Silver content nightwear to launch in UK to protect from superbug

A big UK chain store is putting a range of nightwear on the market incorporating silver thread as a biocide to help prevent hospital acquired infections.

LONDON - 

One of the biggest UK clothing chain stores, Marks & Spencer (M&S), is to launch a line of pyjamas containing silver thread to protect against hospital superbugs like MRSA in two weeks time.

As reported in Mineweb some months ago - see article Esoteric uses keep silver demand flying high, it is silver's bivalency which is perhaps the key, which makes the metal highly reactive to the extent that, among other things, it is a natural biocide which means growing medical usage - and it is being used in clothing too for people in arduous occupations - like the military. It has uses in combating many viruses like legionella - and in the UK perhaps in the fight against hospital borne diseases like MRSA.

According to a report on The Telegraph website Sunday, M&S will market a range of nightwear under the "Sleep Safe" banner and the first item in the line will be a men's pyjamas set to be sold at a cost of £45 (about US$90).

MRSA, a superbug which has hit many UK hospitals, is a major concern among many patients undergoing surgery. Again, according to The Telegraph, Katherine Murphy, a spokesperson from the Patients Association, said: "Superbugs are the number one concern of every patient going into hospital...We welcome the fact these are going on sale, but it shows how desperate the public is", while Dr Mark Enright, a microbiologist at Imperial College London, said the pyjamas would reduce the risk of a patient getting a skin infection that could infect a wound.

MRSA is linked to over 1500 deaths a year in the UK.

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