The armed forces are being issued with insect repellent Citriodiol that experts say could offer another layer of protection against coronavirus.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed the use of the chemical in a letter to the chair of the defence select committee Tobias Ellwood.
Citriodiol is known to kill types of coronaviruses and the defence secretary described it as one of the enhanced Force Health Protection Measures.
In the letter Mr Wallace explains the reasoning behind using the chemical: "Weaker Citriodiol spray solutions form a barrier on the skin and have been found to provide a barrier against variants of the SARS virus similar to that causing the current pandemic." Sky news reported a military source that said he had been