Introduction: COVID19 Coronavirus Protective Face Shield Shortages

Healthcare workers’ faces have been reported to be the body part most commonly contaminated by splashes, sprays and spatter of body fluids.Face shields are personal protective equipment devices that are used by many workers (e.g., medical, dental, veterinary) for protection of the facial area and associated mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) from splashes, sprays, and spatter of body fluids. Face shields are generally not used alone, but in conjunction with other protective equipment. Due to the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for those working in the front-line in Madrid we decided to produce them for the dialysis staff.

Our objective:

To design and make protective masks for nursing assistants and nurses of a dialysis unit, with :

  • -the available materials we had (shops are currently closed)
  • -that are easy to sanitize and are therefore reusable,
  • -easy to put on,
  • -easy to make (7 min each),
  • -had a patient-friendly look.

we discarded:

-Foam rubber and duck-tape for hygiene reasons,

-elastic rubber band, due to the shortage of material.

-staples and any other metallic materials, for hygiene and user safety reasons,

Our design can be used temporarily during periods of face shield protection shortages in your area. Check more information about eye protection for COVID-19 on the World Health Organization protective equipment guidelines https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331498

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Supplies

MATERIAL NEEDED for each MASK:

  • -1 ACETATE OR A4 PVC binding cover
  • -120cm polyester ribbon
  • -15cm weatherstrip (draught excluder)
  • -1 piece of 4.5cm x 29.7cm high-density polyethylene fibre (Tyveck).

EQUIPMENT NEEDED to make them:

  • -a metal ruler, a cutter,
  • -a cutting board, scissors,
  • -a marker pen,
  • -1 sheet of A4 paper,
  • -a sewing machine with polyester thread,
  • -3 binder clips.

Step 1:

1.Trim the corners off the longest side of a sheet A4 paper. Use this the pattern to cut out the acetate.

Step 2:

2.Cut about 15cm of weatherstrip and stick it on the acetate.

Step 3:

3.Cut a 4.5cm strip of high-density polyethylene fiber and fold it in half lengthwise.

Step 4:

4.Insert the acetate, with the weatherstrip glued on, into the folded strip of high-density polyethylene fiber.

Step 5:

5. Put the polyester ribbon on top of the acetate so that it is centered, then sandwich fold the strip of high-density polyethylene fiber.

Step 6:

6. Hold with binder clips.

Step 7:

5.Sew the sandwich all along the opposite side of the weatherstrip (so that the seam is on the side facing the patient).

Step 8:

7. Sew the ends of the ribbons to finish them off.

Step 9:

8. Mark the side with the weatherstrip, to indicate that it is the padded part which is more comfortable for the forehead.

Step 10:

TIPS:

  • -cut pieces separately to make in a small assembly line.
  • -clean gently all the surface after each use with a soapy solution or regular sanitizer alcoholic solution to maintain the transparency (bleached solutions tent to mattify and PVC loses transparency early).