tunisiavscorona

Border closures, shut-down of medical industry and suppliers plus high demand for medical equipment through covid-19 patients have led to shortages of life-safing devices in hospitals. Ventilators are the most prominent example today, but shortages of all materials such as protective goggles, bottles for desinfectant etc. are possible and have been reported already.

[16.03.2020] In Italy, Brescia hospital in virus-struck northern Italy was lacking spare parts for their ventilators while treating a large number of covid-19 patients. The valve is a simple plastic part which adds medicine or humidity to the airflow of the ventilator. But it is essential to sustain artificial ventilation. The supply company of the part could not deliver spontaneously and the clinic was helped out by a company with 3D-printers which copied and printed the part in few hours.

https://www.overclock3d.net/news/misc_hardware/3d_printing_saved_italian_hospital_when_supply_chain_issues_threaten_patients/1

[19.03.2020] In Canada a hospital and a research institution started an initiative to build simple and fast ventilators promising 200.000 CA$ to the best concept. They expect shortages in ventilation equipment in the coming weeks since research shows that as much as 70% of the population could get infected with corona virus.

https://www.mghfoundation.com/fr/nouvelles/defi-respirateur-code-vie/

[21.03.2020] In Germany a group of programmers, medical staff and engineers is designing a website to bring hospitals with urgent need for spare parts and people and industry with 3D-printing capacity together. Goal is a resilient emergency response covering all steps from designing the part till delivery to the hospital and possibly needed safety tests.

Hi!
This document gives an overview of DIY approaches for facial masks.
The smartairfilters post is based on research done at cambridge university. The conclusion by researchers is: DIY-masks only as a last resort thing, the best masks with kitchen towel or cotton shirt as fabric can only filter 50% of germs, simple surgical masks filter 80% of germs.

Be aware that the masks do not give you a full protection, they only decrease likelihood of infection. If you use your 'felt protection' with the mask to be more risk prone they won't be of any help!