Millburn Kids Make Face Shields Amid Coronavirus Spread

MILLBURN, NJ — "We are students from the New York City suburbs," explain two Millburn children in a video posted to YouTube on Monday. Then, the kids get resourceful, creating protective face shields out of clear looseleaf notebook dividers.

How did that all come about?

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The kids' mother, who didn't want to identify their family for the internet, explained, "A doctor friend who’s a cardiologist in the community called and asked if we had face shields that he could use in the hospital. ...The doctor asked us because we have a lot of DIY [do it yourself] home stuff."

She further explained, "The kids asked what a face shield was and I showed them a picture. They said they can make a prototype. They found arts and crafts and created one. I was positively surprised and they asked if they could make a video to show other kids (we’re actually very private on social media so this is the first video I've ever uploaded)."

She added, "They plan to make about 200 and drop it off locally. It is useable for medical workers (doctors, nurses and technicians) to reduce exposure. They did not get the idea from a website or any other source."

She noted, "Given the dearth of supplies, 'It’s either that or nothing' is the feedback we’ve been given. It’s not perfect but it helps. Our kids will be excited that they’re having positive impact and maybe other kids will do it too."

But can it really work?

Before you start your own project, it's best to double check with someone in the medical field.

And keep in mind that a face shield is not a face mask.

However, some experts have recommended that makers use their 3D printers and other supplies to create face shields: https://www.forbes.com/sites/t...

Experts also are recommending various ways to create masks, including locally, Atlantic Health System, which posted this video.

JoAnn Fabrics posted advice. And the CDC does suggest types of homemade face masks, but says they're "a last resort" for anyone who needs one.

Residents who have questions about the virus can call 211 or contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222.

Experts say that the novel coronavirus, because it's new, is more lethal and much harder to treat than the flu.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

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