Kara Hamil Hi Kara, There are recent articles about clothing designers using blue shop paper towels because it filters better. www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4 You can try to make one either as an blue filter insert 5.5”x 7” or cut into 11”x7” and make the mask the same way. If we think about what most Americans have available at home, I think we can safely assume they have a box of Kleenex tissues. We can add a folded kleenex tissue as standard as part of this mask. instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=2cz9mffetfv The Kleenex has a tighter weave and filters better than the double layer paper towel alone. This give the mask 6 layers (2ply towel,2 layers Kleenex, 2ply towel) In Hong Kong they compared a paper towel/Kleenex mask versus surgical mask. ua-cam.com/video/aNjpH5lBZ8w/v-deo.html
kansasthunderman1 Good point, if you are worried people will see the blue shop towel mask, then may be cutting piece as an insert and hiding it inside a plain paper towel will be less obvious while still using stronger and better filtering material. Either way, the goal is to make a cheap enough mask which takes very little time to make so you can throw it away after one use.
Hi Dan, that's great! I was thinking people have everything they need at home, but never thought they might have it on their truck. You probably have the blue shop towels in case you need to make some repairs on the truck. The filtration with the blue towel is better than a regular towel, so try to use that if you can. I can't get the blue towels without getting gouged, so I have to wait until May 1 to make the shop towel version of this mask. Don't forget to wash your hands after removing the mask or when you get home an are in a safe place. Take care and drive safe.
Let's give Dr Yang a big smile and thumbs up he is so awesome we need more people like this in the world stay safe everyone and please wear a mask it could save your life and someone else's it's not hard to do and if the rubber bands hurt the back of your ears use a little bit of yarn string god bless everyone and my thoughts are with anyone who lost loved ones 💖💖💖
Very simple with material that is readily available. Dr. Yang makes it clear that mask is not FFP2 / N95 standard.and has its limitations. However, it will help prevent droplets from being sprayed out and will deter wearer from touching mouth or nose. Well done.
Thank you sir! I'm a contractor and need masks all the time. Started to panic when I realized everybody was taking the supply that I need every day. This is a major help and will suffice. Once again thank you. I will pass this video on to all my friends and family!
Dr. Yang! Thanks for your new mask updates. The dome will be particularly helpful for those with fuller faces. How thoughtful and inventive!! Thank you again for your time and care. Elaine
Good video . You have a smooth comforting voice to listen to. I can see why you are a doctor. You are indeed a valuable contribution to our world we live in.
Very simple with material that is readily available. Dr. Yang makes it clear that mask is not FFP2 / N95 standard.and has its limitations. However, it will help prevent droplets from being sprayed out and will deter wearer from touching mouth or nose. Well done.
I think this is my favorite idea! Twisty ties that come in a box of garbage bags. 2 is just right for the nose. Tape them into the top fold. Yarn can work instead of rubber bands if you don't have them. Run one piece down from the top and thru each flap before stapling. It has a little bit of stretch and if you cut it long enuf, you can tie into a bow and won't have to cut it off. About 4 feet. As supplies like paper towels dwindle, we will have to use different things. Cheap fabric is good. As @ccinndierella9 suggested, use the bed pads for people with incontinence. These will prolly be available in hospitals and are still at Walmart. A little goes a long way if you use a strip under the printer paper. Medical personnel can whip up half a dozen of these at night after dinner and put them in their scrub pocket for the next day. Same with regular folk and keep them in their wallet or purse or the car.
I also found that if you use rubber gloves for temporary usage and we're not contaminated wash them thoroughly with soap or sanitizer and cut off the ring around the wrist that is thicker and use that as rubber band ear loops!
Thank you Dr. Yang. Great tutorial and a great way to quickly make a mask. Under protected cover, already keep a stapler, and paper towels in the car. I will surely add the rubber bands and strips of printer paper. Great way to stay safe on the fly. So much appreciated.
Excellent video. Made one and am very impressed how much more that extra insert helped keep it formed to my face. Thank you to all of you on the front lines and be safe.
You’re welcome. I think the paper strip insert makes it special. Some earlier prototypes had the staple on the paper towel directly without the paper and it started to rip a bit since it was only few layers of paper towel as opposed to the accordion fold paper towel mask which is 6-8 layers of towel which shouldn’t rip.
Thank you, Dr Yang, great masks. I was used to wearing masks against PM2 in Shanghai, but yours fit well, are easily transportable, no fuss and nothing to worry about if you loose one or two... just go home an make some more.
Hi Rishi, glad it was easy. The better filtering blue towel may cause the structure collapse bit if the seal is too good on the sides and make it like a cloth mask pressed up against your lips and nose. Here is some photos on my Instagram to create a small index card stiffener to strengthen the shape. instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=r6z7gsiuswkj Don’t be overly confident about the air filtering capabilities of any particular material, because air can leak in from the sides. I see a lot of YT videos claiming N96 level protection. Only a perfect seal can guarantee the air is going 100% through the filter material and not around the sides of the mask. Make sure you toss the mask after using it when encountering potentially contaminated people and places, because the outer surface is considered contaminated after one use.
Good No BEST design ...watched many diy mask vids Ergonomically and least time and materials expediture. Scrub up, Mask up, Glove up. stat room party of 1 or several volunteers ...hundreds of masks in hours. Well Done and thank you for you time to share.
Thank you for the enthusiastic feed back! 👍🏼 I was thinking that it was cheap enough to make that for those who know how to make one, they can give out samples. If they are standing in line with someone who doesn’t have a mask, it can be offered as if someone is about to sneeze and you hand them a tissue as a courtesy. I directed DrGeorgeYang.com to my UA-cam channel as an easy way to give them directions on how to make them. I’m sure they can reverse engineer it out from the sample given out.
Im putting disinfectant wipe coffee filter psper in too.and may be heppa hoover filter.yes i use wipes sll time swimmingoggles.can yo use coffee filter or carbon filters in it.this is so.this is nice idea.it works next job designer/engineer.
Thank you so much this is a life saver I am making them for my family so easy to make and when your done with them keep the band's and throw the mask in the trash I made a box full of them so my family can grab one as they are going out the door again thank you stay safe ☺
Hi Sherry, I was thinking of families like yours when I was designing this paper towel mask. To keep the bands, just pull on the tab on the outside of the mask to release the staples portion and rubber band can be reused after wiping with alcohol. I saw many DIY videos for making your own chlorox wipes. Here’s a popular one: ua-cam.com/video/ko4YQXggPgo/v-deo.html I’m imagining a small plastic container of holding a cleaning solution and these lightly used masks could be tossed in the container to be used later to wipe down door knobs, shoes, car handles and other surfaces. This way you get a mask first then a wet wipe later out of a towel.
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC thank you so much great idea you are so awesome !!!! Please stay safe and thank you for all you do !!!!!!!👍👍👍the world need more kind people like you god bless 🤗🤗
Great video. I increase the seal of my homemade masks by using strips of Press N'Seal (bumpy side is the sticky side) either like tape binding the edge of my mask to my skin or by folding a strip on itself to form a double-sided tape effect. The latter then becomes hidden. Thanks you.
