Face Masks for Those in Need: Study Shows They Could Be Key to Stemming 2nd Wave of COVID

A new study from Britain's Cambridge and Greenwich Universities suggests wearing face masks might be the key to preventing a widespread second wave of COVID-19 infections in the fall. The study concluded that even homemade masks can dramatically reduce the spread of the disease if enough people wear them in public. 

As the US starts re-opening, many states and individual companies and shop owners are making it mandatory for people to wear them when doing things like walking inside businesses or taking public transportation.

With face masks becoming the norm, one group of mask makers is working to make sure everyone who needs one can get one.

A few months ago, Hayley Gottlieb's 15-year-old downtown L.A. apparel factory was one of many businesses indefinitely shut down after being deemed non-essential. Thankfully for Hayley, when the L.A. mayor issued a call for mask makers – Smartees reopened to answer that call for those who can buy the much-needed product and those who can't. 

"The main goal is really just to mask as many people as possible – make sure there's nothing in the way of getting people masks that they need," Hayley told CBN News. 

Hayley and her business partner knew from the get-go, for every mask they sold, they wanted to donate one, too – but the need for masks was so great at many community centers, they wanted to do more.

"They were getting donations for sure, just not in enough quantity," she continued.

With the help of her friend Dave Stone – they came up with the Millions of Masks (M.O.M.) initiative. 

"The first thing that struck me was once masks were mandated in public is people didn't have them and they didn't know where to get them," recalled Dave.

When Dave saw the lines increasing at the food bank by his house, he knew he wanted to do something to help.

"I knew that those folks were probably going to need masks as well, and the lines are a little bit longer today than they were last month or the month before, and at a food bank you can't get food if you don't have a mask – don't have a mask, you can't feed yourself or your family," explained Dave.

M.O.M. works by people going to their website and choosing a city to donate reusable masks to. Hayley makes the masks at cost, and then their nationwide partners distribute the masks to those in need in their cities. 

"It's really just built out of understanding that when something's going on in the world it's better to rush towards that event as opposed to run away and hide and not do anything," continued Dave.

Hayley thinks, for the near future, face masks will remain a big issue.

"Even some of our regular customers who we ship our apparel to have been adding masks to their collections so we think its going to be around at least until the end of this year, possibly into next year," explained Hayley.

Hayley and Dave believe as people start going back into their offices and returning to normal life, it won't just be one mask they need but multiple, since they should be washed after each use. 

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