DIY face mask: How to make your own medical mask for coronavirus

DIY Face Mask
  • Medical face masks are sold out everywhere in light of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and you shouldn't buy any masks even if you do find them in stock somewhere.
  • The public's frantic buying of N95 face masks could lead to a shortage, which could have a dramatic impact on health care in the event that medical professionals can't secure enough masks.
  • Instead of ignoring officials' requests and buying masks from medical suppliers, there is now a relatively simple way to make your own medical-grade face mask that is believed to be effective in preventing the transmission of the novel coronavirus.
  • Visit BGR's homepage for more stories.

With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic only just beginning to spread here in the United States, people are terrified — and rightfully so. The US was far too late with its response, so efforts to get people to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus are going to have a limited impact. Even now, with many businesses across the country closed, people continue to question the severity of the virus. All it takes is one weak link to speed up the coronavirus outbreak, and we have millions of weak links right now.

It's no surprise that many people are overreacting and stockpiling all sorts of products, from Purell and Clorox wipes to hand soap and even toilet paper. None of those items were at risk of being in short supply until Americans flooded stores across the country to buy them, but now there's no telling when sanitizers will be widely available again.

Face masks are another product that people bought up as fast as they could, and that's actually dangerous because health care professionals in some regions are now at risk of running out. They're bound to become more widely available soon, but when they are you shouldn't buy any. Instead, there's a relatively simple way to make medical-grade face masks yourself using only a few simple items.

This simple DIY face mask procedure was shared recently by YouTuber Raphaela Laurean, and most of the things you need are likely lying around your home. In fact, you'll probably only need to order two things, a MERV 13 Pleated Air Filter and a Carbon Pad Charcoal Sheet for Air Filters. Those two purchases will give you enough material to make plenty of masks.

Aerostar Home Max 20x20x1 MERV 13 Pleated Air Filter, Made in the USA, Captures Virus Particles…: $37.99

PUREBURG 1-PACK Cut-to-Fit Carbon Pad 16 x 48 inches for Air Filters Charcoal Sheet fits Air Pu…: $11.49

Here's the full list of supplies and materials you'll need:

SUPPLIES:

Old T-shirt or leggings
Merv 13 Filter
Activated Carbon Sheet
Maxi Pad or Sterile Gauze Pad
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

MASK LAYERS:

Vinegar: Helps to kills bacteria and viruses
Merv 13: Filters small particles
Activated Carbon: Filters small particles and reduces odor
Maxi: Wicks moisture away from your mouth

It's actually a very smart DIY and while it's likely not quite as effective as a true N95 face mask, it should be more than enough to protect you from becoming infected with COVID-19 or from infecting others as long as you continue to practice social distancing. Here's the full video with the tutorial that shows you how to make the masks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grRqoHxPjaY

Aerostar Home Max 20x20x1 MERV 13 Pleated Air Filter, Made in the USA, Captures Virus Particles…: $37.99

PUREBURG 1-PACK Cut-to-Fit Carbon Pad 16 x 48 inches for Air Filters Charcoal Sheet fits Air Pu…: $11.49

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DIY face mask: How to make your own medical mask for coronavirus originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 19 Mar 2020 at 08:07:48 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.