MOLINE, ILLINOIS (April 9, 2020) - VanDerGinst Law PC is spearheading an initiative called "Masks of Love" to help address the economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the community. During this crisis, a number of workers have experienced loss of employment, and as a result face an uncertain financial future. Additionally, health-care workers and other essential service-providers are facing a shortfall with respect to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including protective masks. The "Masks of Love" project is intended to remediate these health and financial hardships.
The firm has set aside an initial amount of $10,000 to fund the project to make “Moo Masks,” a protective mask made from furnace filters and other commonly-found supplies. Anyone who is currently unemployed and facing financial difficulty may participate in this endeavor. VanDerGinst Law will pay for the materials to make the masks, and will also pay one dollar per mask for a total of up to $500 per person.
The mask’s creator, Chris Wegscheid, is a Minnesota architect originally from the Quad Cities. Instructions for making the masks can be found on Wegscheid’s website, https://www.wegscheid.works/. These “Moo Masks” — so dubbed because they resemble a cow’s nose — feature a design that does not require any sewing. The furnace filter used in Wegscheid’s design is made of a polyester fabric that has a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 11, which arrests about 95% of virus particles down to 0.3 microns. A cotton mask only arrests about 60-70% of virus particles. Thus far, delivery drivers, social workers, and nurses at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, MN, have used the Moo Masks.
While these masks are not the same quality as N95 or other masks that have been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), they may offer some degree of protection for those persons who are more exposed than others in the fight against COVID-19. The need for protective equipment is growing, and until another alternative is found, the Moo Mask is a quick, easy, and inexpensive solution. Wegscheid estimates that up to a dozen masks can be made in one hour.
To qualify for payment, the masks must be made using the method outlined on Wegscheid’s website. Materials can be purchased by the maker for later reimbursement or will be provided by VanDerGinst Law. The firm will then donate the masks to those in need such as hospital and other health-care workers, first-responders, delivery workers, grocery-store workers, and anyone else identified as an “essential” worker via relevant order in Illinois and/or Iowa.
Since participation in this endeavor is likely to be overwhelming, it is the hope of VanDerGinst Law that other businesses will join in this effort and provide further financing for this project.
DISCLAIMER: Neither the use of the Moo Mask, nor use of the products and design which are outlined for the construction of the Moo Mask at https://www.wegscheid.works/ have been tested, certified, or approved by the CDC, NIOSH, and OSHA, nor any government, industry, medical, scientific nor professional source normally relied upon for safety and efficacy concerns. Use of the Moo Mask is at the user’s own risk and all users who are provided a Moo Mask through the efforts contemplated herein shall be required to sign an acknowledgment and waiver of all liability.
About VanDerGinst Law PC
Founded in 2004, VanDerGinst Law is a law firm licensed in Illinois and Iowa that focuses almost exclusively on all types of plaintiff’s personal injury cases. Headquartered in Moline, Illinois, the firm also has satellite locations in Chicago, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Coralville. The firm has represented more than 25,000 residents with personal-injury cases from Illinois, Iowa and nationwide and has been recognized as one of the top firms in the nation specializing in personal injury. For more information, visit www.vlaw.com.
