The novel coronavirus, officially known as SARS-CoV-2, remains unabated in India and all over the world. In the last 24 hours, our country has witnessed 1035 fresh cases and 40 new deaths from COVID-19, the infection caused by novel coronavirus. Currently, India’s death toll stands at 239 according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while globally, 92, 941 people have lost their lives to this condition. All these have moved at an unimaginable pace in just a matter of four months and what is more unfortunate is, research bodies, doctors and pharma companies are yet to find a cure and vaccine against this virus. The absence of curative and preventive medicines has made it extremely crucial for all to take protective measures like maintaining social distance, handwashing and wearing masks. With the situation worsening by the day, many states in India—UP, Maharashtra, Delhi, Odisha among others—have made masks compulsory in public places.
WHY USE HOMEMADE MASKS
There are three types of masks available for use: N-95 respirators, surgical masks and the homemade cloth masks. The first one is the most effective among these three categories. However, with the scarcity of N-95 respirators and surgical masks, which are more crucial for healthcare professionals and caregivers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CSC), US, recommends using homemade cloth masks for people without COVID-19 symptoms. The Indian government has also urged healthy people to use them in a public setting. Wear them while going out for your grocery shopping, where maintaining physical distance is tough. A homemade mask may offer protection to the asymptomatic population from COVID-19 to a certain extent. You must wash it after each use, and clean your hands after removing the mask. Make sure you don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth after taking off the mask.
HOW TO MAKE A MASK AT HOME
The best fabric for a homemade face mask is cotton. However, you can use other fabrics too. Here are two easy ways to make one for yourself at home.
Use your old T-shirt
If you have an old T-shirt (preferably cotton) at home which has been shelved in your cupboard since ages, then now is the time to take that out and make good use of it. Yes, you can make a face mask out of it to stay on top of this COVID-19 outbreak. But before going ahead, make sure that the fabric can be folded multiple times with several layers. Your homemade face mask shouldn’t be single-layered, or else, it won’t be of use.
Things you’ll need
· T-shirt or a cloth with a similar fabric
· Two rubber bands or even hair bands would work
How to make it
· Cut the T-shirt straight across 7-8 inches horizontally from the bottom.
· Lay the material in front of you in a way that the bottom of the T-shirt now faces either left side or the right side.
· Fold the T-shirt from top to the middle and then from the bottom to the middle. Repeat the process once more.
· Tie the rubber band to each end of the fabric so that it looks like a candy wrapper.
· Fold the part of the cloth outside the rubber band inwards from each side so that the ends will meet in the middle. This will add another layer to the mask.
· Now put a band on each of your ears to make the material fit comfortably on your face.
Mask made up of bandana and coffee filter
This mask has a coffee filter in between the layer of the bandana-like cloth since the fabric is very thin here.
Things you’ll need
· Bandana
· Cone shaped coffee filter
· Two rubber bands. Even hair bands work
How to make it
· Fold your bandana cloth in half in square shape.
· Cut the coffee filter from the middle horizontally.
· Place the coffee filter’s wider part in the middle of the folded bandana cloth.
· Fold the bottom of the bandana cloth till the middle. It should cover the filter. Now, fold the top and down again.
· Tie the rubber band to each end, leaving a few inches of the fabric so that it looks like a candy wrapper.
· Fold the leftover sides of the cloth inwards over the band so they meet in the middle. Tuck them in together.
· Now put a band on each of your ears to make the material fit comfortably on your face.