CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

A couple in protective masks during the coronavirus outbreak walk past the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo: AP)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending people wear face masks while in public settings in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The new recommendation is in addition to social distancing, which the CDC continues to champion as the prime way to prevent the spread of the virus.  

According to the CDC, simple cloth face coverings help slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Facial coverings are especially important in areas of significant community-based transmission, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, health officials said.

You likely already have the supplies needed to make a cloth face covering at home. While a sewing machine can be used to make a custom face covering, a simpler version can be made using a scarf, bandana, or T-shirt. The below tutorials from the CDC vary in complexity, with the first method using a sewing machine:

Sewn Cloth Face Covering

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

Materials

  • Two 10”x6” rectangles of cotton fabric
  • Two 6” pieces of elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties)
  • Needle and thread (or bobby pin)
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine

Tutorial

1. Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch. Stack the two rectangles; you will sew the mask as if it was a single piece of fabric.

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

2. Fold over the long sides ¼ inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over ½ inch along the short sides and stitch down.

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

3. Run a 6-inch length of 1/8-inch wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the mask. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tight.

Don’t have elastic? Use hair ties or elastic head bands. If you only have string, you can make the ties longer and tie the mask behind your head.

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

4. Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the mask on the elastic and adjust so the mask fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping.

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

 

Quick Cut T-shirt Face Covering (no sew method)

Materials

  • T-shirt
  • Scissors

Tutorial

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

 

Bandana Face Covering (no sew method)

Materials

  • Bandana (or square cotton cloth approximately 20”x20”)
  • Coffee filter
  • Rubber bands (or hair ties)
  • Scissors (if you are cutting your own cloth)

Tutorial

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

CDC Recommends Everyone Wear Cloth Face Covering in Public; How to Make One

 

 

 

 

 

 

The CDC said that by covering your face you’re helping protect those around you, especially those who are more at-risk. 

Health officials are stressing that people can be contagious before they have coronavirus symptoms and then spread the virus to others.

COVID-19 can spread by people interacting closely with one another, whether it be through them speaking, coughing, or sneezing.

Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing; they are an addition to the physical separation, according to the CDC.

Other reminders about when making your own mask:

  • Include multiple layers of fabric.
  • Wash it frequently depending on how often you use it. A washing machine is fine.
  • Do not touch eyes, nose, and mouth when removing it.
  • Wash hands right after taking it off.

The CDC said cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

Click here for a video from the CDC on how to make a face covering. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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