One of the more troubling curveballs that COVID-19 has thrown our way is a severe shortage of masks, gloves, and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) just when they are needed the most by healthcare professionals. The situation isn’t so dire on a local level, at least for now, and we can help keep it that way by practicing social distancing so as not to overwhelm hospitals with coronavirus cases. But there are other ways you may be able to help hospitals as well.
Carle, for example, is accepting donations of sewn masks to be used by non-clinicians who aren’t directly involved in providing patient care. If you have nimble fingers and a sewing machine and other supplies at hand you can make masks for Carle following the directions in the video below. Afterwards, just pack 25 masks in each sealed Ziploc bag, and schedule a pick-up by emailing makeamask@carle.com. You won’t even have to leave your home to drop off the masks.