Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
We Should All Wear Homemade Masks. Here's How To Make One From A T-Shirt
These are homemade masks, made with a polypropylene liner, sewn by Tina Martinez, wife of Take Two host A Martinez. (Courtesy of A Martinez)
()
We’re asking public health officials and experts to answer your questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. Keep in mind that this information does not constitute professional medical advice. For questions regarding your own health, always consult a physician.
The guidance from officials up until recently had been to only wear a mask if you were sick or caring for someone who was. But on Wednesday night LA Mayor Eric Garcetti took it to the next level and announced that all Angelenos should be wearing one when out in public. The county followed suit. Not the N95 models — save those for the healthcare workers. Garcetti said homemade ones are just fine.
It’s a smart move, says University of San Francisco data scientist Jeremy Howard.
Support for LAist comes from
It’s mainly to help others... Think about it this way: we know the spread is from the micro droplets of saliva when you are talking. If you have something over your face, obviously it will hit the mask and not the person you are talking to.
Howard compared the data from Japan with New York City. Japan is a country of 127 million people. They’ve had limited testing and are practicing poor social distancing, but they’ve only had 70 deaths due to COVID-19. Compare that to New York City, which is a metropolis of 8 million. That city has been shut down and more than 1,500 people have died. The difference, says Howard? Japan’s use of masks.
But remember: wearing a face mask will not make you invincible. We all still need to practice physical distancing. Howard says it’s like wearing a hard hat on a construction site, a seatbelt in a car, or a condom during sex.
DO IT YOURSELF:
Support for LAist comes from
MORE:
- Check out Take Two's gallery of homemade masks and send them a photo of yours on Twitter by tagging @TakeTwo
- Listen to the full conversation on Take Two
SOME STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT COVID-19
We're all living through this extraordinary and frightening pandemic. The vast majority of our newsroom has been working from home (here's some advice on that) since March 11 to bring you calm, helpful reporting. We are answering your questions and taking more.
We're here to help. And if you can help support that effort financially, we'd be grateful.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist