Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): For Consumers/Patients - Facts & Information

Have a Question? Call the NY STATE Novel Coronavirus HOTLINE 24/7 at 1-888-364-3065

DIY fabric masks

• Provide a protective barrier to droplet transmission (especially from those who may be asymptomatic but infected, and in areas of significant community transmission)
• Preserve the supply of N95 respirator masks for healthcare workers
• Signal a positive social message
• Current recommendation from the CDC (4/13/20) ("Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19") (printer friendly)

Tutorials

• NO SEW, Mask from a T-shirt (U.S. Surgeon General, :45 seconds)

• NO SEW, Multilayer Mask from a Handkerchief

• Cloth Face Covers/CDC: How to wear/make SEW/NO SEW, (pdf)

• How to Sew a Face Mask, (by hand or machine) (NY Times 3/31/20) (pdf)

• MakeMasks2020 recommended, "Clover" pattern, w/ filter pocket. (YouTube video), straight stitch sewing.

• Pleated and shaped masks recommended, no printer needed! 

• Boxy Mask with filter pocket recommended, straight sewing and good for larger faces.

• Sewing Emergency Medical Face Masks: for complete beginner (Masks4Medicine) 

• Accessible Design Fabric Mask Pattern (Washington Post, 4/5/20)

• Pattern Library (makemasks2020)

• Learn to Hand Sew (no machine necessary) a tutorial

FAQ

Cloth Face Covering Guidance Health Advisory (NY State DOH)   pdf 

Coronavirus: Which Mask Should You Wear? (Types, Protection, How to Make) (NY Times)

Slowing Spread of Coronavirus Infection with Homemade DIY Masks (YouTube video, 6 min 45 sec)  (Lex Fridman, MIT)

Masks4Medicine FB Page (DIY, Where to DONATE)

What's the best material for a mask? ("The best-performing designs were a mask constructed of two layers of high-quality, heavyweight “quilter’s cotton,” a two-layer mask made with thick batik fabric, and a double-layer mask with an inner layer of flannel and outer layer of cotton.")

Selected biomedical evidence: 
van der Sande, M., Teunis, P., & Sabel, R. (2008). Professional and home-made face masks reduce exposure to respiratory infections among the general population. PloS one, 3(7), e2618. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/

Davies, A., Thompson, K. A., Giri, K., Kafatos, G., Walker, J., & Bennett, A. (2013). Testing the efficacy of homemade masks: would they protect in an influenza pandemic?. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 7(4), 413–418. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7108646/

• The New York Times offers free access to most of the news and guidance regarding COVID-19 they are publishing.  You can sign up with an email address to read all of the articles linked to from the main NYT coronavirus page.
• The NYT is also publishing a daily email/ guide to the global outbreak, The Coronavirus Briefing Newsletter, that you can subscribe to for free. (Latest news on the outbreak,  expert advice about prevention and treatment.)