Thank you for the feedback. I googled Glad Press N’Seal. So it’s like a giant piece of tape? Not just Saran Wrap. Cool idea. 😎 During long surgeries, the main reason we have the metal strip and foam on the upper part of the surgical masks is mainly to prevent fogging up of glasses. To make sure that doesn’t happen, I would place a strip of medical tape on bridge of my nose and over the mask to make sure no air would go up into my glasses. Do you mind giving me some feedback about your idea? If you seal all of the edges, then you would not need to rubber bands? Is the mask breathable enough to not want to take it off with a 100% seal. Just wondering 🤔
This makes an attractive video which keeps people from using/hoarding PPE masks but, what's the difference from elastic banding a piece of paper towel and a strip of paper to your face as though you have a bad cold and don't want to use your hands to hold it up? Even with facial tissue folded into the mix, there doesn't seem to be much more to it than that. What am I missing? (BTW...I'm NOT a huge fan of the home-sewn or non-sewn t-shirt fabric masks either and who can get their hands on a furnace filter of any higher grade right now?)
I totally agree. Having the paper towel and tissue already covering your nose and mouth is like you are ready for any cough, throat clearing, or sneeze at all times. It's impractical to walk around with your elbow to your face. If you hold the towel/handkerchief/or tissue to your face at all times, that's a pain also. In my practice, I like to use analogies to explain complicated things in a way which people can picture and perhaps come the same conclusion. Here is a new one. I really got into a lot of details with the analogy to correlate to the COVID-19. Grape Juice Water Gun Fight Analogy. Let's say there are 4 brothers who have water guns filled with grape juice. They are all wearing white clothes and you ran out of bleach for the laundry. You only have one full body hazmat suit to "protect" one of the brothers clothes from getting stained with grape juice. But dad works at a cleaning service which uses chemical to clean out massive grape juice stains off buildings or something big, and so he took the only Hazmat suit to work to cover his white suit otherwise it will be become a purple suit by the time he gets home. So how can we not let the boys stain their white clothes? We can put a cap that comes with the water gun on all 4 of their grape juice water guns. Even though their white clothes are not protected at all. We just stopped the source of the grape juice. Problem solved. Lacking face masks is like only having 2 official caps for 4 water guns. So we can improvise and use some Saran Wrap and electrical tape and wrap the opening as best we can. The Cap might be a N95 which is a perfect fit on the opening of the gun so nothing leaks. The DIY cover might not shoot the grape juice far away, but might leak a tiny bit out side the DIY cover. Will the boys running around the yard, pretend shooting might accidentally get a few drops of grape juice on the clothes? Probably, but imagine what they would look like if they didn't have the tips covered up, perfect or imperfect. Let's say the store finally has plenty of bleach, and the boys really want to get messy. In this analogy the bleach would be the analogous to an effective drug that could stop people from getting really sick, like taking Tamiflu within the first 48 hours of symptoms. Or an effective vaccine would be like if you could treat all of their white clothes with a Teflon and grape juice just beads off and can't soak into the clothes. So we are out of bleach, not Telfon treatment for the clothes, so we can't let the boys have their fun. :(. But on the bright side, their clothes are still fresh and white :) Hope you like the analogy! I have a ton of analogies that I use when I talk to my patients. More to come. If you like the analogy, maybe I should make it into a video.
Des Taylor I like your black face mask on your avatar. 😎 Filters for masks? The newer version has a filter using a Kleenex tissue folded in half for two layers. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a box of antiviral Kleenex and use that as an filter. ua-cam.com/video/usKgChGqVl0/v-deo.html Other people commenting have been using blue shop towels make the whole mask using a blue shop towel which filters better than a regular bounty paper towel. www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4?amp ~55 towels in a blue towel roll normal price is about $2-3 if you can buy it a chain store. If you try to buy online the shipping will cost more than the towel.
Dan Dana Good idea. If it’s not stiff enough you can use two sheets of the parchment paper which should do the trick. It may not be obvious but the main thing which makes my mask different is the paper stiffener which keeps the mask material away from the opening of the nose and mouth. 🙏
Hi Dr Yang I was told that any mask doesn't give full protection because the micro droplets can pass through the membrane of the eyes and infect a person in that way. Should the public wear protective goggles as well or do you think this might be Overkill ?.
Hi Des, another good question. I think the answer depends on how close people will get to you and how many people you have to deal with everyday. For a regular person maybe an overkill, but for essential workers, I think it makes total sense. Just going to the store should be fine without eye protection. If you were the cashier at the store or stocker, then for the essential workers, people will get very close to you at the register or walk behind a while stocking shelves. The cashier will be face to face with many different customers. The odds are that in a week one or two of the customers may be unsuspectingly postive. The chances that you were even in the store when that person was there is very low. If in the store as the customer, what are the chances that one sick person who is also trying to social distance will cough directly into your eye or face when they also have a mask. In NYC, many of the stores have added a plexiglass panel protecting the cashier, so they don't need a face shield or goggles. Also keeps the breathing air separated between the cashier and customer. Hope you like the answer. Share the knowledge with friends and family
Dr, A possible enhancement (?) At the stage where you insert the paper strip. A 5" by 7" piece of HEPA Vacuum cleaner bag positioned vertically over the paper, top edge level with the fold in the towel. Fold and staple as per your instructions. May provide slightly more aerosol protection in both directions? I tried a rough mock-up, without the elastic, seems to work.
Both of you are correct. To not misinform people, some HEPA filters may have fiberglass. There are youtube videos which explain how to tell the difference. Just make sure it is the safe kind. My videos don't try to go high tech, but focuses on the shape and design. Since it's like introducing the concept a sandwich to people who never thought of putting some meat and veges between two pieces of bread as a meal. Now that you can see it. Everyone can make the best sandwich for themselves. Some may want one that is light, breathable, easy to make and discard. Others will apply what they have learned from other videos about Spunbond and meltblown non-woven polypropylene fabric, with HEPA filter material to make high quality mask. To each their own, but I wanted to keep the design as widely available as possible, so people could upgrade from there. Thanks for everyones comments. I recognize an engineer in the house. Good ideas Roger!
3 years later.. july 2023. It was all like a dream, how crazy this pandemie was. and how we got used to not wearing mask anymore. Still, i have 4 unused ppa2 masks at home 😪
Dr. Yang, I assisted Jeremey Howard and PetrLudwig in making #masks4all happen in the US. Your towel mask is quite logical and attractive (I've studied many of them). I could be wrong, but I think your 7" towel is an industrial size common in medicine and restaurants. Most brand name consumer towels are on ROLLs using a "select-a-sheet" size where each half-sheet varies from about 5.4" to 6.1" Average people would never have access to the size you are using. I've tried adapting those standard sizes to your design with no luck. The mask is always too short and slips off the nose with any speaking whatever. Perhaps you can make it work? Also, even your mask you show has issues with speaking.
