Using doubled up 600-thread count pillowcases or flannel pajamas, you could make a mask that provides up to 60 percent filtration. Other materials that can be used to filter out dangerous particles include HEPA filters, vacuum cleaner bags, and quilter’s cotton. But be careful of materials like household air filters that may contain fiberglass. They could still damage your lungs, even if they filter out virus particles.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports the supply of surgical masks (and other protective gear) could run short during the pandemic meaning little availability of masks for the people. The solution, according to health officials, is to improvise. Some materials can filter particles better than others, significantly affecting how well your homemade mask may protect you from infection.
Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure,” the CDC said in a statement Trusted Source.
But the CDC emphasized: “It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus.”
Initially, people in the United States were told by the surgeon general and World Health Organization to not use face masks because they were unlikely to help, and because they were needed by healthcare providers.
But experts insist that has now led to confusion, as the CDC now supports homemade masks. It’s very unfortunate that the CDC and the surgeon general’s office initially, because they were panicked at masks being hoarded and unavailable for health workers, chose to address that by telling people that masks aren’t helpful.
Masks are always helpful, whether they filter well or not, they are very helpful at protecting other people as well, especially from silent infections.
To help keep patients with chronic conditions out of the emergency room, and to leave room for those with Covid-19, many physicians are conducting telehealth.
With more and more Americans abiding by stay-at-home orders in their states, many are turning to telemedicine to connect with their physicians. However, up until a few weeks ago, most medicare recipients weren’t able to use telehealth, unless they wanted to pay out of pocket for their care.
As of March 6, under President Trump’s emergency declaration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) broadened access to Medicare telehealth services so beneficiaries can receive a wider range of services from their doctors virtually.
