{"id":114485,"date":"2020-03-27T14:09:09","date_gmt":"2020-03-28T00:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=114485"},"modified":"2020-04-02T13:42:03","modified_gmt":"2020-04-02T23:42:03","slug":"collaboration-produces-face-masks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/03\/27\/collaboration-produces-face-masks\/","title":{"rendered":"东精影业<\/abbr> M\u0101noa collaboration produces critical face masks"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Volunteers work to create face masks for healthcare workers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/a> (JABSOM<\/abbr>) and the Department of Theatre and Dance<\/a> are working together to create masks needed by frontline healthcare workers combatting COVID-19.<\/p>\n

This is in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s guidance that fabric masks are a crisis response option when other personal protective equipment has been exhausted. The masks will be pleated for better fit and made of 100 percent densely woven “breathable” cotton with pockets that can be inserted with a disposable near N95 non-woven filter material. After use, the cloth masks may be treated with regular laundry soap, laundered and reused.<\/p>\n

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Cloth face masks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Angel Yanagihara<\/strong>, associate research professor at JABSOM<\/abbr> and the Pacific Biosciences Research Center, is working with faculty, students and staff of the Department of Theatre and Dance to sew the homemade fabric masks. The effort is contributed by the head of the costume shop, Assistant Professor Maile Speetjens<\/strong> and Facilities and Production Manager Rick Greaver<\/strong>, with the support of Department Chair Markus Wessendorf<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“As soon as it was apparent that there was a need for masks to be sewn, it seemed obvious that students and staff at the Department of Theatre and Dance had a skillset that could be put to good use,” Speetjens said. “Sewing skills are consistently taught in this department, thus giving us the opportunity to pitch in and put our hands and sewing machines that are normally used for costume making to good use in the community.”<\/p>\n