Some local residents are dusting off their sewing machines to do whatever they can to help supply homemade personal protective equipment (PPE) to front-line health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But before you start to sew, citizens are being warned to check to make sure there’s a need for what they’re making before they thread the needle.
Barrie resident Laura Guarnaccia and her husband, Eric Finlayson, started their business EF Painting and Cleaning about three years ago. With the COVID-19 pandemic, their business has taken a hit.
“We aren’t currently working. We’ve had several jobs pushed back given what’s going on,” Guarnaccia told BarrieToday. “A lot of customers are respecting the self-isolation, so we’re not able to go into homes or businesses to paint. So, we have some extra time on our hands.”
While Guarnaccia has about 20 N-95 masks she’s planning to donate to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), she also saw a post on Facebook with a video on how to make cloth face masks at home.
Guarnaccia went out and spent about $250 on all the supplies she could get her hands on. She is working away on making 150 masks herself to donate to anyone else who may need them.
“I’ve been sewing all my life since I was a kid, so I have the skills to do it. I just hopped on it,” she said.
Guarnaccia said the store she attended was running out of elastics and some fabrics, so she says she’d like to start collecting items from people who may have supplies laying around the house they aren’t using so she can continue her quest.
“I’m seeing so many things about hospitals needing masks and gloves, and I was trying to figure out where it was needed,” she said.
RVH in Barrie is currently not accepting any handmade PPE items.
“We have very stringent rules on appropriate masks and have to adhere to those infection prevention and control measures,” said Jane Cocking, manager of corporate communications for RVH.
The hospital will accept the following items, which all must be new, in unopened boxes and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- N-95 masks – NIOSH certified (3M preferred)
- Protective gloves – Nitrile
- Vented goggles – CSA Z94.3-2015 or ANSI287.1-2015
- Ear loop masks – ASTMF2100-11, L3 preferred (but will accept L2)
- Gowns – AAMI, L2 rating or greater
“The RVH Foundation will co-ordinate all equipment and health-care supply donations,” said Cocking.
Inquiries on donations should be directed to [email protected].
According to Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit officials, they aren’t aware of any front-line workers locally who will accept homemade PPE equipment, either.
“It’s because there’s no guarantee there’s any kind of safety, and it might give people a false sense of security. So if it’s not a kind that has been approved for use, we won’t recommend it,” said the health unit's Leslie Gordon.
The County of Simcoe, however, is currently accepting homemade PPE.
While front-line workers may not be able to use them right away, the county is storing the items in the event they are needed down the road and will work with local agencies such as the health unit and Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) to distribute.
Details for how the donations will be co-ordinated are expected to be released by the county in the coming days.
Overall, anyone wishing to start their own project should contact local agencies to determine if there is a need for these items before starting.
If you’d like to donate elastic or fabric to Guarnaccia to make masks, contact her through the EF Painting and Cleaning Facebook page here.
“We’re more than willing to keep doing this for as long as we have the supplies,” said Guarnaccia.
