At the beginning of the pandemic, when masks were back-ordered, and we realized that we might not get in new masks for some time, I started sewing masks from semi-impermeable drape material used for wrapping surgery packs. I used directions from the internet and experimented with different designs. I figured the drape material might provide a better barrier than plain cotton, and I was right. I also experimented to see if the drape material was washable and reusable (it appears to be). Now that the PPE supply is less critical, we used the homemade masks for “social” work (meeting the local mask mandate for businesses) and reserve the surgical masks for surgery. However, should the supply of PPE every dwindle again, I am confident we have an alternative so we can continue doing surgery with no worries.