Shoq Value You are correct. At home we are using the Costco delivered Bounty select-a-size extended 7.1”. I checked other brands online which range from ~5.5-6”. My suggestion is to not follow along the perforation and cut at 7”. It’s kind of like thinking outside the box, but just cutting outside the perforation. The strip of printer paper is 8.5” wide which leaves a nice 3/4” paper tab on each side for an easy single staple. I suspect people with the full sized paper towels are cutting it down to 7”. But as they cut it, they may have a left over 1-2” strip still connected to the next paper towel. Not to worry. Once the paper towel portion is folded, the remaining 1-1.5” strip connected to the main part of the towel and will not be affected or seen. The rubber band is stapled onto the printer paper so it should not pull the mask apart at the perforation. The design centered on using a strip of printer paper. A4 8.5”x11” paper is ubiquitous. The 8.5” strip connected to rubber bands was not too tight with the #33 rubber bands we have in the kitchen drawer. Having said that, I am working on a follow up video for square shaped paper towels (2 pieces of 5.5” select-a-size), short rubber bands or too wide rubber bands, adding extra layer of filtration, and metal nose piece if desired. I’m reluctant to make the mask too fancy or take too long to make one mask, because if they invest too much time in a making one mask it becomes their baby and they will be more reluctant to quickly toss it out. Same worry with a box of 20 surgical masks. If they worry that their first box took 4-6 weeks to arrive, then they realize that they may need to be wearing masks for months not weeks, they will ration and reuse the same surgical face masks to make it last 20 weeks. On visual inspection after use, they all look perfectly clean, but once used outside in an enclosed environment like a store with people, we can’t be too careful. Disposability is the only feature we can copy from a surgical mask because short of an N95 we should not feel too safe wearing these face masks inside of the 6 foot social distancing.
Thank you Dr Yang for the tutorial 🙏🙏🙏., I do have an unrelated question: could we wash our hands w soap + cold water? Instead of warm water 💦 Thanks and take good care yourself ☺️
CDC says it's fine. Don't like super hot water or cold water, so lets compromise and just say room temperature to luke warm. www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html
Thank you for sharing this and offering good information that we all need to know! Would layering coffee filters or tissue paper in between the paper towels offer any additional protection. I appreciate this tutorial!
Jo Anne Mendonsa Yes, you can add an insert. In this Instagram post from yesterday, I added a folded Kleenex and cut off the extra to make it fit. The mask gets thicker and feels more solid. Here is the link to the post: instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=1t1wq2x5i68kc There is an Article from Hong Kong which studied DIY Paper towel/tissue paper face masks compared to surgical masks. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/aNjpH5lBZ8w/v-deo.html
figmo397 Hi, you can substitute the staple with either a needle and thread which most people may have and place the thread and needle the same way as where the staple is located. Another idea is to flip the tab towards the inside instead of the outside and tape the tab flat against the inside of the mask. Or you have a hot glue gun which even fewer people already have at home, you can put a couple of drops and flip the tab inwards to secure the paper tab across the open seam on the inside. Make sure you cover the corners of the paper tabs on the inside otherwise you will feel the corner of the paper on your skin. This is why I folded the tab forwards in this design even though it may look nicer folded inwards. Ultimately it is about your comfort and being able to wear it for as long as you need to without fiddling with the mask. Let me know if that helps.
Winnie YY C-Fox instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=9nskvmxnubds. Yes, I noticed that. If you look at the thumbnail, my nose sticks out past the paper stiffener. I ended up adding a small index card insert in a hexagon shape and slid it into the pocket in the center. I modified it on my Instagram and added a folded Kleenex tissue to add additional filtration to try to match the mask in a Hong Kong DIY face mask study which used 2 layers of paper towel and 1 layers of kleenex tissue and a twist tie for a metal nose piece to reduce air leakage around the bridge of the nose. www.consumer.org.hk/ws_en/news/specials/2020/mask-diy-tips.html I wanted to keep the original design as simple as possible with as few steps as possible, so people would throw it away after a single use. Similar to how people might fold their Kleenex in half before blowing their nose. If a paper towel face mask takes too many steps or looks too fancy they maybe tempted to use it more than once. Good observation on the parchment. I wanted to get the video out as quickly as possible after the NY and California face mask announcement and resisted waiting for the perfect design before publishing the video.
Yolanda D Thanks for pointing that out. I forgot to include that in the video. I would still cut the fabric to 7 1/4” X 11 1/4”. Cut the 6”x11” towel in half to get 2 pieces of 6”x5.5” towels. When you lay that piece of towel down it will leave 1/2” of cloth on each side exposed. Then fold as directed. Bounty makes 2 select-a-size towels. The original which is 6” wide (other brands may be 5.5”). Costco has sells an “extended” select-a-size. Another option would be to cut the 7x5.5” piece out of the smaller towel 6”x11”, but you would only make one filter per sheet instead of 2 with a small 4” x6” piece left over.
I suggested added dust sheet in the middle layer, because dust sheet have electrostatic adsorption which able to anti virus...Just for sharing information for every one...
Thanks for the tip. It may be a toss up, because air is harder to go through the tissue, which is absorbent. The dust sheet is more expensive, and may let more air through, even though it is electrostatic. I think its fine to use, but don't feel over confident with any of the masks from a protective stand point. If everyone agrees that a sick person (with or without symptoms) should wear any kind of mask, but we don't know who is sick since many people are asymptomatic but infectious the only way we can make sure the sick person is masked is to mask everyone just to be safe. That one person masked will protect everyone else, and in some ways all the healthy people are wearing the mask for no reason. If you are worried that the mask is not protecting you enough, please watch this nice Vox article and video for reassurance: www.vox.com/videos/2020/4/22/21229434/you-should-wear-face-mask-fight-coronavirus
L. T. Renaud Good point, the amazing DIY cloth mask videos mainly show crafts youtubers with sewing machines. So for everyone out there without a sewing machine, just use needle and thread.
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC Thanks for your reply. Yes, with a needle and thread, even someone who doesn't know how to sew can make a mask!--or make any of the countless no-sewing-needed masks like the good one you've posted here! Thanks for that!
Sassy Lass The width of the paper towel is 11” wide. What is the size of your paper towel? I am working on a second video for square towels if you are interested. **edit**Updated Video for square towels ua-cam.com/video/usKgChGqVl0/v-deo.html
Thought I'd pitch in because I love your mask design, esp the kleenex layer for extra filtering you posted on instagram: some of the towels here in europe are approx 9x8.1". Hopefully the ones in the US don't differ too much. All the best from Poland.
Jan Kowalski Hi, thanks for pitching in. I just posted a follow up video using a square towel 11”x12” (28x30.5 cm) also 9.25”x9.25” (23.5x23.5cm) Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/usKgChGqVl0/v-deo.html For your towel if it comes on a roll, you can cut the towel longer to get one side of the towel closer to 11” (28 cm). The smaller square towel (23.5 square) seemed a bit short from top to bottom, but the smaller size is actually a better fit for children. Reaching 28 cm length on one side of towel when folded in half gives a 14 cm mask at the widest point top to bottom. Hope you find the latest video more helpful. :)
Could you please give the dimension of the paper towel sheet you used? 7” x ? Making masks for Australia and our towels are 8.5” square so need to adjust, Thanks. Very interesting and effective alternative to fabric.
Hi Julia, it’s 11 inches long. Same length as the A4 paper. **edit** try the Omega fold with the square 8.5”x8.5” square towel first. It will likely work. You may need to cut the printer paper along the 11.5” side to get the tabs to stick out past the 8.5” wide towel. Let me know if it works. If not, I will think of a modification for you. :) Interesting UA-cam video from a research scientist from San Francisco. ua-cam.com/video/hVEVve-3QeM/v-deo.html He shows a 2 layer cloth face covering from a cut up tee chief but inserts a paper towel as a filter based on a Hong Kong study.
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC Thanks George. I was trying it every which way last night. The 8.5 square didn't work and the paper towel I was using was scratchy and lost its shape easily. Different quality to yours,and of course I can't now just go to a supermarket and shop around. The shelves are very bare. But today I tried again with a strong paper napkin (tight weave, not fluffy) from a restaurant - that worked well. Now I have to hunt down rubber bands.thanks so much for replying, i know you have a lot else to do!
