Kiya Tomlin, Wife Of Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin, Sewing Masks Used In Fight Against Coronavirus
(KDKA)- With the spread of the coronavirus continuing across the United States, some necessary medical supplies have been dwindling as healthcare workers fight to help patients impacted by the disease.
In the past several weeks, companies connected to the sports world have stepped in to begin making personal protective equipment (PPE) for these workers. Kiya Tomlin, CEO of Kiya Tomlin Fashion and wife of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, is joining that effort.
Tomlin has been using her time at home to sew washable cloth masks for hospital support staff.
Tomlin and her team have already donated 300 masks to Pittsburgh area hospitals and they sewed another 500 last week. Additional hospitals around the country have now reached out to Tomlin about acquiring masks.
Though Tomlin's masks are not as effective at blocking particles as the N-95 masks most medical professionals need to wear when dealing with patients, she is developing masks that could possibly hold a filter to do just that.
"The morning we spoke, she had figured out a way to sew the masks with a little open pocket, one in which someone could place a piece of a HEPA filter vacuum bag, or a blue shop towel or whatever other material is being found to better filter the particles that could carry the virus."
Tomlin is hoping that someone can develop and produce a filter that would be able to fit into those masks that she has been developing.
