Mercer looks to make reusable masks for healthcare workers

Mercer University wants to help area health care providers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

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I'm tucker sargent.

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Our top story tonight at 6: a local dentist partners up with mercer university to help health care providers in the area-- amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Mercer's school of engineering is developing a prototype for a reusable surgical mask to distribute to local healthcare providers for their safety.

41 nbc jatrissa wooten has the details :00-:04 1:06-1:10 "standup: friday, members of mercer university will head to them medical center navicent health to see if their prototype masks are a success" the masks are made of duarable material equipped with a high efficiency air filter clipped to the front of the mask.

The idea behind prototype is for the mask to be sanitized and reused.

Macon dentist dr. amber lawson initiated project and now with the help of mercer school of engineerin?

The university will have at least 15 masks ready by friday they are also creating face shields "we have capabilities to print about 15 of these every three hours and have the entire shield finished" once dr. joanna thomas received the mask design from dr. lawson she began printing copies of the mask and analyzing its materials and components "the mask when its put together should form a seal to the face so all your air and intake is coming through this filter which is a piece of material that we've cut from the filters in a vacuum cleaner and then the face shield when worn combination protects the wear from fluids, liquids and anything coming from the patient" since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the cdc has issued guidelines for healthcare providers in light of critical personal protective equipment shortages.

These guidelines include the use of "homemade" masks as a "last resort" in settings where n95 c1 3 b13 masks are not available.

Im macon jatrissa