As the Coronavirus pandemic caused supply shortages around the world, governments and manufacturers struggled to produce more ventilators and safety gear for hospitals. Some civilians took it upon themselves to create DIY equipment for donation. In Spring of 2020, staff members from SVA’s Visible Futures Lab (VFL) volunteered to produce ventilators and face masks to donate to hospitals. Chester Dols, lab director, wrote about their efforts this March.

“Most of the DIY equipment being made for clinic/hospital use is not approved by the FDA or CDC, so when clinics/hospitals use donated equipment, they take a risk that the prototypes we make could be faulty or not as effective as approved devices. Unfortunately, this dire situation has forced medical responders to take the risk of using DIY equipment after following the logic that some protection is better than no protection. In order to support current efforts and streamline resources, lab staff at the VFL has chosen to work with established organizations that have already made successful prototypes and that have a developed network of institutions accepting DIY personal protective equipment.”

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Chester Dols Mobilized To Help Front-Line Workers During Covid