I agree with the notes and what you have written below regarding masks Tom and Neil. The US may be going to a broader facemask usage recommendation in the next few days.
There is a very active group here in Birmingham (Alabama); for now the local hospitals and health care workers are using the sewn cotton masks in less acute care and first responder settings thus freeing N95 masks for more acute settings. Cotton masks are also being used to extend the use of N95 masks and are also being made with pouches so filters can be inserted (filters are tossed after single use and masks are washed). Here is the FB link with lots of resources and demos and discussions. This could easily be a cottage industry as it has become here https://www.facebook.com/groups/BhamFaceMasks/learning_content/
Best regards to all in these challenging times
HIFA profile: Craig Wilson is Professor and Director at University of Alabama at Birmingham/Sparkman Center for Global Health, USA. Professional interests- Pediatrician and HIV clinician by training; experience in rural and urban clinics in Zambia since 2004. Worked with Zambian MOH/GNC on development and now delivery of an HIV Nurse Practitioner program; Now focused on medical education capacity building for all health care worker programs, mainly at UNZA but also with LSN, Chainama, CBU SOM, LAMU and Cavendish; Working on further development and dissemination of eGranary platform within health care worker training programs and in collaboration with VVOB education training programs; Co-Director for Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at UNZA and also new CDC ZEPACT project (HIV NP and HIV resistance surveillance). cwilson AT uab.edu
