Given that we can’t depend on Donald Trump and the federal government to properly supply our medical system with critical equipment, regular Americans are stepping up to fill the void. I know this community has many talented people who know their way around a sewing machine. You can be a hero to your local hospital or nursing home by sewing face masks and donating them locally.
These obviously won’t be N95 masks, but they are useful for many medical tasks that don’t require that level of protection. Don’t believe me? Here’s the CDC: “In settings where face masks are not available, HCP might use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort.” We are definitely in “last resort” territory. But also, not every medical need requires N95, so anything that can help medical providers save their N95 masks for coronavirus patients is incredibly helpful. See directions for making these masks below.
Here is a one-page PDF pattern.
And here’s a video tutorial on how to make them:
As for materials, here is a great resource on the best ones to use. The recommended fabric? Pillowcases and 100% cotton.
I know many of you will jump on this. If you do, please write about your efforts in order to further inspire others to jump on the bandwagon!
Saturday, Mar 21, 2020 · 9:12:54 PM +00:00 · Neeta Lind
Please see Community posts on this topic:
Followup on Kos' Diary "Do you have a Sewing Machine? ..." Looking for comment … by TulsaGal.
Nothing to do? Sew some face masks! by DeniseHa
Please read the comments here and in the other two for great discussions.
What I’ve gleaned from these three comment sections is that the basic need is for tightly woven cotton fabric and non-latex elastic that fits around the ears, not over the head. These masks free up the use of professional masks like the N95 for serious cases. These masks are meant for patients and healthcare workers and need to be able to launder like hospital scrubs. No need to disinfect them before you deliver. A good washing with hot settings in both washer and dryer is enough. They can then be placed in ziplocks to keep clean for delivery.
There are some websites and slack channels being set up currently to help with determining need and delivery. As soon as I get confirmation on them I’ll post the links here and in future posts. Our community needs to focus on production of the masks or sharing this post with sewing groups. Of course you should feel free to contact your local health facilities and see if you can drop off some masks.
Example of a grassroots spreadsheet determining need:
Maximum editors have been reached on this spreadsheet but there are instructions for submitting your region’s needs.
Since the need is for washable reusable masks the filtering ideas are probably not the easiest route to take. But if you are skilled and have access to the recommended filtering material or have a 3-D printer this article has loads of info for you: Calling All People Who Sew And Make: You Can Help Make Masks For 2020 Healthcare Worker PPE Shortage h/t jazzed.
All hands on deck! If you can’t sew there are obviously other aspects like phoning hospitals or delivering masks where you can help this netroots movement. Let us know in the comments what you are working on.