CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas A&M University of Corpus Christi is joining the fight against COVID-19. Hospital protocol calls for a staff member to wear a mask and face shield if they are within three feet of a patient that may have the coronavirus. A combination of staff and students will produce the shields. By utilizing it's creative space in the campus library called "Maker Space", an I-lab has been set up to produce 1,000 face shields for Driscoll Children's Hospital.
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi President Kelly Miller says, "We actually have a student that is in our Doctorate of Nursing program who also works at Driscoll. And she let us know that there was a need for masks for Driscoll Children's Hospital. So our staff began working immediately."
With the machines in house to make the shields and visors available, all that was needed was to order supplies. With the first batch going to Driscoll, the University is willing and able to produce more as long as supplies are available.
According to Texas A&M University Dean of Libraries, Kate Redowsky "The Maker Space community across the nation has really picked up the charge to supply our frontline workers with some medical PPE that is in high demand and difficult to find."
In five to seven minutes the lab can produce an acrylic visor that goes around a frontline workers head and a Mylar face shield that attaches, which is disposable. By using a laser cutter they can mass produce the products at a much faster rate.
Miller says, "This is just one of many examples of opportunities that we found to use our resources or use our expertise to help in the community. We just wanted to give back. "
It's just one of the ways locals are helping locals during this global health crisis.
