Masks

[McLoofus 35,182]

For any crafty types looking for a way to pass the time, homemade masks are very much in demand right now. 

Here's a video on how to make some, and then below that are step by step instructions provided by Phoebe Putney Hospital. 

 

Also:

Materials
OR linens or other breathable water repellant fabric
Pins
1/4” or 3/8” wide Elastic – white or black
Thimbles
Fabric Scissors
Heavy paper for patterns: 9” x 15” & attached mask pattern
Cardboard – optional (**tip: use a 9.5” piece of cardboard to loop around 10-15 times to cut all at once to produce 20-30, 9.5” pieces)
Sewing Machine
Thread

PREP – Estimated time 3 minutes per unit

Station 1: Cutting
Cut a rectangular 9” x 15” base paper pattern
Fold fabric in 4 layers
Lay 9” x 15” base pattern on top of 4-layer fabric
Cut around the base pattern

Station 2: Pinning
Take 2 cut sheets and fold in half to make 4 layers
Cut mask pattern per attached sample (8.19 x 5.4”)
Pin mask pattern to cut 4-layer fabric using 4 pins around the outside

Station 3: Cutting
Cut the fabric for the mask pattern

Station 4: Finishing
Remove pins and paper pattern from cut fabric
Separate 4 fabric pieces into 2 sections of 2 layers of fabric each
Pin 2 piece sections around curved edge vertically,
every 2“

Station 5: Elastic
Cut elastic into (2) 9.5” sections.
Insert (1) elastic into each 2-piece pinned section through the flatter open edge (opposite from the edge that is pinned)
Check to be sure elastic is not twisted inside the section.
Once elastic strip is inserted into the opening and placed flat in a U shape , center the new elastic ear loop and pin down each end of the elastic strip 2” apart - EVEN with the edge of the fabric (**tip: create a 2” line on your table as a guide**)
Use your completed 2-piece section as a guide for the
other section to keep ear loops even
Place a single pin through middle of the 2 sections to make one unit, ready for sewing

Station 6: Quality Control
Examine product and correct any defects before advancing to sewing

Station 7: Distribution
Count and log mask units before issuing for sewing
distribution. Record the name of the person picking up
inventory. Ensure timely turnaround time of assigned masks, and do not over allocate to a single sewing
resource.

SEWING – Estimated time 7 minutes per unit
Unpin the 2 sections pinned together
Place one 2 piece section on the machine and prepare
to sew the edge with the elastic ends
Place machine on a zigzag stitch and sew along the
entire edge
Line up second 2-piece section, place on the machine and sew the edge with elastic ends
Remove from the machine and take out the pins
Turn both sections inside out
For each section, sew a straight stitch on the same edge for extra stability for the elastic, ensuring the elastic is caught in the stitch
Place one section directly on top of the other section, line up directly on top of the other and prepare for sewing
Using a 5/8” seam for a regular size N95 and a 1/2” seam for a small N95, zigzag stitch down the section that will be over the nose part of the mask, making sure all pieces are getting caught in the stitch
Backstitch to finish and cut loose threads
Open completed mask
Trim up any frays

Examine product and correct
any defects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wde21 344]

I am actually helping make some of these in conjunction with a local church. Many of our health care providers as well  as nursing homes have requested them. I will have to say though that  my sewing time is more than 7 minutes per unit.🤣

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Not sure if they're the same ones mentioned here but doesn't seem like they're gonna be too effective.

[alexava 6,973]

A local supply store and Harbor Freight are donating their entire stock of masks/respirators and clear grinding shields. 
I’ve seen people on FB make them from bras. 

[alexava 6,973]

24 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

Not sure if they're the same ones mentioned here but doesn't seem like they're gonna be too effective.

They suffice when they are all you have. Kinda 

[wde21 344]

While the health dept says they are not effective the healthcare workers are asking for them. These are for use not by the personnel in direct contact with the patients with the virus. I guess they feel like it is better than nothing since they are not being supplied with a mask.

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 hours ago, wde21 said:

I am actually helping make some of these in conjunction with a local church. Many of our health care providers as well  as nursing homes have requested them. I will have to say though that  my sewing time is more than 7 minutes per unit.🤣

You rock.

