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By Josh Ryan

Stitching To Protect

Sask. residents shopping for homemade masks during COVID-19 pandemic

Apr 9, 2020 | 8:00 AM

Residents across Saskatchewan are starting to wear homemade masks out in public to mitigate the chance of coronavirus transmission and the demand is drawing the work of those who can sew.

In watching the pandemic unfold and hearing discussions around the use of masks, Loretta Dougan, owner of Sew n Sew in North Battleford, said she’s received a number of calls over the past two days from people looking for extra measure of protection. Dougan previously considered making some, but with her doors closed and not being a manufacturer herself, she had no plans to do so until she was contacted.

“I didn’t know how viable it would be,” Dougan said. “Now, there may be a need out there for em.”

Dougan said it’s mostly coming from people who work in the health care industry who want a secondary mask after having to wear their official equipment at work all day.

“I’m gonna make a couple for this one lady and then I’m gonna go from there.”

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The Government of Saskatchewan said people should wear masks if it makes them feel more comfortable. Chief Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said masks can offer some protection, but cannot replace measures like social distancing.

“There is some evidence that suggests if you wear a non-medical mask, if you cough and you can’t cough into your sleeve or a tissue, then the mask just captures the droplets,” Shahab said. “And they don’t fall on a service where someone else might touch it.”

Shahab said improper use of masks have the opposite effect of what the wearer intends.

“If you wear a mask and then put it down inside out on a surface and then put it on again, you’re probably causing more exposure to yourself than if you weren’t wearing a mask.”

There’s a variety of designs Dougan has seen online, but anything she makes is limited by her store remaining closed and limited supplies.

“It would have to be with whatever pieces of material I have here,” she said.

The possibility of opening her doors if mask production ever became a necessity is something Dougan would welcome, but she would remain limited by operating only as herself in the production process.

“I guess it depends how soon they would need them,” she said. “They would just have to wait till I got them made.”

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports