So, yay for that. However. numerous other healthcare providers (not to mention the general public) are still in need of masks, so I decided to dedicate some of my basement time to making some.
As per my usual, I researched the hell out of the process. I read probably three dozen articles, watched numerous videos, read CDC specs, joined two Facebook groups for individuals providing personal protection gear to combat COVID, including "Mask Drive - Help our first responders" and Open Source COVID 19 Medical Devices, got tips from friends and more. I knew I wanted to make masks that had a wire across the nose area, one that had a pocket to insert some sort of filter, which could be anything from a paper towel to part of a vacuum cleaner bag or furnace filter or even a coffee filter. I also wanted one that used ties instead of elastic (the elastic doesn't stand up as well to repeated launderings and the fit can't be adjusted as specifically.
After all the research, I wound up mostly following this video ...
And I used the straps instructions from the "We-Can-Sew-It" Masks tutorial.
During the first mask, I sewed right along with the video.
The video was easy to follow, including the insertion of the wire for the nose of the bridge.
Cutting and sewing the straps was the most time-consuming part.
Because I'm self-isolating, I didn't have any humans to try out the mask, so I had to turn to a trusty Klingon. He didn't seem to mind.
FIASCO CONTINUES: In other COVID-related news, the shortage of tests for the virus continues, all across America. I saw this Tweet, and thought it (unfortunately) sums up the reality of the situation.
I can't help but think back to the early days of the U.S. outbreak, when a whole slew of NBA players and team personnel were tested, even though they were asymptomatic.
I'm not the only one who noticed. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was a bit taken aback
“We wish them a speedy recovery," he said of those infected, "(b)ut, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested,” he tweeted.
In response to criticism, the Nets team stressed that they used *private* tests for their players, as opposed to "public" ones. In other words, if you're well enough connected and monied, private testing is available at facilities that have procured testing kits, per USA Today
According to a CNBC article, "Many doctors are left wondering how the NBA is getting access to so many COVID-19 tests when they don’t have access themselves. 'I think the first thing is to figure out how NBA got it. It’s real chaos and there are no firm rules on test access now,' said Dr. David Chao, a former NFL team doctor who is now in private practice."
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/19/doctors-wonder-if-nba-getting-special-treatment-with-coronavirus-tests.html
NBA Players Association Executive Director Michelle Roberts pointed out that the test inequity isn't an NBA problem, but it's a governmental problem. “The problem that more of us can’t get the tests -- and I’m not apologetic about saying it -- in my view, that rests at the foot of the federal government. They were responsible for making sure we were protected in that regard and I think they failed. Roberts said. “People should not be having to wait in line. The at-risk population should be the first to be tested. But goddamn it, if the government had done what they were supposed to do, we wouldn’t be competing for an opportunity to be tested.”
Amen to that.
EXPRESSIVE: CJ and Annabelle continue their COVID schedule. They worked on Japanese, played some guitar, and spent some of the day reading. They got their art on with another "Draw Every Day with JJK." The session focused on body language.
Here are a couple of drawings from their lesson.
I thought CJ did a great job on the figures below. The top one definitely is posed in a confident way, while the poor guy below looks totally defeated.
The session also included a tutorial about a drawing within a drawing. The first one is drawn on a paper with a couple of folds in it.
ANOTHER RESOURCE: I've always been wanting to check out a class or two at Coyote Central (in Seattle's Central District) for a class or two for the kids. Their offerings have always intrigued me, but we just never got around to it.
Well, enter the pandemic. ...
These aren't full blown classes, per se, but Coyote Central does have some project suggestions online during this stay-at-home order.
Tomorrow, I'm going to challenge the kids to at least start producing a stop-motion animation short. Coyote Central has a few examples on their site.
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