You can sew your own facial mask.
CDC’s take on Hanes T-shirt masks
We showed that a hand-fashioned mask can provide a good fit and a measurable level of protection from a challenge aerosol. Problems remain. When made by naive users, this mask may be less effective because of variations in material, assembly, facial structure, cultural practices, and handling. … Research is needed to determine the minimal level of protection needed when resources are not available for N95 air-purifying respirators since the pandemic threat from H5N1 and other possible influenza strains will exist for the foreseeable future.
Dato VM, Hostler D, Hahn ME. Simple Respiratory Mask. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2006;12(6):1033-1034. doi:10.3201/eid1206.051468.
Emphasis mine. Yes, we all knew this was coming.
For the mask to be most effective, it needs to fit snugly around the sides of the face. You see people wearing masks with a gap along their cheeks, and yeah, that mask is doing nothing.
But I thought masks were not effective?
That’s not 100% accurate. So yes, virus will go through a typical mask like sand through a screen door. But if you throw a bunch of sand at a screen door at the same time, not all of the sand will get through. It will protects you from body fluids, expelled during coughing and sneezing, and it will protect people around you if the coughing and sneezing is happening to you.
How do I clean the cloth masks after use?
Boil them. 5 minutes ought to do it.
UPDATE: To clarify, we are not advocating usage of cloth masks instead of N95 respirators. Cloth masks are an emergency measure, and hopefully we will never be in the position where our health care workers are reduced to using them instead of the proper protection. HOWEVER, if you want to make yourself a cloth mask, you are free to do so.
We’re there. My SIL is the director at a nursing home facility. THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF MASKS. I live 2 states away and have a stack of 30 cloth (cotton woven outer and inner ‘lining’) I’m sending Monday since my cording just arrived. No deaths, but she has 3 cases in her facility and is devastated.
I’m a nurse (retired) with 4 close family members still in nursing. (sisters & aunt) One sister works in the ER. She just sent our mom a pattern for cloth masks asking if mom would make some for her and a few close friends. They’re running very low and are only allowed to use the N95 masks while doing certain procedures on confirmed cases.
She was the admitting nurse for a patient who was so sick that after being admitted they ended up coding and being resuscitated twice and then being put on a ventilator. Afterward was when they got a confirmed positive so up to that point none of the healthcare workers were using the appropriate personal protective equipment.
Now we have to wait and pray.
Joann has some instructions and videos to help with making masks as well. Some of the stores are also taking collections to be donated to local hospitals.
https://www.joann.com/make-to-give-response/?icn=hpzhero&ici=make-to-give-response
Also one of the biggest issues for transmitting any disease is touching your face. If you have a mask on you are more than likely not touching your face, so that really drops some of that transmission. Obviously doesnt stop aerosolized transmission, but every little bit helps
Thank you for doing this. This is a nationwide scandal..yes Ilona you are very right. We all saw this coming! I would suggest however that one check with local hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, etc., before donating, as to what type they want, to be sure they will accept them. Thee are a variety of patterns. Some put a section of pipe cleaner (assuming you can find them) in a channel on the top edge, where it goes over the nose, so it can be formed to fit around that a little better.
Serious PPE shortages are nationwide. I have friends who are nurses and here are short, but very disturbing comments from three of them (with permission to quote):
Nurse one: We had a theft of masks so we are at the end of those. We have gowns and gloves for now. Masks are the thing we need. We are being asked to reuse masks, mask A for all trips into room A, mask B for all trips into room B. One mask per worker. When those are out the new “looser guidelines” are saying use pretty much whatever’s handy, tissue, cut strips, etc per world health association….We still gotta show up
Nurse 2 said:
At the hospital where My daughter works someone stole a lot of masks, gloves and the protective N95 masks!
And equally disturbing, Nursing Director 3:
If there is anyone renting a room or looking for a roommate?
I have a new nurse that is being asked to move out of her housing due to the fact that she is a nurse.
On behalf of them, to anyone publicizing this, or sewing, thank you for doing your part to help our medical professionals save lives. It isn’t just CV-19 they have to be protected against.
NO! As an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and an ICU nurse for over 10 years, NO!.
