Chicago community sews decorative face masks for medical workers

CHICAGO -- The need for personal protective equipment is growing increasingly harder to come by as the number of coronavirus cases surge across the country and world. In an effort to find a way to get the most use out of the few face mask supplies health care workers have, one nurse started a mission to make face mask covers.

When oncology nurse Zawadi Parizek reached out to Facebook for help, she didn't expect her community to come out of the woodwork.

"I saw a request from a local nurse for volunteers to make face masks. She got at least 20 volunteers," said volunteer Anne Jacques.

So far, they've received more than 50 masks.

"We wear scrubs, so we've always joking that the only thing we get to show our own personality is our socks and our hair," said Parizek, who works at AMITA Health Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois. "So this is something that can show your personality too."

The masks come in a variety of patterns and colors so our health care workers can express themselves in a fun way during such a tough time.

The decorative masks have a hole inside of them, which can hold a CDC-approved face mask. The idea is to allow the medical-grade masks to last longer and provide the medical staff and patients will a little bit of cheer.