By Eloise Apple
GOTG Contributor and Volunteer
With unanswered questions and confusion that have arisen worldwide since the coronavirus outbreak, the CDC and other health organizations have recommended important steps that can be taken to help slow its spread as it is important to protect ourselves and our local community from the virus in order to flatten the curve. One solution to protect ourselves when in public is to wear a protective masks that covers the nose and mouth to stop transmission of the virus. The CDC recommends wearing the masks while also practicing social distance guidelines to protect each other from contracting the disease.
The virus which has been a threat to the United States since January, however some states have just begun taking safety measures to flatten the curve and combat the virus. The CDC released, “infections varies in severity from asymptomatic infection or mild illness to severe or fatal illness.” Just last week, Georgia governor Brian Kemp confessed to not knowing that the virus can be present with no signs of symptoms. Roughly 25% of people with the virus have been characterized as asymptomatic.
What do masks do?
Masks protect the transmission of potentially dangerous internal matter from person to person. Although there have been studies showing the masks do not stop the disease from entering your body they can prevent people spreading to others. This is an important strategy to stop the spread of coronavirus through asymptomatic persons.
Should I get/make a masks?
One should practice social distancing and shelter in place guidelines to help combat the spread of the virus. Additionally owning a mask to wear when in public has been an essential part to slow Covid-19 as well. Both the CDC and the White House have reported that wearing a mask when out in public is an important practice that should be adopted by the American people during the coronavirus pandemic. It is seen to help limit the spread of the virus, especially in asymptomatic carriers.
A problem that has appeared for health care providers now is access to N95 masks and other medical supplies due to a shortage in the US. Medical grade supplies must be reserved for the healthcare workers in hospitals and on duty to protect themselves and their patients properly. The limited amount of supplies and coronavirus tests in US hospitals are key reasons the US has been affected by the virus so severely.
The CDC recommends making homemade facial masks with patterns that can be found on the internet. Fabric made of 100% cotton work bests, as they work well to protect people from the disease. According to recent tests that have been preformed by Wake Forest Baptist Health, showed certain fabrics had better filtration processes than others. Local organizations like Guardian On The Go use donated hospital scrubs as their choice of material for the masks. Scrubs have a high thread count which makes a more effective filter against the transmission of the virus. After intense research and hands on experiments with scrub fabric, Guardian on the Go founder Mia Mercer, 17, hopes that, “Reducing the transmission of the virus through water droplets, or a cough or a sneeze can help prevent the virus from spreading one person to another. These masks are made to do exactly which also reduce the demand for medical grade masks that hospitals are frontiers desperately needs.”
The recycled fabric masks Mia and her team make are made from upcycled hospital scrubs with two layers of fabric to provide maximum coverage and protection. She is very hopeful about her product, “The virus can live on a surface for a number of hours, on fabric for a number of hours. If we can just keep the bacteria contained, it can help slow the spread of the virus and help flatten the curve.”
Guardian On The Go masks can be purchased online at their website or through the Instagram account, @Guardianonthego. Masks like theirs, along with the public’s determination to flatten the curve can help stop the spread of the virus.
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