Hospitals desperate: If you can sew, we need you!
SUMMARY
With the influx of COVID-19 patients, hospitals across the country are critically short of personal protective equipment. Doctors have equated the dire situation to being at war with no ammo; walking into rooms knowing their skillsets are necessary and yet completely vulnerable.
A nurse who asked not to be named shared the horror story of wearing the same disposable mask all day, soaked with condensation from her own breath, knowing that it very well was likely rendered useless after only a short time on her overnight shift. "It's borderline criminal," she said. "We are being asked to walk into the fire without basic PPE. You see full hazmat suits on the news overseas, and we can't even get the basics. This is the United States of America and our supply rooms look like that of a third world country."
Now, they're begging for your help.
In World War II, citizens were asked to pitch in for the war effort. Women became Rosies, children collected scrap metal and held tin drives, families grew Victory Gardens.
Our current war on COVID-19 is certainly different. The enemy wears no uniform, takes no sides and is invisible to the eye. But the collective efforts needed from our country to step up remains the same. First, stay home. We've heard it over and over again but the importance of physical and social distancing in order to flatten the curve will protect these medical workers and facilities from being overwhelmed with patients at the same time.
Second, hospitals are asking that if you can sew, to make masks. While homemade masks are nowhere near the standards and protections offered by medical grade masks, something is certainly better than nothing. This document put together by UC Berkeley School of Public Health lists hospitals that are currently accepting masks, standards that they're using and how to drop off. This list is ever-growing, but not exhaustive. If you don't see your local hospital on the list, reach out to them via social media or call them to see if they're accepting masks.
Don't have fabric? JOANN fabrics launched a program last week that provides free fabric, elastic and other essential materials so that customers can make masks at home to donate.
This is our time to come together as a nation, pitch in where we can and help our soldiers on the front lines: our medical community.
