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(CNN) - There is one thing you should know before engaging in the conversation about the masks: the public should not buy N95 masks. Healthcare workers need them when treating patients with coronavirus.
You should also consider:
Covering your face is recommended , but not required
Homemade masks are not a substitute for social estrangement and home confinement
However, if you want to make a mask, here are step-by-step instructions, based on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin guide.
Not sure how to use or clean the masks? We answer those questions below these instructions for making skins.
Materials you will need
2 pieces of 9 x 6 inch tight knit cotton fabric (per mask)
4 strips of fabric, 2 x 16 inches (per mask)
A rule
Sewing machine or needle and thread
Pencil or marker
Scissors
A handful of pins
Griddle
Make your mask
2. At the top of the 9-inch side, pin or mark a 2-inch opening in the center of the top edge of the 9-inch side, between the 3.5 and 5.5-inch points, along the edge higher. Then, sew the edges to either side of where you pinned or marked the opening. You will need that 2 inch opening to rotate the mask out.
3. Sew the other three sides of the mask as well.
4. Flip the mask to the right side through the 2-inch opening you left at the top. Then press down on the mask with an iron to remove wrinkles.
5. Align your ruler vertically along the 6-inch side of the mask. Starting at the 1.5-inch line, set where you will sew the pleats down the side. These folds help the mask stretch.
Mark again on the 2, 3, 3.5, 4.5, and 5-inch lines.
Make the mask joints
Frequently asked questions about masks
How do you use it?
Skins only work if you use them correctly. The World Health Organization has the following instructions:
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before touching or putting on the mask.
- Make sure you cover your entire nose and mouth when you put it on.
- Avoid touching the mask while you are away, this can contaminate it.
- Don't remove your mask while you're in public.
- To remove the mask when you get home, untie it from behind and do not touch the front holder.
- You should immediately wash the mask after you return so you don't contaminate your belongings.
- Wash your hands immediately after taking it off and again after washing the mask.
Are the masks effective?
Studies of homemade face masks have shown that they are significantly less effective than surgical masks, and they certainly are not a substitute for the essential N95 masks that healthcare workers should use to treat patients.
"Homemade masks are partially effective," said Dr. Koushik Kasanagottu, an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Maryland.
They offer a physical barrier against viral particles, he said, but they do not contain the filters in the N95 masks.
But they are better than nothing, especially for people who only go out for a quick visit to the grocery store or pharmacy, said Anna Davies and Raina MacIntyre, public health researchers and authors of two different studies on the effectiveness of cloth mask. .
However, it is important to note that masks cannot replace social distancing measures. Keeping at least 2 meters away from others and staying home as much as possible is still the best way to prevent the spread of the virus.
How do you clean them?
You should wash the masks before and after each use to clean up germs that may have collected in public places. Hand wash the masks or put them in a mesh washing bag in the washing machine so they don't fall apart, and use a high heat setting.
What if my store is closed or out of supplies?
Some craftsmen on Etsy have not yet exhausted all of their face masks. It is difficult to discern how effective these masks are since you did not create them yourself, but you can compare them to our mask tutorial before purchasing: does it cover the nose and mouth? Are there folds? Will it seal tightly around your face?
You probably don't need to buy more than a few masks; Doctors recommend that only one member of each household run errands in public.
It may take longer than usual to ship the masks, so please keep this in mind when you buy them.
And be sure to wash the masks before using them.
If you cannot access the masks, keep washing your hands, keeping your distance from others and following other measures of social distancing. Staying at home is the best defense against the coronavirus, after all.
CNN's Harmeet Kaur and Tami Luhby contributed to this report. Illustrations: Leah Abucayan from CNN
Facial masks
