ORLANDO, Fla. — A Central Florida quilter is doing what she can to help first responders and health care staff in desperate need of masks, especially those with no protection at all.
Christina Dantes is known to whip up quilts in a weekend, camped out in her sewing room.
“Once I go in there, I don't come out,” Dantes said. “It's my happy place.”
But now the coronavirus pandemic has her putting her sewing skills to use in a new way.
When not working at home as a University of Central Florida grants specialist, Dantes is sewing masks for health care workers
It started with a request for eight. Now she’s up to making 11 an hour.
The masks are designed to go over the N95, hospital-grade masks as an added layer of protection. The hope is they can preserve those N95 masks that have to be worn all day or repeatedly due to supply shortages.
Dr. Annette Bourgault, a critical care researcher with the UCF College of Nursing, said that shortage has come to a crisis point.
Bourgault asks if any members of the public have N95 masks that they donate them to medical and health care personnel.
She said they’re a critical first layer, and only strengthen the homemade efforts.
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