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 hours ago, tgrogan21 said:

Not sure if they're the same ones mentioned here but doesn't seem like they're gonna be too effective.

All due respect, I'd advise basing any of your opinions off of something you've heard from a single source. Suffice it to say, there is disagreement in the healthcare community. Again, I got my information directly from our director of home health, who has been a nurse for over 20 years and who has consulted with directors of other hospitals before sharing this information. Furthermore, Alabama is one of the slowest and last to react to any of this. And bad information is coming from much higher places than just this one guy. Meanwhile, the troops on the ground are begging for these things. So I respect your right to have an opinion, but I'd ask that you don't share it in a way that might dissuade people from helping. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 hours ago, alexava said:

A local supply store and Harbor Freight are donating their entire stock of masks/respirators and clear grinding shields. 
I’ve seen people on FB make them from bras. 

 

14 hours ago, alexava said:

They suffice when they are all you have. Kinda 

 

12 hours ago, wde21 said:

While the health dept says they are not effective the healthcare workers are asking for them. These are for use not by the personnel in direct contact with the patients with the virus. I guess they feel like it is better than nothing since they are not being supplied with a mask.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[alexava 6,973]

I saw the people doing the drive through testing using the clear face shields , normally grinding shields. I think they disinfect them often and conserve the masks they wear underneath. 

[tgrogan21 6,198]

4 hours ago, McLoofus said:

All due respect, I'd advise basing any of your opinions off of something you've heard from a single source. Suffice it to say, there is disagreement in the healthcare community. Again, I got my information directly from our director of home health, who has been a nurse for over 20 years and who has consulted with directors of other hospitals before sharing this information. Furthermore, Alabama is one of the slowest and last to react to any of this. And bad information is coming from much higher places than just this one guy. Meanwhile, the troops on the ground are begging for these things. So I respect your right to have an opinion, but I'd ask that you don't share it in a way that might dissuade people from helping. 

You're entire post could be directed back at you. I wasn't dissuading anyone from helping, just trying to get more info out there. I get that having something is better than nothing but at this point there's no way to know if the homemade masks are actually effective. Better to have too much info rather than not enough.

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

You're entire post could be directed back at you. I wasn't dissuading anyone from helping, just trying to get more info out there. I get that having something is better than nothing but at this point there's no way to know if the homemade masks are actually effective. Better to have too much info rather than not enough.

Not really. I've been following this extremely closely for weeks now and I have based all of my opinions off of multiple sources. 

Healthcare professionals are asking for this equipment. Everywhere. It is absolutely useless and in fact counterproductive to tell those who might provide it that it might not work. 

[tgrogan21 6,198]

4 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Not really. I've been following this extremely closely for weeks now and I have based all of my opinions off of multiple sources. 

Healthcare professionals are asking for this equipment. Everywhere. It is absolutely useless and in fact counterproductive to tell those who might provide it that it might not work. 

Having information is not useless. Sorry you might disagree with the opinion of the tweet but that doesn't mean people should not have said info. People who formulate opinions should have the pros and cons of multiple sources. I literally have no idea who your "source" is so I like to look for multiple places to formulate my opinion. I also never said that I agree or disagree with anything that was being said in the OP. Just giving another source for people to check out before putting all of their eggs in this one basket. Have a good day.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/23/homemade-coronavirus-masks-do-they-actually-block-spread/2899622001/

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-homemade-mask-n95-cdc-says-not-ppe/269-7b5819b5-a8ec-44b3-8b27-31176568abf9

We have gone to recycling product and not the use of homemade items. I work an ER. This may be changed as I have been off for 4 days. Travis County is avoiding them as of this morning it appears. This is the message that ARC (one of the largest clinics serving the Austin area) has put out:

Quote

Austin Regional Clinic is also accepting donations of PPE, but in a statement said they are not using homemade equipment:

"We appreciate the community coming together to help healthcare workers. At this time we are still using our surgical masks and N95s as they are significantly more effective (at least 5-25 times) in blocking transmission than homemade masks. Our hope is that anyone who has N95, P95, or surgical masks, proven to prevent infectious disease spread, will donate them to their local hospital or clinic. Homemade masks can be used in the home if there is a family member who is ill and there are no surgical masks available. A homemade mask should be considered as a last resort as it is better than no protection. Meanwhile, everyone can help by staying home, washing their hands often and restricting all in-person interactions. Individual actions can help change the curve."