Julia Hayes When I folded my first prototype, I used tape on the ends to secure it to the sides of my face. Since it form-fits and contours to the face it still worked. One advantage is there is no pressure from the rubber band behind the ears. If your skin is sensitive to adhesive, then it would be a disadvantage.
George Yang, MD Thank you. The only rubber bands I have are very small, so the surgical tape is a good alternative. Still looking for the right paper as I think your disposable paper design is cleaner than a fabric mask. I’ll check your Instagram updates. Thanks again.
Small rubber bands=> ua-cam.com/video/mXaP-V5RyGc/v-deo.html You can link them together and make a chain long enough to go around your head. Then staple the loops of the two end rubber bands around the paper tabs and that should solve the problem. Here is a link to my original Omega fold mask video (version 1) that I quickly made for my friends and family to quickly give them something to use since many did not have purchase masks months before this happened. ua-cam.com/video/mXaP-V5RyGc/v-deo.html Note the version 1 of the mask used paper clips, but was not as strong. The addition of the printer paper really did the trick. :) No one saw the first video, so it didn't help very many people. :( You live and learn, try to improve :)
KRISTUS MAC NAGULA GLADy Videos Thanks for subscribing. I’m working on a follow up video for different shaped towels and different sized rubber bands. :)
Good question, When I operate I have a significant problem with fogging of my eyeglasses even using real surgical masks with bendable metal insert and foam strip to catch the condensation of the humidity coming up from the mask. To solve this problem, I will place a piece of Micropore tape 2-3 “ across the bridge area of the mask and also loosen the sides of the surgical mask so the humidity from my breath escapes from the sides of the mask instead of right into the glasses. I have not had a problem with fogging so far. I wore it for 3 hours straight while masking Face Shields for HCP. The reason why surgical masks tend to fog up is that they are fluid resistant. This makes it feel like you are wearing a plastic bag while working out. The inside of the plastic bag will get wet with condensation from the sweat not evaporating. Same for the foggy glasses. The humidity build up inside the surgical mask condenses on the glasses. The paper towel mask breathes better and doesn’t seem to fog even without the metal insert. Hope that helps.
Simple rub some dry soap inside and outside the lense then rub with cloth until clear the thin film will repel condensation for a couple of hours repeat when necessary.
Cassy Escobedo Hi, I’m my Instagram Update to the mask I added a folded Kleenex tissue paper insert to add more filtration (instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=d4sjvear406o) Based on a Hong Kong paper towel/tissue paper mask (which I will link at the bottom of this reply), their study said it helped improve the filtration. I don’t have any coffee filter paper (not sure if it’s more or less expensive than a box of tissues, but you can insert a rectangular sheet inside the paper towel. I want the paper strip to extend past the paper towel so that it can fold over and become two layers of paper which the staple has to go through in addition to the layers of paper towel. If you think the coffee filter is wide enough give it a try. At worst if it isn’t long enough you can still cut a strip of printer paper (1 A4 sheet can make 10 strips for masks). In addition, to improving filtration with the Kleenex tissue, I’m also thinking about cost and waste of your time and money. I’m imagining people have a bunch of pre-cut strips of printer paper, stapler and clean rubber bands. When they go out they reach for 1 towel and 1 Kleenex, and fold the mask, insert the paper then fold and staple. Done. Link to Hong Kong article comparing their DIY paper towel masks to regular medical masks www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3050689/how-make-your-own-mask-hong-kong-scientists “How to make your own mask: Hong Kong scientists reveal temporary solution for those unable to get protective gear because of panic buying and price-gouging •Thousands have queued overnight outside pharmacies and prices have spiked because of dwindling supplies •Lab tests by City University find home-made masks achieve 80 to 90 per cent function of regular ones in terms of filtration of aerosol and droplets”
Use blue shop paper towels... they are sturdy
Kara Hamil Hi Kara, There are recent articles about clothing designers using blue shop paper towels because it filters better. www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4
You can try to make one either as an blue filter insert 5.5”x 7” or cut into 11”x7” and make the mask the same way.
If we think about what most Americans have available at home, I think we can safely assume they have a box of Kleenex tissues. We can add a folded kleenex tissue as standard as part of this mask. instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=2cz9mffetfv
The Kleenex has a tighter weave and filters better than the double layer paper towel alone. This give the mask 6 layers (2ply towel,2 layers Kleenex, 2ply towel)
In Hong Kong they compared a paper towel/Kleenex mask versus surgical mask. ua-cam.com/video/aNjpH5lBZ8w/v-deo.html
Don't let anyone know you've got shop paper towels of people will be breaking into your place to get them.
kansasthunderman1 Good point, if you are worried people will see the blue shop towel mask, then may be cutting piece as an insert and hiding it inside a plain paper towel will be less obvious while still using stronger and better filtering material. Either way, the goal is to make a cheap enough mask which takes very little time to make so you can throw it away after one use.
Already got it...great minds do think alike
That's what i use
Doctor, surgeon, and OUTSTANDING instructor. I wish user manuals for electronics could be so clear! Thank you.
I'm glad I seen your video, I'm a truck driver and I was able to make the mask on the road. Thank you.
Hi Dan, that's great! I was thinking people have everything they need at home, but never thought they might have it on their truck. You probably have the blue shop towels in case you need to make some repairs on the truck. The filtration with the blue towel is better than a regular towel, so try to use that if you can. I can't get the blue towels without getting gouged, so I have to wait until May 1 to make the shop towel version of this mask.
Don't forget to wash your hands after removing the mask or when you get home an are in a safe place. Take care and drive safe.
Let's give Dr Yang a big smile and thumbs up he is so awesome we need more people like this in the world stay safe everyone and please wear a mask it could save your life and someone else's it's not hard to do and if the rubber bands hurt the back of your ears use a little bit of yarn string god bless everyone and my thoughts are with anyone who lost loved ones 💖💖💖
😁
Very simple with material that is readily available. Dr. Yang makes it clear that mask is not FFP2 / N95 standard.and has its limitations. However, it will help prevent droplets from being sprayed out and will deter wearer from touching mouth or nose. Well done.
Dan Leo You said it perfectly.
I need you as my editor. I talk too much.
I could have stopped this response at the first sentence. ;)
☺👍
Thank you sir!
I'm a contractor and need masks all the time. Started to panic when I realized everybody was taking the supply that I need every day. This is a major help and will suffice. Once again thank you. I will pass this video on to all my friends and family!
Brilliant! Especially for all those that waited too long to buy them online, don’t sew, or can’t find online.
Thank you, Dr. Yang. This is the best no-sew DIY mask. It is easy to make and it works👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏
Dr. Yang! Thanks for your new mask updates. The dome will be particularly helpful for those with fuller faces. How thoughtful and inventive!! Thank you again for your time and care. Elaine
Good video . You have a smooth comforting voice to listen to. I can see why you are a doctor. You are indeed a valuable contribution to our world we live in.
Wow, thank you!
Very simple with material that is readily available. Dr. Yang makes it clear that mask is not FFP2 / N95 standard.and has its limitations. However, it will help prevent droplets from being sprayed out and will deter wearer from touching mouth or nose. Well done.
