In the midst of a global pandemic everyone is struggling to feel safe, and yet, ironically, more puzzling than the origin of the virus is the overwhelming lack of ability to provide preventative measures in the form of PPE. Big N95 mask suppliers have been nationalized by China, and the U.S. based innovation tech company, 3M, has faced the impossible task of keeping with nationwide demand for N95 masks.

With the general public and, more specifically, healthcare professionals facing compromised safety, many are taking action to create makeshift PPE. The Masks Now Coalition (TMNC) is one of many groups leading this fight to help provide masks to hospitals, essential workers, and, well, everyone who needs one (aka everyone). TMNC is working in a grassroots way, by bringing in individuals to help however they can, and use their large information network and dedication to educating the public. Please read our exclusive interview with Sarah Kendrick to learn more about The Masks Now Coalition.

Where are you based?
Because the Coalition came about by the merging of a number of different movements with similar goals, there is not a single base of operations, although much of the coalition’s leadership is based around the Washington DC metro area. Created by Crisis, one of the founding members, is located in North Carolina. There are national/state/regional coordinators, each based locally to their area. I am one of the PA state leaders and I live and work in PA, as do my two co-leaders.

Can you tell us a bit about The Masks Now Coalition and what your organization does to combat the spread of COVID-19? What are your goals?
The Masks Now Coalition was founded when hundreds of Americans, acting individually, started to make masks together to raise our country’s viral resistance to the spread of coronavirus. They joined forces to make an umbrella organization to handle the thorny design and logistical questions involved in massively distributed mask production to make sure those in need can get face masks.

Led by nineteen organizers directing over 11,000 volunteers who banded together in response to the urgent national shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE) brought on by the novel coronavirus outbreak in America, The Masks Now Coalition has volunteers in every state, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, ready to answer the call from over 1,100 organizations including more than 350 hospitals in 42 states which have made public appeals for homesewn masks.

Mask makers, a physician, logistics and IT experts, creators, former federal officials, and artists, all converged quickly to form The Masks Now Coalition under the umbrella of the Democratic Coalition, a national political advocacy group. Coalition partner Created for Crisis developed a 3-layer mask pattern, bringing together the best elements of circulating patterns into a design which is quick and easy to sew.

Our goal is to give each citizen the ability to take control of their community’s public health by making homemade masks for patients in order to conserve the manufactured masks that protect our irreplaceable healthcare workers and doctors.

It is amazing what you guys are doing in support of healthcare workers at the forefront of battling this virus. Who are your main groups of essential workers you are getting these masks out to?
We have a means for organizations to submit requests to the coalition, which then is databased and parsed to that state’s leadership to arrange the supply chain. The requests I have seen come from hospitals, nursing homes, county correction facilities, child and youth services, and home health care companies. Any organization can request masks, any healthcare facility that has patients, support staff, or visitors who would like more protection than being without a face mask. That includes dentists, veterinarians, nursing homes, clinics, emergency responders, grocery stores, etc. They can submit requests here: https://masksnow.org/request-supplies

Why is it so important that everyone wears a mask right now?
The purpose of the masks is to protect the non-wearers as much as it is to protect the wearer. Masks prevent respiratory droplets from spreading like they would without the mask. Imagine walking in a store. The person six feet in front of you sneezes and when you walk through that area, those droplets are hanging in the air and you just walked through them. Sure, you can avoid the area, but even just speaking and breathing causes respiratory droplets in the environment. There is a hilarious infographic for demonstrating this. The script is that if you and the other guy are both naked and he pees near you, you get pee on you. If you are wearing pants, you still get pee on you, but its not as bad. If you are both wearing pants, he only gets the pee on himself and you stay dry. Silly, yes, but it makes the point.

The CDC recommends using masks to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Not everyone who is infected knows it or has any signs of it. The biggest reason to prevent everyone from getting sick at once is to help keep the numbers that require hospitalization as low as possible. If we all got sick right now, even though it is a small percentage that would require serious medical intervention, that small percentage would overwhelm the hospitals’ capabilities. In Italy, we see doctors having to choose who receives intervention, effectively choosing whose life is more worth saving. This is not a choice I would want to make, so I do what I can to help so someone else doesn’t have to.

There is a lot of debate about homemade masks. How effective are homemade masks? What is the most optimum material or fabric to use when creating a mask and why? What materials should people avoid?
If worn properly and combined with social distancing and proper care, homemade masks can be very effective. A Cambridge University study found in 2013 that cotton-blend masks are 80% as effective at filtration as a surgical mask, and appropriate for emergency use during an influenza pandemic. 100% cotton and other materials are also acceptable.

There is a lot of concern about misusing masks and accidental contaminations. Can you tell us the proper way to wear a mask? What should be done if you need to adjust it while you are out? What if you want to take it off? Put it back on again?
The biggest thing I can say is that it is not just wearing the mask, but wearing it properly. Not below your nose but covering both nose and mouth. And once it is on, do not touch it until you take it off. I wear glasses, so I understand that they fog up. I have found that the tissue over the bridge of your nose actually does work (worn under the mask – it helps absorb the moisture in your breath) and some swear by the metal pieces over the bridge of your nose, but my masks do not have that.

