Moorsewing is responding to the urgent need in the community for Hygiene Face Masks. We have realised that people really want masks so they can try to do what they can to protect the community.

Why wear a face mask?

Wearing a mask is about protecting others in the community as you are most likely to infect others in the first 7 days of contracting the virus, when you may not have symptoms.

This video explains why we are now making masks for the public.

We are working hard to produce more masks as fast as we can. They are hand made and there are only a few of each type of material design, so keep an eye on this page, or our Shop to see what’s available.

    About Our Masks

    Our masks are double layer cotton or cotton mix, have elastic to go around the ears and a slot where an extra filter can be inserted. They come in various funky colours and there is a limited amount of each design. Each one is hand and sewing machine made and are washable, it is recommended that you iron the folds back in after washing.

    Adult and Child masks available

    Disclaimer – These masks are in no way as efficient as the N95 surgical masks, they are a last resort and to be used by the general public so that the much-needed official surgical masks are still available for the frontline staff. We will not be held responsible if you do contract Covid-19. Our masks are for precaution measures only.

    How Do Facemasks help?

    In the early stages of development of the Coronavirus it has been claimed that the wearing of face masks does not help to protect people from the virus.  Experts all agree that medical-grade protective gear should be reserved for health workers but officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the US have said they are reviewing their recommendation after new data shows that a quarter of those infected did not show symptoms and were infections without realising it.

    Some Countries have made the wearing of masks compulsory and this is proving to reduce the spread of infection.  Wearing a mask is about protecting others in the community as you are most likely to infect others in the first 7 days of contracting the virus, when you may not have symptoms.

    A recent article in the Gardian indicates that the experts are saying that a mask is key to preventing the spread of the virus, and even a simple home made mask is worth wearing.

     (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/02/face-masks-coronavirus-covid-19-public)

    How effective are face masks at stopping transmission?

    Jeremy Howard The primary transmission [of coronavirus] is now known to be droplet-based, and we now know that that transmission largely occurs in the first seven days after infection, when people are largely asymptomatic. So that means that if you’re highly infectious, you probably won’t know it. So we should all assume that we are potentially lethal to people around us. The way we are potentially lethal to people around us is when we speak: that’s when these micro droplets get ejected up to six feet.

    If you’re speaking, and you put a couple of layers of cotton or paper towel in front of your mouth, the droplets go into that and not into the face of the person you’re speaking to. That’s why masks dramatically help reduce the spread of the virus.

    Are masks more effective at protecting the wearer? Or everyone else?

    Howard There is some extra protection for the wearer, but it is imperfect. It’s good to think about wearing a mask as protecting your community and asking your community to do the same for you.

    Why have the WHO and CDC been reluctant to recommend masks for the general public?

    Howard They were trying to protect frontline healthcare workers from running out of N95 respirators.

    Ben Cowling If the WHO were to consider modifying their current recommendations, they might go in the direction of saying: “Save the surgical masks for the healthcare settings, and let’s look into using homemade masks and cloth masks in the community to reduce transmission.”

    Is it important to form a seal? Would that pose a problem for people with beards?

    Howard: No, not at all. A seal is something you need for aerosol-generating procedures. So unless you’re planning on intubating patients at your own home or during your shopping trip, that’s not an issue. Remember, the main thing we’re doing is protecting those around you.

    The experts that were quoted in this article are:

    • Ben Cowling is a professor of epidemiology and co-director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control at the University of Hong Kong
    • Jessica Justman is a professor and attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center
    • Jeremy Howard is a distinguished research scientist at the University of San Francisco and founder of the #Masks4All campaign
    • Saskia Popescu is a Phoenix-based epidemiologist