Proving sometimes simpleasety is ingenious, thank you doc Yang.
I like the use of the paper inside of the towel. you get the benefit of the paper and the comfort of the paper towel. Nice job. great video
I think this is my favorite idea!
Twisty ties that come in a box of garbage bags. 2 is just right for the nose. Tape them into the top fold.
Yarn can work instead of rubber bands if you don't have them. Run one piece down from the top and thru each flap before stapling. It has a little bit of stretch and if you cut it long enuf, you can tie into a bow and won't have to cut it off. About 4 feet.
As supplies like paper towels dwindle, we will have to use different things. Cheap fabric is good. As @ccinndierella9
suggested, use the bed pads for people with incontinence. These will prolly be available in hospitals and are still at Walmart. A little goes a long way if you use a strip under the printer paper.
Medical personnel can whip up half a dozen of these at night after dinner and put them in their scrub pocket for the next day. Same with regular folk and keep them in their wallet or purse or the car.
Thank you, Dr. Yang who is the smartest and kindest. Thx. again.
You're welcome
Thank you Dr Yang for your clever ideas and thoughtfulness. Cheers from Australia.
Your videos are really helpful. Thank you for making the masks and taking the trouble to share.
Aviatrix My pleasure
and thankyou so much dr for the instructions on the mask, very creative, God bless you
Thank you so much for your kindness and your amazing idea. God bless you and America.
I love it, thank you. I added a twist tie in the top inside fold, just for a little extra.
I also found that if you use rubber gloves for temporary usage and we're not contaminated wash them thoroughly with soap or sanitizer and cut off the ring around the wrist that is thicker and use that as rubber band ear loops!
Thank you Dr. Yang. Great tutorial and a great way to quickly make a mask. Under protected cover, already keep a stapler, and paper towels in the car. I will surely add the rubber bands and strips of printer paper. Great way to stay safe on the fly. So much appreciated.
EXCELLENT- Great for easy disposable readily available facemask: thank you for sharing your ideas and very practical solutions!
an non 🙏
Sharp looking!! (From a retired OR Tech!)
Excellent video. Made one and am very impressed how much more that extra insert helped keep it formed to my face. Thank you to all of you on the front lines and be safe.
You’re welcome. I think the paper strip insert makes it special. Some earlier prototypes had the staple on the paper towel directly without the paper and it started to rip a bit since it was only few layers of paper towel as opposed to the accordion fold paper towel mask which is 6-8 layers of towel which shouldn’t rip.
This is the best and easiest so far.
Natalie Konutgan 😊
I'm grateful! Thank You, Doctor.
Thank you, Dr Yang, great masks. I was used to wearing masks against PM2 in Shanghai, but yours fit well, are easily transportable, no fuss and nothing to worry about if you loose one or two... just go home an make some more.
Nice video. There are many folks in America who still have sewing machines
Thank you 😊 for sharing ... I’ve made these for everyone and kits for all my friends
Great video. Just made one in a few minutes. Used blue shop paper towel. Going to make a few more tonight
Hi Rishi, glad it was easy.
The better filtering blue towel may cause the structure collapse bit if the seal is too good on the sides and make it like a cloth mask pressed up against your lips and nose. Here is some photos on my Instagram to create a small index card stiffener to strengthen the shape. instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=r6z7gsiuswkj
Don’t be overly confident about the air filtering capabilities of any particular material, because air can leak in from the sides. I see a lot of YT videos claiming N96 level protection. Only a perfect seal can guarantee the air is going 100% through the filter material and not around the sides of the mask.
Make sure you toss the mask after using it when encountering potentially contaminated people and places, because the outer surface is considered contaminated after one use.
Thank you SO much.
A superb and quick way of using the resources we have in our homes, to create this mask.
Stay safe 🙏🏼
Beverley Pearson You’re welcome. :)
This man has everything you need to make one. Rubber bands cut in half,filter.
Thank you Dr Yang. I used the cloth mask provided by my employer but it fogged up. I tried yours and it didn’t. 👍👍
This is Excellent! Thank you sir.
Thank you Doc. Very practical and helpful.
i like the first paper towel mask best but i used the 7 inch terry cloth loom loops, they work great and do not hurt behind the ears..
Good No BEST design ...watched many diy mask vids
Ergonomically and least time and materials expediture. Scrub up, Mask up, Glove up. stat room party of 1 or several volunteers ...hundreds of masks in hours. Well Done and thank you for you time to share.
Thank you for the enthusiastic feed back! 👍🏼
I was thinking that it was cheap enough to make that for those who know how to make one, they can give out samples. If they are standing in line with someone who doesn’t have a mask, it can be offered as if someone is about to sneeze and you hand them a tissue as a courtesy.
I directed DrGeorgeYang.com to my UA-cam channel as an easy way to give them directions on how to make them. I’m sure they can reverse engineer it out from the sample given out.
I just liked, shared, and subscribed. And I clicked the notification bell too. I will be making these when I get out of bed. Thanks for the video.
Im putting disinfectant wipe coffee filter psper in too.and may be heppa hoover filter.yes i use wipes sll time swimmingoggles.can yo use coffee filter or carbon filters in it.this is so.this is nice idea.it works next job designer/engineer.
Thanks Dr. Yang
Thank you so much this is a life saver I am making them for my family so easy to make and when your done with them keep the band's and throw the mask in the trash I made a box full of them so my family can grab one as they are going out the door again thank you stay safe ☺
Hi Sherry, I was thinking of families like yours when I was designing this paper towel mask.
To keep the bands, just pull on the tab on the outside of the mask to release the staples portion and rubber band can be reused after wiping with alcohol.
I saw many DIY videos for making your own chlorox wipes. Here’s a popular one: ua-cam.com/video/ko4YQXggPgo/v-deo.html
I’m imagining a small plastic container of holding a cleaning solution and these lightly used masks could be tossed in the container to be used later to wipe down door knobs, shoes, car handles and other surfaces.
This way you get a mask first then a wet wipe later out of a towel.
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC thank you so much great idea you are so awesome !!!! Please stay safe and thank you for all you do !!!!!!!👍👍👍the world need more kind people like you god bless 🤗🤗
Very creative
Thank You Doctor.Young !! 👍👏👏👍👍👏👏👏🤗🌻🌻🌻😷😷
So nice of you
Great video. I increase the seal of my homemade masks by using strips of Press N'Seal (bumpy side is the sticky side) either like tape binding the edge of my mask to my skin or by folding a strip on itself to form a double-sided tape effect. The latter then becomes hidden. Thanks you.
Thank you for the feedback. I googled Glad Press N’Seal. So it’s like a giant piece of tape? Not just Saran Wrap. Cool idea. 😎
During long surgeries, the main reason we have the metal strip and foam on the upper part of the surgical masks is mainly to prevent fogging up of glasses. To make sure that doesn’t happen, I would place a strip of medical tape on bridge of my nose and over the mask to make sure no air would go up into my glasses.
Do you mind giving me some feedback about your idea? If you seal all of the edges, then you would not need to rubber bands? Is the mask breathable enough to not want to take it off with a 100% seal. Just wondering 🤔
Vielen Dank für Ihre Anleitungen.🤗👍
Great this video gives even reasons why to hoard paper towels and toilet paper
Thank you, Dr. Yang.