Do not take it off and put it back on. If you have multiple stops to make, wear the mask until you are finished, or have multiple masks to wear.

When it is time to take off your mask because you are back in your car and you have avoided touching your face, remove it by the straps (do NOT touch the front of the mask) and put it immediately into a plastic bag (the one you brought with you for this purpose). Sanitize your hands.

What is the best way to clean your mask?
Take the mask home and wash it in hot water and dry in a hot dryer. DO NOT try and microwave the masks to sanitize them. Do not soak them in alcohol or use hand sanitizer. Do not reuse the plastic bag (I know I hate that part too).

Do you have a recommended amount of masks one should have? Should we cycle through masks or is it fine just to wash one between uses?
If you go out frequently, have a few masks to use in rotation.

You've created a standard design for 3-layer homemade masks according to the FDA and CDC emergency mask regulations and guidelines. You've also noted that these masks are not made for children. What should a parent or guardian in need of PPE for younger children do? What are some suggestions for parents with infants?
The efficacy of the masks depend upon proper use. If you touch your face and the mask a lot you are defeating their purpose. Children who are able to follow those directions can wear masks, but the ones we are creating are sized too big for children. Also, the 3-layer masks are harder to breath through and a child may not recognize that or not be able to breathe through them properly. Infants and toddlers, especially those who are unable to remove a mask themselves, are at risk even with a single layer mask. They are an increased risk of suffocation. There are also the choking hazards of the ties to consider. The CDC recommends that children over the age of 2 wear a face covering. They stress that it should be a simple cotton one made at home and to save the N95 and respirators for personnel that need them.

I am not a medical professional, an epidemiologist, or infectious disease expert, but I have been researching this a lot and looking to the experts to see what they say. The CDC has extensive advice on their website and there are a number of sources out there that can give you the best sound medical advice. And when in doubt, call your own doctor or pediatrician and see what their advice is.

What I would tell friends is that one of the big reasons for wearing a mask is to keep your germs to yourself. Not many kids can do this on the best of days. If you have to take your child out, then a simple face covering and strict instructions to leave it alone and on their face would be my advice. The best suggestion for children and infants is to leave them home unless absolutely necessary. If you MUST take your infant into a store, a lightweight cloth blanket over their carrier would act like a mask, but be VERY aware of air flow and don’t leave them covered for long. For a toddler, keeping your distance from other shoppers and carrying them in a baby carrier or ensuring they are not freely walking around the store. Honestly, I would just say you don’t need to take your kids into a store right now. Do your best to leave them home. And make sure that you use best practices – remove your mask and clothing worn to the store and wash them right away, sanitize your hands.

Some of my sources:
https://healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/Cloth-Face-Coverings-for-Children-During-COVID-19.aspx
https://www.today.com/parents/cdc-says-children-should-wear-masks-slow-covid-19-spread-t178005

Have you partnered up with any designers to help make more masks?
Created for Crisis is one of the founding coalition partners and they are working with a team of sewers and designers to come up with the best designs that are effective and easy to make.

Do you have any stories you would like to share about getting a mask to someone in need?
I haven’t been at this long enough to have many stories. I personally have made only about 65 masks for the organization. I started by making masks for friends and found the coalition while researching the best materials and patterns for masks. With three kids at home, my sewing time is short, but my ability to reply to emails on the fly, or pair sewists with organizations is much better. I ended up getting involved in state leadership to help in a different way. So far, I have had mask-makers crank out dozens in a matter of days and many are willing to hand-deliver or ship. There are organizations asking for only a dozen masks, to others in need of hundreds. I have been in contact with dozens of individuals around my state who are ready and willing to spend their own money to supply our health care providers and those in need. I even have a few industrial locations that are cranking out large numbers of masks. It is amazing to see the passion and love that is going into this from all over the country.

How can my readers help and get involved? If one can’t sew, can they still help?
We have 19 national organizers and 125 leads in 42 states, but we’re always looking for more state/regional organizers, in addition to people who can find organizations that need masks, who can sew a pretty awesome mask, and who can distribute masks. If a reader is interested in helping the effort by sewing, distributing, or contacting organizations, they can text “masks” to 50409 for mor information, or fill out the form online at https://masksnow.org/volunteer

If your readers would like to aid the cause with a donation, Created for Crisis (CFC), a founding member of the MasksNow Coalition, will be taking donations for the Coalition, so your receipt will be coming from them. It’s a nonprofit incorporated in North Carolina with an application pending for a 501c3 tax exempt organization. https://masksnow.org/donate

What is your motto in life?
Way to put me on the spot here… Not sure I have a motto.. I try to treat others as I would like to be treated. I believe that we get out of things what we put into them. I also believe that all human life is worthy. If my actions and decisions do something to protect others, then I think I am staying true to all of that.

To learn more about The Masks Now Coalition and Sarah Kendrick, please check out the below platforms:
National Sites:
https://masksnow.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/masksnoworg
https://www.instagram.com/masksnoworg
https://twitter.com/masksnoworg

PA Specific Sites:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/masksnowPennsylvania

Sarah Kendrick:
https://www.facebook.com/SarahKendrickCostumeDesign
https://www.sarahkendrickdesign.com
https://www.instagram.com/sarahkendrickdesign

Images from Masks Now.