How to make a simple mask at home for protection against COVID-19

The chances of a simple mask protecting you from the coronavirus are not good, but they can be made at home and are helpful in some ways. Here’s a quick way to make one.

DIY IN 1-2-3

Do-it-yourself face masks are not as effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as medical grade masks. But if you need a mask to go out or to care for someone who is sick, DIY might be your only option. Masks come in many shapes, and tutorials abound on the Internet, including no-sew versions. Here is a simple mask to sew by machine or by hand with materials you might have at home.

1

Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch. Stack the two rectangles; you will sew the mask as if it was a single piece of fabric. Fold over the long sides ¼ inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over ½ inch along the short sides and stitch down.

2

Run a 6-inch length of 1/8-inch wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the mask. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tight.

Don’t have elastic? Use hair ties or elastic head bands. If you only have string, you can make the ties longer and tie the mask behind your head.

3

Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the mask on the elastic and adjust so the mask fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping.

CDC ON MASKS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has this to say about homemade masks: In settings where face masks are not available, health care personnel might use homemade masks (bandanna, scarf, neck warmer, etc., in a pinch) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, homemade masks are not considered personal protective equipment, since their capability to protect health care personnel is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option.

Homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face.

MORE ON MASKS

• The CDC and others have discouraged using N95 masks at home. All available N95 masks, they say, should go to medical professionals. • Homemade masks SHOULD NOT be used instead of social distancing and staying at home, experts say. But they can augment those efforts if you have to leave the house to shop, walk the dog, etc. Masks made from cotton and elastic certainly won’t harm anyone at home or when going out, as long as people are following other recommended protocols to stay safe.

• Some medical personnel are wearing homemade masks on top of N95s so they can use them for longer periods.

• If you are sick (and especially if you don’t know it yet), homemade masks can be helpful in keeping your droplets from getting on other folks (and possibly keep them from getting sick). L.A. County health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer urged people to use cotton masks this week in tandem with other safety protocols.

• Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams tweeted this week that his office asked the CDC if its recommendations on face masks should change in light of new data. Adams stressed that wearing a mask should not supersede social distancing. We may see the CDC recommend masks more in the days ahead.

• A report by Johns Hopkins University stated that UV light breaks down the coronavirus protein on any surface, so it can be used to disinfect a mask for reuse.

COMPARING FACE MASKS

N95 mask

• Filters out at least 95% of airborne particles. •Tight fitting, allows minimal leakage.

Surgical mask

• Fluid-resistant, protects wearer against large droplets.

• Does not protect against smaller airborne particles. • Loose-fitting and can allow leakage around the edges.