Thank you Dr Yang 🙏🙏🙏
Use a double side tape to stick the top edge to the nose portion, to get a better seal
Your voice is so relaxing 😁👍
Thank you. It's hard to watch myself on video. I hope I didn't put anyone to sleep. LOL
God bless u Doctor for this vedio...and tips.awesome.
It's my pleasure
So simple. I will use fabrics.
Thanks
So cool. Making a few of these tomorrow.
thecaldwells3 Thanks, if you want to post a photo on Instagram after you make one use #omegafoldfacemask
Great video,thanks Doc
Joseph Iudice You’re welcome. Thanks for the feedback.
Excellent demo. Thank you
My pleasure! Sorry for the late reply
Thank you doctor. You take care.
You’re welcome
This makes an attractive video which keeps people from using/hoarding PPE masks but, what's the difference from elastic banding a piece of paper towel and a strip of paper to your face as though you have a bad cold and don't want to use your hands to hold it up? Even with facial tissue folded into the mix, there doesn't seem to be much more to it than that. What am I missing? (BTW...I'm NOT a huge fan of the home-sewn or non-sewn t-shirt fabric masks either and who can get their hands on a furnace filter of any higher grade right now?)
I totally agree. Having the paper towel and tissue already covering your nose and mouth is like you are ready for any cough, throat clearing, or sneeze at all times. It's impractical to walk around with your elbow to your face. If you hold the towel/handkerchief/or tissue to your face at all times, that's a pain also.
In my practice, I like to use analogies to explain complicated things in a way which people can picture and perhaps come the same conclusion. Here is a new one. I really got into a lot of details with the analogy to correlate to the COVID-19.
Grape Juice Water Gun Fight Analogy.
Let's say there are 4 brothers who have water guns filled with grape juice. They are all wearing white clothes and you ran out of bleach for the laundry. You only have one full body hazmat suit to "protect" one of the brothers clothes from getting stained with grape juice. But dad works at a cleaning service which uses chemical to clean out massive grape juice stains off buildings or something big, and so he took the only Hazmat suit to work to cover his white suit otherwise it will be become a purple suit by the time he gets home.
So how can we not let the boys stain their white clothes? We can put a cap that comes with the water gun on all 4 of their grape juice water guns. Even though their white clothes are not protected at all. We just stopped the source of the grape juice. Problem solved. Lacking face masks is like only having 2 official caps for 4 water guns. So we can improvise and use some Saran Wrap and electrical tape and wrap the opening as best we can. The Cap might be a N95 which is a perfect fit on the opening of the gun so nothing leaks.
The DIY cover might not shoot the grape juice far away, but might leak a tiny bit out side the DIY cover. Will the boys running around the yard, pretend shooting might accidentally get a few drops of grape juice on the clothes? Probably, but imagine what they would look like if they didn't have the tips covered up, perfect or imperfect.
Let's say the store finally has plenty of bleach, and the boys really want to get messy. In this analogy the bleach would be the analogous to an effective drug that could stop people from getting really sick, like taking Tamiflu within the first 48 hours of symptoms.
Or an effective vaccine would be like if you could treat all of their white clothes with a Teflon and grape juice just beads off and can't soak into the clothes.
So we are out of bleach, not Telfon treatment for the clothes, so we can't let the boys have their fun. :(.
But on the bright side, their clothes are still fresh and white :)
Hope you like the analogy! I have a ton of analogies that I use when I talk to my patients. More to come. If you like the analogy, maybe I should make it into a video.
Are you sure you're not Thomas Edison reincarnated. Thank you for your wisdom and help .
lynn craig
R U kidding? Or his daughter?
Thank u, Doctor!
This type of paper towel work well for mask. Scott Control Plus+ Slimfold Towels, with Fast-Drying Absorbency Pockets, White
Pretty good, wish I had seen this before spending $50 on disposables. Maybe you can suggest a way to make cheap filters.
Des Taylor I like your black face mask on your avatar. 😎
Filters for masks?
The newer version has a filter using a Kleenex tissue folded in half for two layers. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a box of antiviral Kleenex and use that as an filter. ua-cam.com/video/usKgChGqVl0/v-deo.html
Other people commenting have been using blue shop towels make the whole mask using a blue shop towel which filters better than a regular bounty paper towel.
www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4?amp
~55 towels in a blue towel roll normal price is about $2-3 if you can buy it a chain store. If you try to buy online the shipping will cost more than the towel.
Can the filter be Antiseptic wipes in place of the Kleenex?
Thank you ,in order to make it drops proof I use a piece of waterproof parchemin paper in state of printing paper in the center .
Dan Dana Good idea. If it’s not stiff enough you can use two sheets of the parchment paper which should do the trick. It may not be obvious but the main thing which makes my mask different is the paper stiffener which keeps the mask material away from the opening of the nose and mouth. 🙏
Very good video! Shalom!
Dan Roy 🙏
Nice
Your kewt 😻thank you doc 😘
Hi Dr Yang I was told that any mask doesn't give full protection because the micro droplets can pass through the membrane of the eyes and infect a person in that way. Should the public wear protective goggles as well or do you think this might be Overkill ?.
Hi Des, another good question. I think the answer depends on how close people will get to you and how many people you have to deal with everyday. For a regular person maybe an overkill, but for essential workers, I think it makes total sense.
Just going to the store should be fine without eye protection. If you were the cashier at the store or stocker, then for the essential workers, people will get very close to you at the register or walk behind a while stocking shelves. The cashier will be face to face with many different customers. The odds are that in a week one or two of the customers may be unsuspectingly postive. The chances that you were even in the store when that person was there is very low. If in the store as the customer, what are the chances that one sick person who is also trying to social distance will cough directly into your eye or face when they also have a mask.
In NYC, many of the stores have added a plexiglass panel protecting the cashier, so they don't need a face shield or goggles. Also keeps the breathing air separated between the cashier and customer.
Hope you like the answer. Share the knowledge with friends and family
Dr,
A possible enhancement (?)
At the stage where you insert the paper strip.
A 5" by 7" piece of HEPA Vacuum cleaner bag positioned vertically over the paper, top edge level with the fold in the towel.
Fold and staple as per your instructions.
May provide slightly more aerosol protection in both directions?
I tried a rough mock-up, without the elastic, seems to work.
Careful with hepa vacuum filters, other people have said not good there's fiber glass in them!!!!!
@@deb4735 I think that may have been de-bunked....may want to double check that info.
Both of you are correct. To not misinform people, some HEPA filters may have fiberglass. There are youtube videos which explain how to tell the difference. Just make sure it is the safe kind. My videos don't try to go high tech, but focuses on the shape and design. Since it's like introducing the concept a sandwich to people who never thought of putting some meat and veges between two pieces of bread as a meal. Now that you can see it. Everyone can make the best sandwich for themselves. Some may want one that is light, breathable, easy to make and discard. Others will apply what they have learned from other videos about Spunbond and meltblown non-woven polypropylene fabric, with HEPA filter material to make high quality mask. To each their own, but I wanted to keep the design as widely available as possible, so people could upgrade from there. Thanks for everyones comments.
I recognize an engineer in the house. Good ideas Roger!