The masks, regardless of what type, are useless if you're like the guy in CVS last night. Gloved and masked up, yet touches everything in the store and then rubs their eyes when New England Journal of Medicine indicates that the virus can live up to 3 days on plastic.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

People want to feel like they are doing something to help. That's my golden takeaway...the heart behind the hands. Someone, somewhere is always helped by another's selflessness. Good to know that the effectiveness may not be top grade, but I have to agree with @McLoofus to recognize anything positive being done that throws it back in the face of panic. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 hours ago, Texan4Auburn said:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/23/homemade-coronavirus-masks-do-they-actually-block-spread/2899622001/

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-homemade-mask-n95-cdc-says-not-ppe/269-7b5819b5-a8ec-44b3-8b27-31176568abf9

We have gone to recycling product and not the use of homemade items. I work an ER. This may be changed as I have been off for 4 days. Travis County is avoiding them as of this morning it appears. This is the message that ARC (one of the largest clinics serving the Austin area) has put out:

The masks, regardless of what type, are useless if you're like the guy in CVS last night. Gloved and masked up, yet touches everything in the store and then rubs their eyes when New England Journal of Medicine indicates that the virus can live up to 3 days on plastic.

Stay safe, Tex. You're probably sick of hearing that, but I have to say it.

Yeah, they are definitely in the "last resort" and "better than nothing" category, but some providers want them. I'm glad you guys aren't relying on them yet!

Edit: Oh, and I'm glad that the info is finally coming out about surfaces. There's evidence now suggesting that it could be 2 weeks. Which is how long I've been treating every surface in my office like a hot spot. If I accidentally touch *anything*- other than my own possessions that have been sanitized- then it's straight to hand washing, wiping with a sani-wipe, or hand sanitizer. My desk gets a full decontamination every morning. Meanwhile, somebody left cookies on the break room table Monday morning. Somebody else ate some of them.

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 hours ago, ToraGirl said:

People want to feel like they are doing something to help. That's my golden takeaway...the heart behind the hands. Someone, somewhere is always helped by another's selflessness. Good to know that the effectiveness may not be top grade, but I have to agree with @McLoofus to recognize anything positive being done that throws it back in the face of panic. 

There is that. There's definitely a feel good aspect to it. 

I think my clinicians have been paying attention to Italy this whole time and realize that "better than nothing" is potentially a very real best case scenario at some point. New York is already getting to that point. They're pros and they tend to stay ahead of the game.

All I know is if you're looking for a way to help and your local healthcare providers are asking for these, then it's probably a good way to help them and, as you said, make yourself feel better. Maybe even throw a couple bucks at a fabric store that could use the revenue right now. 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Something I hadn't even considered that I just saw some providers are doing is wearing homemade masks over N95s so that they can wash/change out the homemade masks and minimize wear/tear/contamination of the N95s and prolong their life span. 

[AUsince72 11,084]

Maybe it has been mentioned, I haven't thoroughly read the thread, so sorry if duplicate info.

Apparently Swifter sheets are being used in place of official filtration.  We have a friend who's seweing masks that have a pocket for Swifter sheets, so the masks can be washed and the sheets replaced.

Not sure thus is 100% viable but for anyone who cares to research it, there's something, at least.

[alexava 6,973]

On 3/26/2020 at 11:46 AM, AUsince72 said:

Maybe it has been mentioned, I haven't thoroughly read the thread, so sorry if duplicate info.

Apparently Swifter sheets are being used in place of official filtration.  We have a friend who's seweing masks that have a pocket for Swifter sheets, so the masks can be washed and the sheets replaced.

Not sure thus is 100% viable but for anyone who cares to research it, there's something, at least.

Might check landscape fabric too. Similar material should be cheaper. We should be able to get caught up on actual masks before too long.