Face Masks: A Small Way to Help Fight the Spread of COVID-19

While sitting alone in the waiting room at the vet yesterday, because only one person was allowed in the office at a time, someone was knocking on the door. It was a nurse from the local nursing home there to buy a box of face masks from the vet clinic. There are none to be found or gotten anywhere and she was grateful to be able to get her hands on one box. When I returned home I messaged my sister, who, along with my niece, are nurses. I asked about the availability of face masks and she said they are having to reuse the same mask for days due to lack of availability. That doesn't even seem healthy.

The CDC recommends the N95 rated masks for health care workers but even the flimsy disposable paper masks are in short supply. The CDC does not recommend cotton masks because they retain moisture and can harbor germs. But surely a cotton mask worn for a quick errand into the grocery store is more helpful than nothing.

I decided it was something I could do in the face of this massive pandemic to help in the effort to slow the spread of this insidious virus. So I am making masks.

I found a simple pattern at Tiana's Closet and went to work.

I used the leftover pieces from the last bag and skirt RECOMPOZED projects. The small size of the pieces made good use of the scraps.

I used some reclaimed heavy brushed cotton twill from a set of draperies I upcycled into theatre costumes. The tightness of the weave, though not N95, would still do more to protect than nothing at all.

The final touch was adding a bit of wire at the top to allow it to be "pinched" to conform to the shape of the nose for just a wee bit more protection. After a few trials I settled on a plastic coated bread twisty. It's flat and adds just the right amount of "pinch."

These masks are washable and should only be worn once and then washed. COVID-19 and other deadly viruses may become the new normal and anything we can do to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our community is vital.

Be safe.