As the coronavirus pandemic has forced Italy to shut down, a family-owned maker of biohazard masks is doing a roaring trade and planning to float on Milan’s stock exchange.

GVS had been mulling an IPO since September 2019, but those plans were set back by the Covid-19 outbreak. The crisis turned out to be an unexpected boon for the company, which now draws more than ...

GVS SpA, which makes biohazard masks and filter components for ventilators, gained as much as 18% in its Milan trading debut as investors bet on its business being boosted by the coronavirus pandemic.