How to Make a DIY Face Mask for Coronavirus

Amid a shortage of medical-grade face masks, such as surgical masks (loose-fitting, disposable masks that block large droplets but don’t filter small particles) and N95 respirators (tight-fitting face coverings that filter out small particles), the U.S. federal government recently changed its recommendations, suggesting now that all residents wear homemade facial coverings when they have to go out. That’s a marked difference from previous federal guidance that recommended only sick people or those caring for someone who is sick wear face masks. According to newly updated guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone who is around other people should cover their mouth and nose with a cloth face cover, which the health agency says can be made from household items or common materials found at home. That, in turn, has raised questions about how people can best make their own face coverings at home, whether by sewing cloth masks or fashioning something out of bandanas or other fabric. Wearing cloth face masks while in public can help prevent a person from potentially transmitting an infection to someone else. “If everybody wears a mask, it can prevent asymptomatic carriers from inadvertently infecting other people because it can trap the virus inside the mask,” says Dr. Larry Chu, a professor of anesthesiology at the Stanford University Medical Center. “That can help prevent the spread.” However, the CDC and hea...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Explainer UnitedWeRise20Disaster Source Type: news