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84-year-old sews 50 non-medical masks

A retired Airdrie man has kept busy recently, sewing together 50 homemade cloth masks to be donated to the family members of workers at a hospital in Calgary.

John Paddon, 84, said his daughter heard about a call-out for donations of non-medical masks to family members of employees at Foothills Medical Centre, and when he found out about it, decided to contribute.

“I do sew and have for years,” Paddon said. “I had nothing to do, being locked up at home, so said sure.”

“Obviously, they’re not surgical masks. They’re just a mask that covers [your face] from the bridge of your nose down to your chin, and is held up by your ears.”

Paddon said he fashioned old cloth bed sheets from his RV for the masks’ material, and used his sewing machine to cut out the design.

He said each mask took about 45 minutes to assemble, after the cloth squares had been cut out.

“It’s a way to pass the time,” said Paddon, who has volunteered with various organizations in Airdrie over the years. “I like to volunteer, so this is another way of doing that.”

Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said in her daily briefing April 6 that wearing non-medical masks is one measure that can help asymptomatic people (those who have the virus without realizing it) from spreading COVID-19, in situations where they cannot practise physical distancing. She said non-medical masks can reduce the chance of a sick person’s respiratory droplets from coming into contact with others, or landing on surfaces.

However, Tam added, medical masks should be reserved for medical workers, and are not meant to be worn by the general public.

Alberta’s chief medical officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, similarly spoke about the effects of non-medical masks in her daily briefing April 6. She said wearing masks has not been proven to protect the person wearing them from contracting the virus, but may be helpful in protecting the people around them.

“This is because face coverings are another way to cover your mouth and nose to prevent respiratory droplets from contaminating other people or surfaces,” she said. “Additionally, wearing a mask may stop you from touching your nose or mouth.”

Hinshaw said homemade masks should be properly fitted and not gape at the sides. She also said masks can easily become contaminated on the outside, so should be thoroughly washed or changed out regularly.

“Cloth masks should be worn only a short time, as there is some evidence that they can trap virus particles after they become damp, which may put the wearer at greater risk of being infected,” she said. “After wearing the mask, assume that it has been contaminated and take the proper precautions.”

Hinshaw reiterated the most important steps one can take to prevent the spread of infection is to adhere to good hygiene practices, such as proper hand-washing, staying home whenever possible and practicing physical distancing.

Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19

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