New COVID-19 face mask guidelines mean we’ll need to make our own. Here are tips

There’s plenty of irony in the fact that experts are suggesting we wear faces masks at the exact time it’s nearly impossible to find them on shelves ... like toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Federal officials say social distancing and frequent hand washing is not enough to stop the potentially fatal coronavirus, which has infected a million people and killed 55,000 globally, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The virus is more resilient than originally believed and experts say we must start shielding our faces from airborne “droplets” created by people who may not yet be showing symptoms such as sneezing or coughing.

President Donald Trump released new guidelines for Americans on Friday to wear masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus, McClatchy News reported. “It’s only a recommendation,” Trump said. “It’s voluntary.”

Bottom line: Many Americans may have to start making their own face masks if they want to wear one, and research shows these homemade masks actually work.

One such study, by Cambridge University, had volunteers make “last resort” masks using cotton T-shirts. The researchers determined the masks “significantly reduced the number of microorganisms expelled by volunteers,” though the professional grade masks were three times more effective, the report says.

A Stanford Medicine study issued March 22 also addressed the growing need for homemade masks by listing the effectiveness of certain materials in stopping contaminants. The highest-rated materials included vacuum cleaner bags, tea towels, cotton mixes and antimicrobial pillowcases, the report showed.

Lowest on the list: Silk and scarves.

Multiple how-to videos for making masks have popped up on YouTube, using materials most people have in their homes.

One such video, posted Feb. 14 by the South China Morning Post, shows how to use paper towels, tissue paper, rubber bands and plastic-coated wire to create a mask. The safety level rises even higher when combining it with a plastic file folder as face guard (clipped to a pair of glasses), the video shows.

A similar video posted by Japanese Creation shows how to make a pleated mask using an 18-inch by 18-inch handkerchief folded multiple times and fitted with hair bands as ties.

“This mask is not meant to replace surgical face masks, but when you must go out, something to cover yourself is better than nothing, and at the very least, it will remind you to not touch your face,” the video advises.

Experts say encouraging people to wear masks is mostly about catching droplets emitted by people who are infected but aren’t showing symptoms. It is now suspected such people are contributing greatly to the spread of the virus.

Here are some videos on how to make a mask at home.

This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 6:18 PM with the headline "New COVID-19 face mask guidelines mean we’ll need to make our own. Here are tips."