Make Homemade Preventive Masks

These are lovely and will help, but you don't need to be this talented.

Mask up! 

The COVID-19 invasion is spread by people like you and me. Once the virus enters, you become a COVID-19 mucus factory. You won’t know it unless you regularly test for it, which you can’t. 

Do us all a favor and wear a preventive mask. Stop the spread, or at least slow it down. I’ll do the same for you, and for all those who may be more at risk.

That covers who. Every one of us. Read on for the why, how, where and when.

(This post is a work in progress, published due to time sensitivity.  If you have answers to questions within, please comment!)

COVID-19 must enter your body to infect you, usually via eyes, nose, or mouth. Preventing access via these pathways is preferred.

Surgical masks are preventive — worn so surgeons don’t infect the patients being operated on and infectious patients. They are not designed to prevent healthy medical professionals from contracting the virus from ill patients.

N95/protective masks are designed to provide an airtight fit around the nose and mouth. The metal tab over the bridge of the nose allows the mask to shaped to the face. The mask uses a low restriction HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air), which traps very small particles larger than 0.3 microns. N95/Protective masks may have additional enhancements to protect the air inlet from pulling in aerosolized* viruses.

The size of the COVID-19 virus is 0.5 to 1.5 microns. <???seeing numbers down to 0.125. Also seeing that aerosolized virus is in droplets bigger… 0.3> Even so, the N95 masks are not perfectly protective, however, the data shows great utility for these disposable masks. The 0.3 micron filtering capability seems adequate in most cases, although the high number of infected health workers clearly indicates the need for better protection. It is not known if the infections in the medical community occur through failure of filtration or by other means such as poor fit, contact with infected surfaces, and so on.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 is most reproductive BEFORE and AFTER the patient’s immune system kicks in. This results in the virus being most infectious when showing the least symptoms of infection.

Preventive masks make great sense for a population where there are many asymptomatic carriers. These folks have no idea they are infected, but can and will spread the disease and infect others. The incubation period of the COVID-19 virus can be many days or even weeks long, so it is helpful to minimize the ejection of the virus from an infected lung. Even though not 100% effective at stopping the virus, preventive masks can reduce the pace and extent of the spread of infection in our shared environment.

The portion of the population that should be widely wearing preventive masks have been told not to wear masks by many authorities. This is mainly because ALL masks are needed by medical people — preventive as well as n95/protective due to short supplies. ALL are needed by medical people even though preventive masks are not protective. Medical people wearing preventive masks are only protecting others from the potential infections they may already have. We should all note that these dedicated and selfless people are working to save others while not fully protecting themselves.

Also note that their infected patients need preventive masks so the spread is minimized.

Medical authorities are telling the population not to buy preventive masks because the current hoarding behavior of toilet paper and sanitizer is evidence that the urge to protect oneself can overwhelm logically determined needs. Thus the behavior of a fearful few can create a shortage of masks needed by caregivers and known infected patients.

So the supply of preventive masks can’t currently meet the demand. Worse, the supply of n95/Protective masks is woefully inadequate for medical professionals.

We citizens NEED to be wearing protective masks while performing tasks like shopping for food. Social distancing and smart personal practices like not touching one’s face, particularly when in public, are adequate to minimize contagion. Even better, wearing preventive masks will further minimize the chance of spreading the virus from those unknowingly infected to those who are not. And since even the preventive masks are in short supply, we citizens help by making our own masks.

Call To Action: What we all can and should do.

• Everyone — Make and wear your own preventive mask, or use something close, like a neck warmer designed to be pulled up and over the nose and mouth. See below for links to mask making instructions.
• Wear your mask now. Don’t wait. You may be infected and not know it.
• Keep wearing your mask until the mask supply meets medical demand, or until the crisis has passed.
• Understand how to use the preventive mask you made. <tips or links?>
• Use your mask whenever you leave the house and will be in the presence of other people. For example, use it when you shop for food, or if you are among the essentials, when you go to work.
• Gloves can also help prevent the spread.
• When you return home, dispose of or sanitize your mask <how does this happen?> Be sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.

You are not helpless and powerless. You can make a difference by making and wearing a mask, and thereby, protect others from what you may not know you are carrying. This is the time to take a few simple steps to protect the lives of others. And by doing so, maybe even your own.

Mask-making instructions:

• Quick but not dirty, from the CDC -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=40&v=tPx1yqvJgf4&feature=emb_logo
• Make a mask - one approach - https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/04/04/coronavirus-face-mask-tips-how-make-fabric-instructions/2945209001/
• Make a mask - a similar approach -   https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/04/health/how-to-make-your-own-mask-wellness-trnd/index.html
• Fabrics - https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/making-your-own-face-mask-some-fabrics-work-better-others-n1175966
• Masks vs. No-masks: https://makezine.com/2020/04/03/the-benefits-of-masks-for-all-to-fight-covid-19/
• And a little humor, since smiles are good for your immune system.   https://www.demilked.com/funny-coronavirus-diy-masks/

Note that you do not need the materials and expertise shown.  Though not all created equal, some mask is generally better than none.  There are many other ways to make a mask.  Use what you have.

Use what you have!

*Aerosolized — Your body’s antibodies fight infection in part by producing greater amounts of mucous to nasal membranes to capture the viruses and take it to the stomach for an acid bath. But excess mucous produces sneezing, sore throat, coughing. These symptoms spray droplets of virus-containing mucous (gel droplets) into the air (they’ve been aerosolized). The threat they pose being in the air decreases rapidly from the time of the sneeze/cough but the COVID-19 virus has a fatty shell that allows it to persist on a nonporous surfaces like slick plastic or metal. Like invisible chicken wing fat getting sprayed into the air , the virus can stick around for awhile and be picked up later by unsuspecting people. 

(Authored with Ed Covannon.  Information gathered from many diverse sources.)