COVID-19
Why Everyone Should Wear a Mask!
Supporting References
The Safe Store Initiative
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Saving Your Health, One Mask at a Time
Latest COVID-19 Face Mask News
100 Million Masks Challenge
- I 100% did not know I needed a COVID-19 game — let alone 51 of them — but I absolutely did. Of course, it helps that these games generally don’t present dark, complex simulations.
- A third surge of coronavirus cases now has a firm grip on the United States, with an average of 59,000 new infections being reported across the country every day.
- From monitoring vital signs to filtering filthy air and even translating speech into other languages, the coronavirus-fueled boom in mask-wearing has spawned an unusual range of high-tech face …
- The Latest 4,245 new COVID-19 cases reported in Illinois as positivity rate continues climbing Getty. Illinois health officials Sunday reported 4,245 new cases of COVID-19 as the …
- We’re updating this page with the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world, including stats about the spread of the coronavirus …
- Video: EU must rise to challenge on migration … policy China tightens grip on Hong Kong for national celebration Covid-19 under control, millions of Chinese set to travel during national …
Face Masks in the Pandemic
- A third surge of coronavirus cases now has a firm grip on the United States, with an average of 59,000 new infections being reported across the country every day.
- Seeking to slow the spread of coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended on Monday that face masks be worn by everyone in all public transportation settings. That …
- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been wearing double masks on the campaign trail while President Donald Trump continues to question their efficacy.
- In an attempt to slow … face mask is important to prevent Covid-19 infection The researchers suggest wearing a surgical mask or a cloth mask with at least two layers during the COVID-19 pandemic …
- During the COVID-19 pandemic … to slow down or remove the mask if you are at a safe distance from other people. Dr. Campos stressed the importance of wearing a face mask to prevent COVID …
- They said the solution is to slow down or remove the mask if one is at a safe distance from other people. Campos stressed the importance of wearing a face mask to prevent COVID-19 infection.
Making Homemade Masks
- When purchasing a face mask, the filtration efficiency of the mask, the instructions for use and the type of mask should be looked at, the Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory …
- RIVER — When 80-year-old Eva Smith started seeing people getting sick in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with concerning shortages of …
- People are now expected to wear face … protection of the wearer who wore a cloth mask compared to those who didn’t wear a mask. Across four studies that looked at wearing cloth face masks …
- A cloth face mask won't totally block the coronavirus. But it’s an added layer of protection for you and … “Testing the Efficiency of Homemade Masks: Would They Protect in an Influenza …
- A new study demonstrates that the fabrics typically used in homemade face masks effectively block droplets … purpose and providing a false sense of protection. “Our goal is to show that …
- But, just how effective are homemade masks at mitigating … out around contours of a face, defeating the purpose of the mask and providing a false sense of protection,” Saif explains.
Simple DIY masks could help flatten the curve.
We should all wear them in public
Washington Post Article by Jeremy Howard
Washington Post, March 28, 2020. When historians tally up the many missteps policymakers have made in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the senseless and unscientific push for the general public to avoid wearing masks should be near the top.
Jeremy Howard – Why we need #Masks4All, and how to make your own mask
The Hong Kong Mask
This is for social hygiene – its purpose is to protect others from you. No sewing. Everyday components. Very simple. Includes multiple layer mask and a face shield. Dispose of the mask immediately after use and scrub your hands.
The Super Simple Diaper Mask!
This is for social hygiene – its purpose is to protect others from you. It may give you some protection from others. No sewing! Takes one diaper and a pair of scissors. Cut out a square in the center of the diaper, leaving elastic on either side. Use the cutout square to make a double layer in front. You can effectively seal this mask around your nose with a pair of goggles. Includes two non-woven layers of polypropylene and two moisture absorbing tortuous paths. Easy, simple and fast. This very simple mask meets many of the requirements of a good surgical mask – as described in the “What is a Good Quality Surgical Mask?” video at the bottom of this page. Dispose of the mask immediately after use and scrub your hands.
A Doctor Explains How to Make the Safest Face Mask (HEPA Vacuum Bag)
If N95 or better masks are not available, Dr. Southworth recommends this mask as an alternative for healthcare workers. The fit appears to be very good, because he could not smell household fumes, such as bacon cooking while wearing the mask. Given the materials, this mask is potentially reusable. The integrity of this mask should be verified with the standard fit test with each use. UV germicidal light could be used to keep it clean between patients.
Face Mask with a Filter Pocket
This is a sewn version of a simple surgical mask. Hospitals are providing these to patients in the waiting area, and for them to take home for their personal use. The nose wire helps to achieve an improved fit. The replaceable filter layer(s) can be made from unwoven fabrics such as 100% rayon, cellulose, or polypropylene as found in fabric liners and diapers. The cloth portion of the mask is washable, but for safety it should be sterilized immediately after use by soaking in hydrogen peroxide. Remove the mask by only touching the elastic portions and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Nurse Preferred Mask
Which mask should I make for the hospitals? The nurse below talks about the designs for two types of surgical masks. She prefers ties over elastic because of the discomfort of wearing elastic. She prefers at least four layers in the mask. She does not want an insertable filter because when she is working it is beyond what she wants to deal with. Each hospital has different requirements – please check before creating them.
DIY Near N-95 Masks
This mask should not only help protect others from you, but may also help protect you from others. It requires no sewing, and attempts to replicate the layering used in N95 masks by using a MERV13 filter. You should verify its fit and filtering capability with a sniff test for household odors as described by Dr. Southworth in the above vacuum bag mask video. This mask cannot be washed but you can sterilize the surfaces with UV light. Remove the mask by only touching the elastic portions and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
This mask should not only help protect others from you, but may also help protect you from others. This is a simple sewn mask. It includes a wired nose piece. The DIY video explains the use of layering of unwoven fabrics to create a tortuous path which acts as a barrier to viruses and small particles. This mask is washable. Immediately sterilize in hydrogen peroxide or UV light after each use. Remove the mask by only touching the elastic portions and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
The Olson Mask (for Healthcare Workers)
This is the Olson mask that some hospitals are asking people to make in the event that alternatives are needed. Their innovative use of double sided tape got this mask to pass the hospital fit test.
The MERV Filter Mask
This is one the early DIY masks that requires no sewing. It uses a MERV13 air filter material.
The Bra Mask
This is a multilayered mask. It gives you a pre-shaped form and elastic straps using bras that many women will have in their dresser drawer. To the extent is it well sealed on the sides, this mask will help protect others from you and may protect you from others.
The Anti Viral Masks
Antiviral materials are coming. The two stories below refer to research and innovations that will allow any mask, homemade or otherwise, to be made of antiviral materials. Treated fabrics will destroy viruses on contacts.
The Salt Mask
Read the Story
The Nano Textile Sonovia Innovation – a New Long Term Sterile Mask
Read the Story
How to Put On and Take Off a Face Mask Safely
When you remove a mask, you must treat it as if it were contaminated.
What is a Good Quality Surgical Mask?
How to Sterilize Your Mask
Doctors scramble for best practices on reusing medical masks during shortage
Can masks safely be reused and disinfected?
How to reuse and dispose your masks safely
Face masks can be used repeatedly after disinfection: doctors
7 Coronavirus cleaning questions, answered by an expert
UV LIGHT REFERENCE 1 | REFERENCE 2