COVID-19: Mexican students make face shields for the coronavirus pandemic

Biomedical Engineering students from the State University of Sonora (UES) have produced 20 acetate face shields that were delivered at the Military Regional Hospital in Hermosillo so that they can be more protected while fighting the COVID-19 pandemic .

Karla Hernández Encina, a student of the sixth semester of Biomedical Engineering , and Víctor Martínez Álvarez, a trainee at the Hermosillo Technological Center (CTH), made the face shields with 3D printers provided by professors and with polylactic acid (PLA) donated by Steren México .

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“We are very happy to contribute with this material by applying what we have learned at school; we used 3D printers and PLA that were donated, and we were able to produce 20 acetate face shields and deliver them at the Military Hospital to pay back for the support they have given to the university in scientific projects ,” said student Víctor Martínez.

Sergio Leal Soto

, chief of the UES major, accompanied the students to deliver the material and mentioned that their effort is generous and that as a teacher he feels satisfaction from helping.

“Several students concerned over the COVID-19 situation have gotten in touch with us; as teachers, we give them support as much as we can, they needed printing material and we contacted the company that donated the PLA with which the face shields were made,” said the professor.

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With this donation, the group of youths has donated a total of 50 face shields to health institutions in Hermosillo and they would like to continue making more if they get more material, as mentioned student Karla Hernández .

Acetate face shields area personal protective equipment used by medical personnel to cover their eyes, mouth, and nose, which are the main entry-ways through which healthcare workers can get infected while tending to patients with COVID-19; this equipment is personal , reusable , and can be disinfected .

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