#MindfulMasks
Masks are the craze right now.
Everyone wants one but some need them more than others. Sadly this craze has led to scarcity where masks are needed the most; medical clinics, elderly homes and those already infected. Similar to toilet paper, the scarcity was not caused by lack of supply, but by the irrational buying sprees of a fearful public. Professionals dealing directly with the coronavirus now don’t have access to the proper safety materials and that’s an issue for all of us.
Currents.co is proposing two alternatives for those suffering from FoMo.
One – if you really need to leave your home, if you’re considered part of a risk group (elderly, respiratory issues)
or you HAVE the coronavirus and want to protect others, then make your own. We’ll show you how below.
Two – get a digital mask to support those who need real ones. Just stay inside, download the mask or use the IG filter on @currents.co and share the message to avoid scarcity for those in need.
While you do this there are numerous companies and organizations working tirelessly on providing alternatives and supplying medical centers, elderly homes and eventually you with masks. Let’s do our job in the meantime. Doing what we do best, sharing pictures of ourselves.
The Issue.
Large pharmaceutical suppliers, amongst others, are taking advantage of public fear and jacking their prices for the highest bidder. Others are popping up all over social media selling unverified masks at inflated prices. Whether these work or exist is up for consideration. We prescribe the use of common sense. Think twice before buying into this. If it looks sketchy it probably is. You may be under Hermoine Granger’s spell but just because ads show a mask on Emma Watson’s face does not mean she endorses the product.
(see Business Insider) Don’t let fear drive irrationality.
There’s good news!
Influential companies, people and organizations are embracing the opportunity to help. Selflessly committing their resources to create the tools we need to fight this pandemic. While some jack up prices to prey on fearful consumers, here are a couple companies I’ll like to applaud for their generosity in difficult times.
Car Companies: Tesla, Ford, GM.
Have announced to create PAPRs, or Powered Air-Purifying Respirators.
Thank you.
Tech Companies: Apple, Google, Facebook.
Tim Cook tweeted that Apple was donating “millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe”
Thank you. Apple has begun making face shields with plans to produce millions every week.
Fashion Companies: New Balance, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Zara.
are converting their production facilities to create masks.
New Balance released a statement saying “We are producing prototypes for face masks in our Lawrence, Mass. manufacturing facility and hope to scale production using our other New England factories soon.” According to Dezeen: “LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) has promised to donate millions of masks and medical-grade respirators to replenish dwindling supplies. Prada has announced that it will be producing 80,000 medical overalls and 110,000 masks in its factory in Montone in Umbria. Gucci, also owned by Kering, has said it will donate over one million masks and 55,000 pairs of medical overalls to Italy in the coming weeks.”
Thank you.
Non-Profit Organizations.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has developed a new in-home testing kit that consists of a swab for the nose. This reduces the need for full face masks required for the throat tests currently being used in clinics, vastly reducing the cost of test kits and the risk of people conducting them. In this emergency money is not a factor and they are building out seven manufacturing facilities for the various vaccine candidates. With the expectation that only one or two will remain operational they’ll be spending billions of dollars in the process.
Thank you.
You!
To everyone staying home, not contributing to the buying craze, making your own masks and sharing the message.
Thank you.
Stay digital my friends.
What else are you working on?
Know of other companies, people or organizations taking unique approaches to these new issues?
We want to hear about it!
How can you help?
Educate people to be more mindful about their purchasing behavior by sharing your digital mask and message. Think twice before buying and if you don’t need a mask, get a digital one. Here are a handful of #MindfulMasks designed by Cival Van Der Lubbe, of Creative Studio Currents.co, that you can download and share. Spread the message to reduce impulse-buys of things we don’t need. Keep people off the streets and help ensure that the brave medical professionals have the tools they need to handle the coronavirus safely and effectively.
They need real masks. We can share the digital ones.
#MindfulMasks by Current.co
