Masks are in short supply in the hospitals and there is even less availability for the general public. Recent directives to wear masks in public have left quite a few people at somewhat of a loss as what to wear. I’ve assembled three different designs for you as a suggestions. Also, please pay close attention to the ear loop size. Many of the homemade masks I have seen / tried on have very small ear loops and are hard on the ears. You may want to cut a piece of fabric the size of your finished mask, staple your proposed ear loops on, and try the mask on before you mass produce ear loops that are too short. And the key thing to remember is if the mask is only made of cloth it will not stop the COVID-19 virus.
The first design is courtesy of a high school classmate of mine. I know she has made quite a few for family, friends, and people in the community – and I believe she made some for the local hospital. The nice feature with these masks is they are designed with a pocket into which you can place a filter. If you want protection from the COVID-19 virus the filter needs to be a HEPA filter of some type. You won’t find any N95 filters out there. Oh, and be careful washing HEPA filters. Many of them won’t tolerate it. See my Re-Use of Facemasks post for an idea on disinfection using hydrogen peroxide.
This second design I found on the internet. It’s a different style mask and looks like it would be effective. This design also has a pocket for a filter. Remember the ear loops and the HEPA filter material.
Finally a copy of our “duckbill” N95 masks that we use in the hospital. Dr. Ryan Southworth presents, and his wife demonstrates how to make one of these masks out of a HEPA vacuum cleaner bag.
If you’re considering making some of your own masks I hope this gives you some ideas. Until next time please continue to practice your social distancing and isolating in place. Be safe everyone!
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Nursing In The Trenches 