Strengthening Support through CoVID-19
Dear 7 Cups Community,
We have been and are entering a challenging time as individuals, families, and regions face CoVID-19. Its a time of feeling isolated and concerned for your friends and family. But please remember that we are all in this together, you are not alone. I wanted to update you on the things we are doing to increase support around the world.
Our efforts started when a group in Wuhan reached out to see if we could help provide support for people in quarantine. We started the quarantine support forum to help answer questions and provide guidance in these unique circumstances. You can access the forum here. Lisa, our Clinical Director, wrote up an excellent post on what you can do to support people in quarantine here. As with most things, it is the simple things like listening, reaching out, and being consistently reliable that help quite a bit.
We have also re-started our translation efforts. Our goal is to translate the key parts of the site in the top 5 languages in the next few weeks. You can read more on this initiative here. If you are fluent in any of these languages and would like to help, then we would welcome your efforts to help us make faster progress.
Additionally, look for news from @Heather225 and @asilentobserver and @hope for a new CoVID-19 group support room that will open soon.
We think this will be a particularly challenging time as we collectively adapt to the new landscape, but believe there is space in this crisis to learn how to better cope and support one another as well. If you need support, then know that we are here for you.
If you would like to listen to others, then you can sign up to be a listener here.
If you have other thoughts and ideas on ways we can work together to come out of this stronger, then we would love to hear them. These ideas can happen on 7 Cups, on other sites, or offline. Please share ideas in our forum here.
Our community is hard at work to help scale support. Our team is thinking of you and your families and sending you beams. We believe that we will grow through this and be stronger on the other side.
Sincerely,
Glen
Hi there,
I came across this handy site that allows you to make masks for your family with common household items and No Sewing Required. The website states:
"Our no-sew design was designed by a hospital epidemiologist to simulate a surgical mask and can be created in 10 minutes
It features two key features: a nose pinch to keep the mask secure and a bottom tie that tightly fits the contours of your face. Bandanas or loose-fitting pieces of cloth will not give you the same level of protection as they allow air leaks. 100% cotton fabric has been evaluated in studies and is comparable to approved surgical masks, not an N95." https://www.maskbuilders.com/make
Go to the site for images and directions to make a simple but effective mask. If you want to experiment you can add a second layer of the same material it give more filtering. Just be sure that you can breathe adequately. I have read these are not for use in people under 2 years of age. If you have breathing problems, ask your physician for recommendations.
I found a 100% cotton sheet that is cotton, exactly what they are calling for. The thing I like about these cotton masks is you can sterilize and reuse them:
"Sterilizing your mask: Place the mask in boiling water for five minutes. Turn off the heat. Carefully remove the mask with tongs and place it on a clean paper towel.
They also have a metal adjustable bridge piece (paper clip or pipe cleaner or piece of bendable wire). If you want to use these again and plan to sterilize them you may want to use non rusting materials for nose wire and for attaching straps to mask. Staple are fast but tend to rust.
I hope everyone who needs a mask finds a way to get one so they can use them in their house when someone in the house is sick or when leaving the house.
Be well,
@soulsings
