Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality, wearing a protective mask of one kind or another has been the option, but it’s quickly becoming the norm. More and more Californians are wearing some kind of mask; if you don’t know how to do it, just look on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram have instructions; if you don’t want to do that, there are plenty of masks for sale.
The type of masks available through social media are exactly what the CDC recommends for people who are out walking, or at the store—if the virus is somewhere in the air, the mask will catch it.
But how comfortable would you be if you had to be in direct contact with people you KNOW have the virus?
Bet you’d want to be wearing something a little sturdier than a hankie with two rubber bands.
Right now, many doctors, nurses, and medical staff who are fighting COVID-19 on the front lines are doing it without the proper equipment; and thousands more will be joining the fight as part of the California Health Corps. And they will need protection, too.
What can you do to help? Give them the tools they need to keep fighting.
PPE in action at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center
These heroes need PPEs—Personal Protective Equipment—and they need it now. The combination of a shortage of supplies plus the number of patients being seen during this unprecedented emergency has left them unprotected.
This is where you come in.
The Department of Consumer Affairs is asking all Californians to consider donating the following desperately needed supplies:
- N95 masks
- Powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR) Hoods
- Surgical masks
- Procedure masks
- Isolation gowns
- Paper masks (with ties or elastic)
- Paper protective gowns
- Protective glasses/goggles
- Industrial face shields (e.g., industrial paint shields)
- Painters smocks (impermeable)
- Latex Gloves (all sizes)
- Hand Sanitizer Liquid
You might use one or more of these items if you work in automotive, pest control, construction, or another profession, or if you’re a weekend crafter, hobbyist or artist. Look in your garage, storage space or supply room—if you have any of the items listed above, they are desperately needed.
If you have these supplies in quantities of 1,000 or more, please donate them at State of California COVID-19 Medical Supply Contributions.
How to Donate:
Please do not drop-off donations directly to hospital emergency rooms. Instead, do one of the following:
- Call non-emergency hospital phone numbers to find out how to donate to your local hospital
- Contact your local health department
- Call your fire department’s non-emergency phone number
- Contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross
NOTE: Items must be new and in the original packaging.
Think about it: What happens if the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who care for us can no longer do it?
Let’s save them so they can save us.
Stay home, stay safe, and donate if you can.
Because we are all in this together. And this really is a matter of life and death.
Get the FAQs: California Coronavirus (COVID-19 Response page
Bonus: Want to learn more about N-95 masks? Read “From the Industrial to the Medical: Evolution of the N-95 Respirator”
