A homemade face mask pattern developed by local surgeons and dressmakers has been adopted by Hunter Apparel for mass production.
Hunter Apparel Solutions, a Derry-based workwear factory, has decided to produce the face mask developed by the Donegal Clinical and Research Academy in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The non-medical mask was created as an easy to make layer of protection for the wearer and to others against Covid-19, providing that personal distancing and hand hygiene measures are also followed.
A research paper on the design was last week accepted to the Irish Journal of Medical Science.
Now, the washable reusable SUGRUE design, named after Letterkenny University Hospital surgeon Mr Michael Sugrue, will be produced from the Hunter Apparel Derry factory. They will be sold at a maximum cost of €10 each, with a donation on each mask sold being made to the charitable medical research trust at Donegal Clinical Research Academy.
Pattern: Donegal Clinical and Research Academy www.dcra.ie
The collaboration follows a visit by Mr Sugrue to the Hunter facility on Friday.
Mr Sugrue expressed his delight with the new agreement and said: “This will ensure that stock for medical personal are not interfered with and provide community protection in the fight against Covid 19.”
Mr Sugrue also thanked Lorraine McClean, owner of the ZipYard in Letterkenny and dressmaker Marite Vilane for their work on the study.
Hunter Apparel have confirmed that they are ready to start producing the masks in minimum batches of 50 and are now taking orders from interested parties.
This step-by-step video from www.dcra.ie shows how to recreate the design.
The team involved in the homemade facemask project is as follows:
- Mr. Michael Sugrue, Consultant Breast and General Surgeon at Letterkenny University Hospital
- Prof Derek O’Keeffe – Department of Medicine in Galway University Hospital
- Mr Ryan Sugrue – Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Galway University Hospital
- Mr. Manvydas Varzgalis – Consultant Breast and General Surgeon at Letterkenny University Hospital
- Lorraine McClean – Owner of Zip Yard, Marite Vilane and Seamus Hughes
For more, visit: dcra.ie
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