Penn Medicine is looking for sewing volunteers who can make disposable cuffs for powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) (see photo). The supply of cuffs will be crucial for keeping the staff safe while treating COVID-19 patients.
If you want to help, please review the instructions here and here and watch two videos (Video 1, Video 2) to see how to make the cuffs and how the cuffs are used.
Penn Medicine will provide the fabric, zippers, elastic and a pattern to make 25 cuffs. You would need to provide your own thread and be able to pick up and drop off materials at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
If you do not feel confident making the cuffs, but still want to help, Penn Medicine still may have other sewing projects and other volunteer opportunities as they arise. If you are interested and can come to the hospital, please email Dave Cribb, Director of Programs and Services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (David.Cribb@pennmedicine.upenn.edu), to coordinate material hand-off.
April 23rd, 2020 at 6:25 pm
I’d love to help out. Ive been sewing masks (up to 400 at this point!)
Please contact me and let me know how to pick up the materials to get started.
Mary
856 904-8761
April 23rd, 2020 at 6:57 pm
Mary, if you want to help please email Dave Cribb, Director of Programs and Services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, at: David.Cribb@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
April 27th, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Why are these disposable? It seems like a lot of work for something that is going to be thrown away.
If you can disinfect a fabric mask by washing with detergent and bleach, why can’t you do the same for the cuffs?
April 28th, 2020 at 12:20 am
Wait, PENN Medicine Is asking people to work for free? I’m sure they can find the scratch to pay people. Don’t they have the resources and brain power to do this themselves? I’m all for lending a hand these days, but PENN sure has some nuggets asking for free labor. Get some of those Ivy League brats back and put them to work learning a skill.