Michigan hospitals turn to quilting scraps, DIY videos to fight coronavirus

Henry Ford Health System in Detroit was among hospitals nationally that have put out the call for supplies, even homemade masks. On Friday, Henry Ford staff demonstrated in a YouTube video what they need.

by Riley Beggin, Robin Erb

One Michigan grandmother is sewing face masks for hospitals. A different Michigan hospital posted a video demonstrating how to make your own personal protective gear.

With medical supplies running dangerously low and predictions of a surge of coronavirus patients, medical professionals are doing whatever they can to protect themselves — and their patients.

Michigan grandmother Renee Campbell has taken to her sewing machine, stitching face masks featuring flowers, lines of primary colors and even a seductive cowboy — that one’s for her daughter, a nurse practitioner at Gerber Memorial Hospital in Fremont in West Michigan.

They’re not ideal — not like the N95 masks the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest medical staff use to effectively fend off coronavirus infection. But even the CDC now has offered guidance on using homemade masks in a pinch.

“If it’s a difference between having a mask and not having a mask, having a mask is better than not,” said Dr. Jordan Sall, chief of staff at Gerber, which is scheduled to receive the first batch of Campbell’s home-stitched masks today.

From this rural hospital in Newaygo County, Sall said he and staff have been preparing for COVID-19 for weeks. But he and other providers around the country are growing increasingly worried that, if COVID-19 spreads too quickly and widely, there simply won’t be enough masks, gloves, gowns, respirators and other life-saving supplies.

By Friday morning, Henry Ford Health System, where staff are creating their own moisture-wicking, bleachable face masks and eye protection, had offered a $300 Amazon gift card to staff with the best ideas for “improving quality, safety and efficiency during this unique time.”

The system even posted a video explaining to others the process for makeshift personal protection equipment.

“We are faced with the enormous challenge of caring for our patients and caring for ourselves during COVID-19’s escalation and anticipated spike,” a message to employees read.

Hospitals elsewhere also have pleaded with the public to help.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.