Another great company jumps in to help when America is in need. The sporting attire company known as Under Armor, who makes the clothes that keep us cool during hot workouts, has pledged to help design and manufacture masks and other gear to help medical professionals.
This comes through an announcement made directly by the Under Armor company. The masks they make may not be exactly the same as the ones doctors and nurses wear, but they will be similar and could certainly be helpful in preventing the spread of the illness that originated in China.
For starters, they will begin by helping the University of Maryland Medical System’s (UMMS) 28,000 health care providers and staff with providing them face masks, face shields, and even a custom fanny pack. The company is also looking into creating hospital gowns for the statewide medical system.
As the announcement states, “the brand will also begin providing face masks to LifeBridge, a regional health care organization based in Baltimore. Additionally, Under Armour is currently discussing the needs for supplies with Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar and other local medical institutions.”
Randy Harward, the SVP of Advanced Material and Manufacturing Innovation, stated, “when the call came in from our local medical providers for more masks, gowns and supply kits, we just went straight to work… more than 50 Under Armour teammates from materials scientists to footwear and apparel designers from laboratories in Baltimore and Portland quickly came together in search of solutions.”
The team worked over the course of a week, in high pressure, to design something that is easy to manufacture and easy to wear. It’s a mask that does not require any sewing and can be worn by just about anyone to serve as an “additional barrier” to help keep the workers safe. The mask they will produce is one-piece and moisture resistant, like many of their staple sports products.
It’s said that even a basic face mask can help prevent the spread, and if it’s by Under Armor, it will likely be a quality product.
Harward made a bold prediction, suggesting that they could possibly manufacture 100,000 masks per week.