We all have to do our part to combat the spread of COVID-19. If you are wondering how you can help, it can be as simple as staying home to reduce the spread of the disease. However, healthcare workers across the country are asking those in self-isolation to put their sewing machines to good use and start producing protective masks. Dr. Sofia Warner heard the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest using bandanas as a last resort and tweeted “can’t believe I’m sitting in the hospital thinking about how to sew my own face mask. #GetMePPE.” She shared a pic showing how people can make respiratory masks, stirring up a mask-making craze. (1)
DIYers Can Help Make Masks
Dr. Warner is a resident at Mass General Hospital, one of thousands of front line healthcare workers at risk as personal protective equipment (PPE) availability dwindles. In answer to the need, many DIYers are creating their own gear. Using the hashtag #GetMePPE, healthcare workers have a call-out on social media asking for help. They need to get as many people out there as possible to either donate masks or make them. (1)
“We are pleading on social media, get me PPE to keep me and my patients safe,” says Dr. Megan Ranney, a Brown University emergency physician. “The president may say that things are being produced, but they are sure as heck are not showing up in my state or in the states of my colleagues across the country.” (1)
Healthcare Providers Must Be Safe
Some healthcare workers are getting creative, resorting to using ski goggles, or reusing their protective gear. Unfortunately, this is dangerous. “It’s quite incredible in this day and age that we have to do this. And it’s incredibly unsafe,” says Dr. Maryanne Bombaugh of the Community Health Center of Cape Cod. They were down to 65 sets of protective gear when she commented on the situation. “We are endangering the safety of our healthcare workforce as well as our patients, and it’s a major issue. It needs to be addressed immediately,” she says. (1)
Donations From Other Institutions
Other types of institutions with protective equipment on hand are donating their inventory to help keep those on the front lines safe. From dentists to vets and construction companies to researchers, the desire to assist the people saving lives has been overwhelming. “We want to do our best to support our doctors and nurses. That’s why we’re donating our stocks of PPE. I encourage other group leaders and laboratory managers to do the same,” says Eileen Searle, the biothreats clinical operations manager at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Even though each lab only has a small supply, collectively we can make a big difference.”
We Must Do What We Can
According to nurse, Trish Powers, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, this is still not enough. As the leader of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, seeing what happened in Italy has her fearing the worst. “I’m praying. I’m hoping that we don’t end up like Italy,” she says. “But what if we do? We have to be responsible in that regard.”
Meanwhile, there is still hope things will get better if everyone follows the basic rules. “I’m very hopeful that some of the measures will mitigate that,” says Eileen Searle, the biothreats clinical operations manager at Massachusetts General Hospital. “We’re all really grateful for people putting up with the challenges they’re facing in social distancing. By doing that, they really are helping us and helping us be able to take care of patients.”
So do your part, whether it’s staying home, remaining six feet apart in the grocery line, or getting out your sewing machine! These simple contributions will help save lives.
