Fanatics MLB & Fanatics produce hospital gear amid coronavirus.
Thursday was scheduled to be Opening Day for Major League Baseball in 2020, but the annual hyped-up occasion to kick off a new season has since been pushed back amid the pandemic outbreak of coronavirus. However, on March 26, instead of merely being sad there are no games to watch, MLB and Fanatics teamed up to do their part to help America’s nurses and doctors who are putting their life on the line to help patients across the country.
Michael Rubin, Fanatics executive chairman Michael Rubin tweeted that he “woke up in the middle of the night last week with the idea of converting our @Fanatics factory in PA that makes official @MLB jerseys into a facility that makes much-needed masks and gowns and then donating them to help fight this horrendous virus.”
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement, “We hope this effort can play a part in coming together as a community to help us through this challenging situation. I’m proud that Major League Baseball can partner with Fanatics to help support the brave healthcare workers and emergency personnel who are on the front lines of helping patients with COVID-19. They are truly heroes.”
The first batch of gowns and masks were created using the jerseys intended for the Phillies and the Yankees, and you can tell by the distinctive color of the pinstripes shown. As production grows, more teams’ colors and styles will be used and donated.
Rubin tweeted that he received a call from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro about the state’s desperate need for supplies to protect their “frontline workers,” and a week later, MLB and Fanatics have about 100 workers making masks and gowns from official jersey fabric.
The supply of gowns and masks will start distribution in Pennsylvania, but Rubin tweeted that they plan to extend their protective gear donations to New York and New Jersey, two America’s main hot zones affected by COVID-19.
We’re proud to partner with @MLB to support emergency personnel who are fighting against COVID-19 and face a need for masks and hospital gowns. We’re utilizing our manufacturing plant in Easton, PA to make masks and gowns out of the same jersey fabric that the players wear
“The COVID-19 crisis has compelled our country to be more collaborative, innovative and strategic than ever before,” Rubin said to MLB.com. “As the demand for masks and gowns has surged, we’re fortunate to have teamed up with Major League Baseball to find a unique way to support our frontline workers in this fight to stem the virus, who are in dire need of essential resources.”
Does Cloth Material Work As A Protective Mask?
In the United States, hospitals need an estimated 3.5 billion masks to safely treat patients during coronavirus, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Because of the overwhelming shortages, like MLB and Fanatics, people across the nation are sewing together protective gear for hospital workers. The only question being – do homemade masks work as a substitute?
Homemade masks are definitely not ideal, but they are better than nothing. Raina MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Research Program at the University of New South Wales in Australia told LiveScience.com, “When doctors are facing not having Personal Protective Equipment [PPE], I think they should use whatever they can, and if it is homemade, it’s better than nothing. This is a life or death matter for them, and any barrier protection like a homemade mask will probably help, but, sadly, the outlook looks grim for the U.S. If the epidemic is spiraling out of control, hospital beds full, and health workers sick (and unable to work) or dead, this is a perfect storm. It is devastating.”
The CDC states, “In settings where facemasks are not available, HCP might use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, homemade masks are not considered PPE, since their capability to protect HCP is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face.”
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