How to Make an Emergency Face Mask with any T-Shirt
Original image from Keagan Henman on Unsplash.
1. Get a clean T-shirt,
ideally one that fits well and isn’t oversized.
2. Open the bottom of the shirt,
and place it over your head as you normally would, but put your head through the arm hole, not the head hold.
3. Pull your head through halfway,
leaving the shirt up around to cover the bridge of your nose.
4. Using both hands,
grab the bottom edge of the shirt and pull it up towards your face. This will allow you to create a double-layer mask. Let the body of the shirt hang down.
5. Holding the bottom edge,
line it up with the top edge of the arm hole
6. Pull it tightly against your nose,
then bring your hands behind your head while holding the shirt and tie it in a double knot, or twist it around so that it remains tight against your nose and face, and tuck it in the back of the arm hole behind your head.
7. Insert a piece of HEPA air filter
(the kind you use in your HVAC system) between the layers for extra protection.
Be Aware:
Homemade masks are not likely to provide significant protection from external infection, and should not be considered an effective barrier in and of themselves.
However, in combination with physical distancing, hand washing, and overall hygiene, they can be another effective way to combat the spread of the virus.
The primary objective of a homemade mask is to protect others if you are infected—especially because carriers of COVID-19 may seem asymptomatic—and to keep you from touching your face when out and about.