Here is research as to why they don’t work. Instead reach out to your representatives to do something for health care workers. Have the average day Joe, that does not work in health care donate their PPE to healthcare professionals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/?fbclid=IwAR3pIJ-r9siq3KB6NGqoBtex4OhA0vV3BBVrwN8s5QncVSvwlYLA74pOXXM
Thank you!
Here is the science as to why masks made from fabric are not effective, not safe, and can lead to a false sense of security.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/?fbclid=IwAR208u_R5mr750PurKzzxr8ZuXq7qyhoqTYDBIEuzGtVSAZRVGKH7rUzZC0
When you are to wear a N95 mask as a healthcare professional you are tested to see what size you are, in which you put a mask on, have a hood on and have to read a phrase after an acetate spray is sprayed under the hood to see if you can taste it.
I appreciate people trying to help as this is my life as well as the lives of my friends and family who work the front lines that are at stake. I have a friend who currently is working as an ICU RN on the east coast who is being assigned one surgical mask per week as there is no stock. However, the sewing of fabric masks do not help healthcare members dealing with the patients up close & personal, especially during risky procedures, such as intubation.
Frankly, you can delete my post again, but you should understand the reality we face. Sewing masks may make someone feel better, but it doesn’t help.
I didn’t delete your post in the first place. I don’t know how many times I’ve explained this, but your browser saves a copy of the website, and then serves it to you. It’s called caching and it means that your comment will take about 15 minutes to show up.
About masks: AGAIN, nobody is advocating using cloth masks INSTEAD of respirators. The trial you site compares cloth masks to medical masks. The trial I sighted compares cloth masks to NOTHING, as in having no protection at all. Before the modern surgical masks came on the scene, cloth masks were routinely used because that was all we had and it was better than nothing. 🙂
This pattern was posted for the use by general public and in response to an appeal from a hospital for cloth masks. Here is the link: https://www.deaconess.com/How-to-make-a-Face-Mask. We are not going to make a judgement call regarding how these masks maybe used. That’s up to the hospital requesting them.
If a person wears a cloth mask to go shopping, it will keep them from touching their face. If they are coughing or sneezing, it will prevent the spit and mucus from flying into other people’s faces. Having a cloth mask might make regular people feel better about donating the few medical masks they’ve been saving. It is a public benefit.
We appreciate your hard work and the sacrifices you are making during this difficult time. It’s very scary right now.
The CDC is saying now that bandanas and cloth may offer some protection to thouse who are without better masks.
this link has charts as to the effectiveness of various materials of homemade masks.
https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2020/03/how-to-make-a-homemade-mask-if-you-absolutely-have-to/
As a healthcare worker, we are absolutely expected to use nothing or these cloth masks to try and protect ourselves. Shame on you CDC and the administration pulling the strings.
Hello Ilona and Everyone,
I have a question. Based on what MOST of the medical experts, politicians, and tv personalities agree upon:
1. COVID 19 is very contagious and is spread through coughing.
2. COVID 19 droplets can contaminate the air for 3 hours.
3. The virus can live on surfaces (depending on what they are) up to 3 days.
4. Hand washing is imperative because COVID 19 can be picked up from contaminated surfaces/items days later and spread the contagion.
My question is based on the agreed upon fact that COVID 19 is spread by coughs:
If ALL Civilians Wear Cloth Masks when out doing essential tasks and Every Cough is Automatically Covered at the Source, will that help flatten the curve?
I believe that the small things we do add up to become the big differences and that
Each of us has a part in the overall solution -no contribution is too small.
Hi from Hong Kong, masks have its place in the arsenal needed to contain Covid19.
Due to SARs in 2003, we take social distancing and personal hygiene seriously. Washing hands correctly for 20sec regularly makes a difference. Closing the toilet lid before flushing matter. Staying at home – eating balanced meals & making the effort to have a good night’s sleep, exercising, telecommuting & keeping in touch with friends & family by videocalls & calls; all these actions add up to help maintain mental health during self-quarantine.
Pls see below YouTube video & read at leisure
Make your own mask: Hong Kong scientists reveal temporary solution to shortage
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3050689/how-make-your-own-mask-hong-kong-scientists
Arguably the safest DIY masks so far
????????passed lab tests & endorsed by Hong Kong Consumer Council (semi-gov body)
The Virus Can Be Stopped, but Only With Harsh Steps, Experts Say https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/health/coronavirus-restrictions-us.html
This too shall pass.
All will be well
Amen.