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Johnson County asks for donations of cloth masks for health care workers during COVID-19 outbreak Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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>> I TWEAKED IT A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE IT FIT AND TO MAKE IT COMFORTABLE AROUND MY YEARS. >> BERNADETTE KAPLAN IS MODELING ONE OF THE DO IT YOURSELF FACE MASKS SHE’S MAKING AT HOME SHE IS A FORMER NURSE. THERE WERE THREE DOCTORS IN HER FAMILY. SHE UNDERSTANDS THE NEED. ? I KEPT HEARING ON THE NEWS HOW THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH AND OUR HEALTH-CARE WORKERS WERE ON THE FRONT LINES WITHOUT THE PROPER PROTECTION. >> BERNADETTE DID HER HOMEWORK FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES, AND CREATING A SIMPLE PATTERN SHE FOUND ONLINE. SHE STARTED MAKING THE MASKS FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, LEAVING THEM ON HER FRONT STEP TO FOLLOW SOCIAL DISTANCING. BUT THE REQUESTS KEEP COMING. SHE’S GOT AN ORDER FROM A PHYSICAL THERAPY GROUP FOR 45 OF THE WASHABLE MASKS, SO SHE’S RECRUITING OTHERS TO JUMP IN AND HELP. THERE’S ONE PROBLEM. SHE NEEDS MORE QUARTER-INCH ELASTIC. >> IT IS LIKE THE SANITIZER IN THE TOILET PAPER. IT IS ALL SOLD OUT BECAUSE EVERYONE IS MAKING MASKS. AS SOON AS I HIT ELASTIC, I SPREAD IT OUT TO THE NEIGHBORS. THEY ARE ALL MAKING MASKS. >> SHE’S DOING IT ALL FOR FREE. TWO MASKS PER PERSON SO YOU CAN WEAR ONE AND WASH ONE. SHE ENCOURAGES EVEN BEGINNERS TO GIVE IT A TRY. >> IT IS PRETTY SIMPLE. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO