Cornonavirus Update: 3D Brooklyn Printing Face Shields For Healthcare Workers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New York has become the epicenter for the spread of the coronanvirus in America and businesses around the Tri-State Area are pitching in to help people impacted by the virus.
Nate Kolbeck and his colleagues at 3D Brooklyn in East Williamsburg are working around the clock, turning their space into an assembly line, to make face shields for healthcare workers, reports CBS2's Alice Gainer.
"Heads of surgery are sending us emails saying they're running out and they want some shields, they've seen ours," said Kolbeck.
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Work dried up for 3D Brooklyn once non-essential businesses were forced to shut down in New York. A new purpose began for the company when Issac Budmen from upstate New York reached out to Kolbeck and his colleagues. Budman and his partner were already making masks with their 3D printers and asked if 3D Brooklyn could help out with the demand in New York City.
"We have the printers and we have the time," said Kolbeck.
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3D Brooklyn's machines can make 45 masks at a time, and the work crew aims to start making 200 masks per day. Healthcare workers all around New York have put in requests for additional face masks and they realize they'll have to rely on the generosity of New York residents because of the demand.
"We're realizing no one is coming to save us," said Dr. Anushri Anandjara from Mount Sinai Hospital. "And we at the community at a grassroots level have to start to mobilize to utilize all of the resources that we have. At some point maybe the federal government and the supply channels will kick in, but not enough and not soon enough."
PHOTO GALLERY: Life In New York City Under The Coronavirus
New Yorkers at home can donate money for supplies and hourly workers to deal with the growing demand of dealing with COVID-19 patients by visiting covidsupplies.nyc