By MICHELLE MUELLER
Contributing Writer
©The Recorder April 2, 2020
Twenty three. That is the number of confirmed local cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as reported by the Calhoun County Public Health Department in an update released on Wednesday. The number of confirmed cases is expected to continue to increase. Jackson County has reported 56 positive cases. No deaths have been reported in Calhoun County, and two have been reported in Jackson County..
Early on, once the outbreak had started building in the U.S., panicked citizens started hoarding two things: toilet paper and face masks. This story is about facial masks.
…health professionals were conceding that wearing a face mask could well bring emotional comfort to the wearer, and also have the advantage of keeping the person from touching their face, a no-no during the pandemic.
The current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance is that healthy people don’t need masks or face coverings. In fact, some infectious disease experts worry that masks could lull people into a false sense of security and make them less disciplined about social distancing. Just a short time ago, some health professionals were conceding that wearing a face mask could well bring emotional comfort to the wearer, and also have the advantage of keeping the person from touching their face, a no-no during the pandemic.
As of Monday, there was still no consensus on whether widespread use of facial coverings would make a significant difference, but the attitude of medical experts seems to be evolving in that direction.
Do-it-yourself cloth face mask creation has been happening for a few weeks now, and for the first time, health experts seem to be moving closer to saying that masks worn by the general public would potentially lower the risk that the wearer, if infected, would transmit the virus to other people.
A federal official (who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it is an ongoing matter of internal discussion and nothing has been finalized) told the Washington Post that CDC officials “are considering altering the official guidance to encourage people to take measures to cover their faces amid the coronavirus pandemic.” That source also explained that “the new guidance would make clear that the general public should not use medical masks — including surgical and N95 masks — that are in desperately short supply and needed by health-care workers.”
Do-it-yourself cloth face mask creation has been happening for a few weeks now, and for the first time, health experts seem to be moving closer to saying that masks worn by the general public would potentially lower the risk that the wearer, if infected, would transmit the virus to other people. It is hoped that the availability of DIY masks will take the pressure off the public to hoard medical masks.
“The mayor connected me to the vacuum repair shop [A vacuum repair shop in Jackson donated HEPA filter vacuum bags which can be used to create a more protective mask] and the assistant manager at JoAnn’s [Fabric Store] who did a great job with assisting me with supplies.”
One Albion resident kept hearing from the community’s elderly and immune-compromised that they would feel a lot better if they could wear a face mask when out in public and decided to stitch together a solution: Maurice Barry, 55, bought a sewing machine, and then learned how to sew from a 30-minute face-mask video on YouTube.
“The idea was first brought to my attention by a social media post by (Albionite) Melissa Craig, so I reached out and decided maybe this could be useful in our community,” said Barry, explaining how his project got started. “I pitched it to Harry [Bonner Sr.] and the mayor and they thought it was a great idea. The mayor connected me to the vacuum repair shop [A vacuum repair shop in Jackson donated HEPA filter vacuum bags which can be used to create a more protective mask] and the assistant manager at JoAnn’s [Fabric Store] who did a great job with assisting me with supplies.”
“My first mask took over 3 hours to make, and I’d hate to show you the result of that – it was a mess. But now with prepared material I can make one in under 15 minutes, which for a green guy is a big accomplishment,” he said.
Maurice Barry
Barry began posting videos of himself sewing and photos of the resulting face masks on social media. “Others in the community saw my efforts and pitched in, which was great. My first mask took over 3 hours to make, and I’d hate to show you the result of that – it was a mess. But now with prepared material I can make one in under 15 minutes, which for a green guy is a big accomplishment,” he said.
Other Albion resident volunteer sewers include Penny Harrell, Julia Mulkey, Latrice Potts, and Danielle England, who are pitching in on Barry’s mask project. Melissa Craig is overseeing her own similar face mask production coterie and is having fun adding bling and other decorative elements to her creations.
He has drawn inspiration on the need for masks from his own loved ones. “I have a large group of female family members who are on the front line of this working in the medical field prison systems and law enforcement. My sister is a nurse, my cousin a sheriff, and a host of aunties and cousins are working in hospitals and care homes throughout the city of Detroit.
Barry said he has drawn inspiration on the need for masks from his own loved ones. “I have a large group of female family members who are on the front line of this working in the medical field prison systems and law enforcement. My sister is a nurse, my cousin a sheriff, and a host of aunties and cousins are working in hospitals and care homes throughout the city of Detroit. They all have offered to pay for masks for them and co-workers after seeing my social media posts,” he said.
Having provided more than 65 masks to date, Barry explains that he is trying to rally others to pitch in. “I’ve personally donated the fabric to all my volunteers. And people are so grateful that they been urging me to take their donations of money to help ease the cost since 90 percent of this is out of pocket. I have recently decided to ask for donations for the masks to finance making more, and I’m looking to buy at least one more machine and teach my son and his girlfriend to sew to speed up production.”
Having provided more than 65 masks to date, Barry explains that he is trying to rally others to pitch in.
Michelle Mueller
Michelle is the author of the book Mr. Bonner: The Story of a Mentoring Journey, which was released in 2019. She has written for The Recorder, the Albion College Io Triumphe magazine, and she is an enthusiastic scrapbooker in her spare time. See more articles by Michelle Mueller here: www.albionmich.net/writer-mueller/
Related links:
- Stories by Michelle Mueller – https://albionmich.net/writer-mueller/
- See more Health related articles on this website
This story is reprinted with permission from The Recorder.
© 2020 The Recorder Newspaper. All rights reserved (About Us).
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of The Recorder.
You can help by sharing this story with your friends!
More Albion News about the Coronavirus Pandemic
Delayed Juneteenth festivities in Albion were enjoyed indoors the following Saturday
By Michelle Mueller Contributing Writer July 1, 2021 After all of the outdoor activities that had been planned by community members to celebrate the new
100 Covid Deaths in Calhoun County
As of 3 p.m on Wednesday, Nov. 18, Calhoun County has a cumulative total of 4,496 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to Calhoun County Public Health
Thanksgiving meals amid COVID-19 spike
By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ Contributing Writer November 19, 2020 Families, friends, and neighbors have long enjoyed the hospitality of a good meal at various Albion churches
COVID-19 Neighborhood Testing in Albion Michigan – 2020
Posted by Albion Health Care Alliance on Monday, November 30, 2020 Register for a test in advance by calling the COVID hotline at 1-888-535-6136,(and press 1).
The black-white divide continues in coronavirus deaths
By MICHELLE MUELLER Contributing Writer ©The Recorder April 23, 2020 As of today, over 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Michigan are African Americans. Yet only 14
Albion and Homer seniors get extra food relief during coronavirus threat
By Sylvia BenavidezContributing Writer April 2, 2020 Senior residents from Albion and Homer receive food from volunteers working with Albion Food Hub “So if you have
Albion Churches Online
Churches are moving online with the Michigan Stay At Home order due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Follow your own church, or visit a new one with this Guide.
Data shows that African Americans are dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate
By MICHELLE MUELLER Contributing Writer ©The Recorder April 2, 2020 Albion resident Maurice Barry has already lost a first cousin to COVID-19. “I didn’t even
Albion – Monday, March 23, 2020
The city of Albion closed all nonessential city operations effective at 12:01 AM on Monday, March 23, as a result of the growing number of