3 years later.. july 2023. It was all like a dream, how crazy this pandemie was. and how we got used to not wearing mask anymore. Still, i have 4 unused ppa2 masks at home 😪
Really clever ! K
Thanks
Dr. Yang, I assisted Jeremey Howard and PetrLudwig in making #masks4all happen in the US. Your towel mask is quite logical and attractive (I've studied many of them). I could be wrong, but I think your 7" towel is an industrial size common in medicine and restaurants. Most brand name consumer towels are on ROLLs using a "select-a-sheet" size where each half-sheet varies from about 5.4" to 6.1" Average people would never have access to the size you are using. I've tried adapting those standard sizes to your design with no luck. The mask is always too short and slips off the nose with any speaking whatever. Perhaps you can make it work? Also, even your mask you show has issues with speaking.
Shoq Value You are correct. At home we are using the Costco delivered Bounty select-a-size extended 7.1”. I checked other brands online which range from ~5.5-6”.
My suggestion is to not follow along the perforation and cut at 7”. It’s kind of like thinking outside the box, but just cutting outside the perforation. The strip of printer paper is 8.5” wide which leaves a nice 3/4” paper tab on each side for an easy single staple.
I suspect people with the full sized paper towels are cutting it down to 7”. But as they cut it, they may have a left over 1-2” strip still connected to the next paper towel.
Not to worry. Once the paper towel portion is folded, the remaining 1-1.5” strip connected to the main part of the towel and will not be affected or seen. The rubber band is stapled onto the printer paper so it should not pull the mask apart at the perforation.
The design centered on using a strip of printer paper. A4 8.5”x11” paper is ubiquitous. The 8.5” strip connected to rubber bands was not too tight with the #33 rubber bands we have in the kitchen drawer.
Having said that, I am working on a follow up video for square shaped paper towels (2 pieces of 5.5” select-a-size), short rubber bands or too wide rubber bands, adding extra layer of filtration, and metal nose piece if desired.
I’m reluctant to make the mask too fancy or take too long to make one mask, because if they invest too much time in a making one mask it becomes their baby and they will be more reluctant to quickly toss it out.
Same worry with a box of 20 surgical masks. If they worry that their first box took 4-6 weeks to arrive, then they realize that they may need to be wearing masks for months not weeks, they will ration and reuse the same surgical face masks to make it last 20 weeks.
On visual inspection after use, they all look perfectly clean, but once used outside in an enclosed environment like a store with people, we can’t be too careful.
Disposability is the only feature we can copy from a surgical mask because short of an N95 we should not feel too safe wearing these face masks inside of the 6 foot social distancing.
This is great. Thanks
Callie 🙏
Thank you Dr Yang for the tutorial 🙏🙏🙏., I do have an unrelated question: could we wash our hands w soap + cold water? Instead of warm water 💦 Thanks and take good care yourself ☺️
CDC says it's fine. Don't like super hot water or cold water, so lets compromise and just say room temperature to luke warm.
www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html
George Yang, MD thank you 🙏 so much Dr , really appreciated ☺️
Great
Thanks
Brilliant 🙂Thanks
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for sharing this and offering good information that we all need to know! Would layering coffee filters or tissue paper in between the paper towels offer any additional protection. I appreciate this tutorial!
Jo Anne Mendonsa Yes, you can add an insert. In this Instagram post from yesterday, I added a folded Kleenex and cut off the extra to make it fit. The mask gets thicker and feels more solid. Here is the link to the post: instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=1t1wq2x5i68kc There is an Article from Hong Kong which studied DIY Paper towel/tissue paper face masks compared to surgical masks. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/aNjpH5lBZ8w/v-deo.html
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC on
Thank you DR for you're great video ! I've been looking for mask to made, that was easy but also worked ! Awesome !
Sweet Sally You’re welcome. Glad it worked.
Just realised that this looks similar to the South Korean KF94 masks. Thanks for teaching
Thank you!
You're welcome!
I've been trying to find instructions that don't use a stapler. I don't have one at home because I don't like my dog getting into staples.
figmo397 Hi, you can substitute the staple with either a needle and thread which most people may have and place the thread and needle the same way as where the staple is located.
Another idea is to flip the tab towards the inside instead of the outside and tape the tab flat against the inside of the mask. Or you have a hot glue gun which even fewer people already have at home, you can put a couple of drops and flip the tab inwards to secure the paper tab across the open seam on the inside.
Make sure you cover the corners of the paper tabs on the inside otherwise you will feel the corner of the paper on your skin. This is why I folded the tab forwards in this design even though it may look nicer folded inwards.
Ultimately it is about your comfort and being able to wear it for as long as you need to without fiddling with the mask.
Let me know if that helps.
Super glue
What's your major in medicine? And where do you serve?
Very good idea Jackie Chan thank you!
Dr. Yang,. Thank you for your great idea but should the parchment be made a bit bigger to cover the nose area?
Winnie YY C-Fox instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=9nskvmxnubds. Yes, I noticed that. If you look at the thumbnail, my nose sticks out past the paper stiffener. I ended up adding a small index card insert in a hexagon shape and slid it into the pocket in the center.
I modified it on my Instagram and added a folded Kleenex tissue to add additional filtration to try to match the mask in a Hong Kong DIY face mask study which used 2 layers of paper towel and 1 layers of kleenex tissue and a twist tie for a metal nose piece to reduce air leakage around the bridge of the nose. www.consumer.org.hk/ws_en/news/specials/2020/mask-diy-tips.html
I wanted to keep the original design as simple as possible with as few steps as possible, so people would throw it away after a single use. Similar to how people might fold their Kleenex in half before blowing their nose.
If a paper towel face mask takes too many steps or looks too fancy they maybe tempted to use it more than once.
Good observation on the parchment. I wanted to get the video out as quickly as possible after the NY and California face mask announcement and resisted waiting for the perfect design before publishing the video.
Winnie YY C-Fox I uploaded another video with a wider strip 2” instead of 1.25”. ua-cam.com/video/usKgChGqVl0/v-deo.html
Thank you
You're welcome
Why is my paper towel too small? I'm using the select a size.
Yolanda D Thanks for pointing that out. I forgot to include that in the video.
I would still cut the fabric to 7 1/4” X 11 1/4”. Cut the 6”x11” towel in half to get 2 pieces of 6”x5.5” towels.
When you lay that piece of towel down it will leave 1/2” of cloth on each side exposed. Then fold as directed.
Bounty makes 2 select-a-size towels. The original which is 6” wide (other brands may be 5.5”). Costco has sells an “extended” select-a-size.
Another option would be to cut the 7x5.5” piece out of the smaller towel 6”x11”, but you would only make one filter per sheet instead of 2 with a small 4” x6” piece left over.
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC Thank you so much for clearing up for me Dr. You are the best!!
Amazing thanks
Most welcome 😊
Thanks 👏🤙👏🤙👏🤙
I suggested added dust sheet in the middle layer, because dust sheet have electrostatic adsorption which able to anti virus...Just for sharing information for every one...
Thanks for the tip. It may be a toss up, because air is harder to go through the tissue, which is absorbent. The dust sheet is more expensive, and may let more air through, even though it is electrostatic. I think its fine to use, but don't feel over confident with any of the masks from a protective stand point. If everyone agrees that a sick person (with or without symptoms) should wear any kind of mask, but we don't know who is sick since many people are asymptomatic but infectious the only way we can make sure the sick person is masked is to mask everyone just to be safe. That one person masked will protect everyone else, and in some ways all the healthy people are wearing the mask for no reason.
If you are worried that the mask is not protecting you enough, please watch this nice Vox article and video for reassurance: www.vox.com/videos/2020/4/22/21229434/you-should-wear-face-mask-fight-coronavirus
Thanks
You’re welcome.
