Faculty, staff and students from the Department of Physics are using their free time to brush up on their sewing skills and help check the spread of COVID-19. Members from the department are making masks and distributing them to physics faculty, staff and students, and plan to donate the rest to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.

“We decided to take on this project after reading articles online and having discussions with colleagues about how masks should be worn to limit the spread when we have to go out to get groceries or medicine,” says Jennifer Ross, professor and associate chair of physics. “People are happy to be helping the effort to fight COVID-19 in some way.”

Due to an increased demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved the use of homemade masks at hospitals when the usual supply has been depleted. Upstate University Hospital and many others are currently accepting homemade masks made to the approved specifications.

If you are interested in producing homemade masks, use the approved template from Upstate University Hospital.