The Czech Republic went from zero mask usage to 100% in 10 days, and in the process they halted the growth of new covid-19 cases.

How? They made their own! They didn't need government help; they did it themselves.

It's time for #masks4all. See why:

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Please watch the video above for the full explanation. Here's a quick summary.

See the light turquoise lines in this chart? See how they're all pretty flat? Know what they have in common? These folks all wear masks in public!

Masks aren't enough on their own. But they are a part of the solution in *every* region that's figuring out how to beat this thing!

(Of course, you can't even *begin* to solve this until you've done a lock-down long enough to buy your hospital system time.)

Here's the president of Taiwan. Why is she so happy? Because Taiwan has so few cases they don't even appear on the chart above!

They've invested massively in masks! https://twitter.com/iingwen/status/1237310911376846849

What's happening here? Does this masks thing really make sense, scientifically? Yes, it does!

Here's 34 scientific papers that all point to the same thing: masks (even home made ones) really work to dramatically reduce the spread of covid-19.
http://tiny.cc/maskswork 

Masks aren't just about protecting the wearer. They're mainly about protecting those around you. In the Czech Republic, advertisements are used to make sure everyone understands that if you wear a mask, you're helping your community stay safe.

Want to learn more about the astounding and inspiring story of what happened in the Czech Republic in just 10 days?

Here it is! https://tiny.cc/masks4all 

The fancy masks they use in hospitals are called 'Respirators' (the most common rating is 'N95'). You don't need one of those to protect you - they're only needed for certain hospital procedures.

You just need a basic mouth & nose cover, and goggles or glasses for your eyes.

A Cambridge University study showed that lots of household materials are nearly as good as surgical masks, and you can use 2 layers of material to make them even better.

It doesn't need to be perfect - it just needs to reduce viral load so your immune system can kick in!

These simple materials work well because covid-19 is transmitted as "droplets", which are easily caught by even a cotton t-shirt.

Oxford University showed that hospitals only need the fancy respirators when they're doing "Aerosol Generating Procedures" (AGPs).

Otherwise, surgical masks are really useful, even in a hospital setting.

This has been formalized by Oxford University with this guidance:

As @PeterKolchinsky explains, basic masks reduce viral load, which is what your body needs!

The person who really kicked off #masks4all in Czech Republic was @PetrLudwig with his powerful and compelling video. A key part of his message: wearing a mask is a selfless, pro-social behavior

The community response in Czech Republic was amazing. People made their own masks at home, and then hung them on "mask trees" for anyone in their community to use. Such kindness!

Within days, masks were everywhere! Politicians! Trams! Statues!

Here's an important tip that didn't make it to the video: you can reuse your masks. Stanford University research shows that you can just pop them in the oven at 70C (160F) for 30 mins, and they're good to go!
https://m.box.com/shared_item/https%3A%2F%2Fstanfordmedicine.box.com%2Fv%2Fcovid19-PPE-1-1

So, do you want to help get your community out of lock-down, back on their feet, and cut the death toll? Here's how you can help:
1) Share this video
2) Create a mask, and take a selfie with it
3) Use the hashtag #masks4all

How do you make a mask? Here's how to do it with no sewing, using an old t-shirt (it's in Czech - but you can understand it from the pics). https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=807790806395450

I've started a wiki thread to collect "how to" info on making masks - please help contribute. :) https://forums.fast.ai/t/masks-for-covid-19/66057

Check out the Czech politicians rocking up to parliament yesterday, everyone in their own colorful and unique mask! (h/t @masks4all)
https://www.blesk.cz/galerie/zpravy-koronavirus/949566/rousky-ve-snemovne-kalousek-za-loupeznika-cernochova-zkousela-chobot-a-co-dalsi?foto=26

New: @PetrLudwig now has a version of his compelling #masks4all video available in English!

New: great tip from @zeynep for making disposable masks using kitchen paper towels (she suggests that you can probably skip the plastic folder part). It's official advice from HK Consumer Council (but ignore their stuff about aerosols). https://www.consumer.org.hk/ws_en/news/specials/2020/mask-diy-tips.html