm going to contact them and try for a refund too.

Gingerkittykat · 21/04/2020 16:08

I got a reply really quickly and they are sending out new shields. I hope they are better than the first lot.

Teaformeplease · 22/04/2020 16:39

I bought 2 of these, 1 for me and 1 for dd(7). I found them big on me and massive on dd. They kept slipping down and I couldn't clip it easily. Interesting to hear that others have found them too small (especially as I've got a big head). Maybe there have been a few quality control issues. I also found it a bit claustrophobic and very warm to wear, but maybe that's just me.

I liked the fact that they have an anti-viral coating which makes them safer when taking them off as you don't have to worry about contaminating your hands. So I cut one up and made a more traditional type mask that fits over the ears. I got 2 masks out of one snood then and we are happier wearing them like that.

Tom59 · 25/04/2020 11:13

I bought one of these and thought £20 for a bit of cloth!!??
I gave them the benefit of the doubt, the treatment on the fabric might work...
I found this to be a very, very tight fit. After I managed to jam it over my head. I was in pain from it squashing my nose. So much for "Can be worn comfortably for hours".
As I talk, it works it's way down below my nose, which is a relief, however, that is not how it's supposed to work, so I pull it up again. This now means that I need to touch my face, which I am not supposed to do.
Sorry, but I would avoid this as it stands. If it was a proper mask and the treatment was scientifically approved, then yes, go for it, but as it is, it appears to be a get rich quick scheme by Virustatic and Daily Mail.

yogz1976 · 25/04/2020 18:23

I don't think these things can prevent you from catching the virus, but they can help prevent you from spreading the virus to others by slowing down the momentum of your breath so any droplets can't carry as far. Could have just bought a motorcyclist's snood. It would do the same job.
Also, your eyes will still be exposed and that is another point of entry for the virus.

Tom59 · 25/04/2020 20:28

Mine is 25cm and VERY tight!

Tom59 · 25/04/2020 20:30

In all fairness, I contacted them about it. They admitted that they had an internal problem and offered refund or replacement without a quibble.

Oxyiz · 25/04/2020 20:32

I was really interested in these but I can't see how you can wear it for 50 hours without washing it. I also don't see how a gentle hand-wash can then clean it.

Surely it just gets dirty and bacteria-ridden from all the moisture from your mouth and nose, even if it does kills off viruses somehow.

I'd be interested in buying the spray and applying it to regular homemade masks though if that was available.

Fairineouf · 25/04/2020 21:25

There was another thread that mentioned these and a poster was enthusiastically extolling the virtues of this particular mask so much so it felt like a sales pitch to me.

As I said on that thread (can't seem to find it now), look for what is not in the claims they make. We are all worried about Covid 19.

Effective against 96 percent of pathogens is one claim and 96% of viruses in another claim. Even their own website can't make up it's mind whether they mean pathogens or viruses. Obviously not written by the scientists with whom they collaborated.

Ultimately they make no claims whatsoever about their antiviral being effective against Covid19 and I suggest anyone wanting to rely on one providing protection specifically against Covid19 asks them outright (with a yes or no answer) before they purchase.

As for their instagram, it started a little over a month ago and is littered with photographs pushing their product, feeding our fears.

Personally, I smell a marketing opportunity, but then I'm a cynic.

Gingerkittykat · 26/04/2020 02:03

I got my replacement masks within 48 hours.

The second set of masks is better than the first in that it doesn't hurt to put it on and wear it and the finish looks better quality.

It did roll down after about 1/2 an hour of wearing it meaning I had to pull it back up, it was really hard to wear with glasses too.

It's just a glorified tube bandage and a complete waste of £20.

I'm hoping they will refund the second mask which had not been opened so I'm only £20 and not £40 down.

CrocodilesCry · 26/04/2020 02:10

Good grief. These things are just sleeves of fabric! Can people not see that? A bandage cannot protect you from a virus.
For goodness sake if you've ordered one get a refund, these people are just preying on the anxious.

Original poster
loubylou8 · 26/04/2020 08:23

@Gingerkittykat I got a refund on all three masks, opened or not.

@Fairineouf I completely, 100% agree with you. As soon as I saw the Instagram posts of various bloggers wearing them, re-read the 'scientific' data and then re-reviewed the articles in the press I knew I'd been conned

OP posts:
WilsonLouise · 30/04/2020 10:03

Hi, no, I was just trying to give a fair comment.

WilsonLouise · 30/04/2020 10:09

@CrocodilesCry it's not the fabric that protects you though it's the coating - the fabric is thin so it's breathable and light. I just feel in these times so many brands are being given a bad name - when they are trying to help the situation. They do have science behind the mask - it's on their site and a quick google I found quite a lot. I am NOT working for Virustatic, before I get that. comment again, but as a past marketer I understand the damage of negative posts to a brand and I feel some of the comments here are not fair. Kindness is needed in these times. I did also follow their socials whereby they said they had an issue with a batch of small snoods - I can also see lots of people have had replacements without a quibble and now happy.

Tonemeth · 30/04/2020 10:13

I just think any company that is trying to get us out of this mess and coming with scientific-backed products is surely one to support not knock.

Do you understand businesses? Do you think dettol just wants us to get us all through or wants fo make money?

Oxyiz · 30/04/2020 11:03

"Kindness" is not needed when you're talking about a product which claims to save lives. Either something provably works or it doesn't. If it does I'll buy them but otherwise it might put people more at risk then if they made their own masks.

If they're worried about marketing then they should listen to the feedback that they're coming off dodgy.