You say 7” across, but how long is the paper towel.
11” long. Standard width for US paper towels that come on a roll.
Thank you God Bless
KARENK1 You’re welcome. 🙏
👍👍👍
You don't need a sewing machine to sew a mask, you need a needle and thread. But thanks for this.
L. T. Renaud Good point, the amazing DIY cloth mask videos mainly show crafts youtubers with sewing machines. So for everyone out there without a sewing machine, just use needle and thread.
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC Thanks for your reply. Yes, with a needle and thread, even someone who doesn't know how to sew can make a mask!--or make any of the countless no-sewing-needed masks like the good one you've posted here! Thanks for that!
L. T. Renaud Well there are ppl without needles and thread. So this is much easier!
Mine didn't come out. Too small. what size is the paper towel? 7"x?
Sassy Lass The width of the paper towel is 11” wide. What is the size of your paper towel? I am working on a second video for square towels if you are interested.
**edit**Updated Video for square towels ua-cam.com/video/usKgChGqVl0/v-deo.html
Thought I'd pitch in because I love your mask design, esp the kleenex layer for extra filtering you posted on instagram: some of the towels here in europe are approx 9x8.1". Hopefully the ones in the US don't differ too much. All the best from Poland.
Jan Kowalski Hi, thanks for pitching in. I just posted a follow up video using a square towel 11”x12” (28x30.5 cm) also 9.25”x9.25” (23.5x23.5cm) Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/usKgChGqVl0/v-deo.html
For your towel if it comes on a roll, you can cut the towel longer to get one side of the towel closer to 11” (28 cm). The smaller square towel (23.5 square) seemed a bit short from top to bottom, but the smaller size is actually a better fit for children. Reaching 28 cm length on one side of towel when folded in half gives a 14 cm mask at the widest point top to bottom. Hope you find the latest video more helpful. :)
Could you please give the dimension of the paper towel sheet you used? 7” x ? Making masks for Australia and our towels are 8.5” square so need to adjust, Thanks. Very interesting and effective alternative to fabric.
Hi Julia, it’s 11 inches long. Same length as the A4 paper.
**edit** try the Omega fold with the square 8.5”x8.5” square towel first. It will likely work. You may need to cut the printer paper along the 11.5” side to get the tabs to stick out past the 8.5” wide towel. Let me know if it works. If not, I will think of a modification for you. :)
Interesting UA-cam video from a research scientist from San Francisco. ua-cam.com/video/hVEVve-3QeM/v-deo.html
He shows a 2 layer cloth face covering from a cut up tee chief but inserts a paper towel as a filter based on a Hong Kong study.
@@GeorgeYangMDNYC Thanks George. I was trying it every which way last night. The 8.5 square didn't work and the paper towel I was using was scratchy and lost its shape easily. Different quality to yours,and of course I can't now just go to a supermarket and shop around. The shelves are very bare. But today I tried again with a strong paper napkin (tight weave, not fluffy) from a restaurant - that worked well. Now I have to hunt down rubber bands.thanks so much for replying, i know you have a lot else to do!
Julia Hayes When I folded my first prototype, I used tape on the ends to secure it to the sides of my face. Since it form-fits and contours to the face it still worked. One advantage is there is no pressure from the rubber band behind the ears. If your skin is sensitive to adhesive, then it would be a disadvantage.
George Yang, MD Thank you. The only rubber bands I have are very small, so the surgical tape is a good alternative. Still looking for the right paper as I think your disposable paper design is cleaner than a fabric mask. I’ll check your Instagram updates. Thanks again.
Small rubber bands=> ua-cam.com/video/mXaP-V5RyGc/v-deo.html You can link them together and make a chain long enough to go around your head. Then staple the loops of the two end rubber bands around the paper tabs and that should solve the problem.
Here is a link to my original Omega fold mask video (version 1) that I quickly made for my friends and family to quickly give them something to use since many did not have purchase masks months before this happened. ua-cam.com/video/mXaP-V5RyGc/v-deo.html Note the version 1 of the mask used paper clips, but was not as strong. The addition of the printer paper really did the trick. :)
No one saw the first video, so it didn't help very many people. :( You live and learn, try to improve :)
Looking for a pattern for this type of mask to sew
So many amazing DIY cloth masks. Consider one that you can insert a filter pocket.
Dr hang I subscribed
KRISTUS MAC NAGULA GLADy Videos Thanks for subscribing. I’m working on a follow up video for different shaped towels and different sized rubber bands. :)
George Yang, MD I saw reply
How do you solve fogging?
Good question, When I operate I have a significant problem with fogging of my eyeglasses even using real surgical masks with bendable metal insert and foam strip to catch the condensation of the humidity coming up from the mask.
To solve this problem, I will place a piece of Micropore tape 2-3 “ across the bridge area of the mask and also loosen the sides of the surgical mask so the humidity from my breath escapes from the sides of the mask instead of right into the glasses.
I have not had a problem with fogging so far. I wore it for 3 hours straight while masking Face Shields for HCP. The reason why surgical masks tend to fog up is that they are fluid resistant. This makes it feel like you are wearing a plastic bag while working out. The inside of the plastic bag will get wet with condensation from the sweat not evaporating. Same for the foggy glasses. The humidity build up inside the surgical mask condenses on the glasses. The paper towel mask breathes better and doesn’t seem to fog even without the metal insert.
Hope that helps.
Simple rub some dry soap inside and outside the lense then rub with cloth until clear the thin film will repel condensation for a couple of hours repeat when necessary.
Can we put a coffee filter inside instead of the paper? Thank you!
Cassy Escobedo Hi, I’m my Instagram Update to the mask I added a folded Kleenex tissue paper insert to add more filtration (instagram.com/p/B-piJ2XjaR3/?igshid=d4sjvear406o) Based on a Hong Kong paper towel/tissue paper mask (which I will link at the bottom of this reply), their study said it helped improve the filtration.
I don’t have any coffee filter paper (not sure if it’s more or less expensive than a box of tissues, but you can insert a rectangular sheet inside the paper towel. I want the paper strip to extend past the paper towel so that it can fold over and become two layers of paper which the staple has to go through in addition to the layers of paper towel. If you think the coffee filter is wide enough give it a try. At worst if it isn’t long enough you can still cut a strip of printer paper (1 A4 sheet can make 10 strips for masks).
In addition, to improving filtration with the Kleenex tissue, I’m also thinking about cost and waste of your time and money.
I’m imagining people have a bunch of pre-cut strips of printer paper, stapler and clean rubber bands. When they go out they reach for 1 towel and 1 Kleenex, and fold the mask, insert the paper then fold and staple. Done.
Link to Hong Kong article comparing their DIY paper towel masks to regular medical masks www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3050689/how-make-your-own-mask-hong-kong-scientists
“How to make your own mask: Hong Kong scientists reveal temporary solution for those unable to get protective gear because of panic buying and price-gouging
•Thousands have queued overnight outside pharmacies and prices have spiked because of dwindling supplies
•Lab tests by City University find home-made masks achieve 80 to 90 per cent function of regular ones in terms of filtration of aerosol and droplets”
Thank you doctor for your time and kindness! God Bless you!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
What about pet or adult pee pads?
I used a light day pad in the center and put the printer paper over it. Can't see it. But I think your idea is better!