Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there were calls for donations and fundraisers for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to protect frontline workers against coronavirus.

ANN ARBOR – Kevin Leeser has been active in organizing donations of PPE since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and now that includes cleaning supplies. Leeser, who launched Operation Face Shield Ann Arbor, recently donated 500 face shields to the Lakota people in South Dakota who have experienced high case numbers. After they asked for cleaning supplies for their quarantined members, Leeser decided to rally the local community to donate supplies, which he is delivering himself this week. Read: Ann Arbor’s Operation Face Shield surpasses 50K donationsFor those who wish to donate funds, tax deductible donations can still be made to “Operation Face Shield” via CashApp. Local businesses Jerusalem Garden and Stadium Hardware donated supplies over the weekend.

ANN ARBOR – For the first time in 123 years, the Michigan Marching Band band will be performing virtually. The band has adapted to a virtual format for performances, and will be releasing its first digital show in November. Michigan Marching Band’s 56th drum major, senior Walter Aguilar, said he has shifted his focus to keep the spirit of the 400-member band alive during these unprecedented times. “My focus has been on translating the traditions and excitement to new members in order to keep the community and spirit of the Michigan Marching Band thriving,” Aguilar said in a statement. 🎉👏#GoBlue #MMBandTogether pic.twitter.com/z8cRdbYnP3 — Michigan Marching & Athletic Bands (@umichband) October 4, 2020For many students, their second time in uniform on the field this season was for a September photo shoot.

ANN ARBOR – At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in Michigan in March, local residents launched Operation Face Shield in response to the shortage of personal protective equipment. Operation Face Shield organizer Kevin Leeser said the group just surpassed 50,000 donations -- about enough to fill the stands in the old Tigers stadium. Operation Face Shield teamed up with medical relief Global Links to send the PPE to Nicaragua and Honduras. Ricardo mass-produced thousands of films, and combined with the invention of an injection mold at Ferris State University which could churn out six frames a minute, Operation Face Shield went from small at-home effort to large-scale operation. Leeser said that Operation Face Shield currently has 2,000 shields ready to donate.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Adaptive Energy, an Ann Arbor fuel-cell manufacturer turned personal protective equipment manufacturer, has donated PPE to the Michigan Department of State ahead of the November election. The $57,000 donation comes in the form of hand sanitizer, touchless door openers and face shields for polling places and election offices. The PPE is intended to help protect election workers and voters who visit polling places and election offices from the coronavirus (COVID-19). In March, the fuel-cell manufacturer switched to making PPE with its 30 members team in Ann Arbor. Edison and Adaptive Energy owner Ranvir Gujral established Arbor Apothecary to make intubation boxes and medical face shields.

DETROIT What is the correct way to wear a mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19)? Many people wear it pulled down below their nose, but does that defeat the purpose of wearing a mask at all? Unfortunately, relative to spreading COVID-19, the nose also appears to be at an advantage over the mouth. A recent published study mapped locations in the respiratory tract where the virus most quickly invades, replicates and spreads. Researchers suggested based on their findings that the virus doesnt get to the lungs through the blood or by sequentially marching lower down the respiratory tract.

Gretchen Whitmer strengthened her mask rules Friday, but she also revealed the five exceptions that would allow someone to be inside businesses or public places without a mask. Children younger than five years oldChildren who are younger than five years old don’t have to follow the Michigan mask rules. Voting in electionResidents who go to a polling place for the purpose of voting in an election don’t have to wear masks. Mask order updateExecutive Order 2020-153 clarified Whitmer’s previous mask order. The order says public safety officers have to wear face coverings unless that would seriously interfere with doing their jobs.

Gretchen Whitmer strengthened her mask rules Friday, most notably saying that businesses can’t assume unmasked customers have medical justification for entering without a mask and must ask them to confirm. READ: Here are the 5 exceptions to Whitmer’s COVID-19 mask rulesExecutive Order 2020-153 clarified Whitmer’s previous mask order. The new order also requires public safety officers to wear face coverings unless that would seriously interfere with doing their jobs. “Wearing a mask is the right thing to do to protect our families, our businesses and our economy,” Whitmer said. Wearing a mask is a simple step that protects everyone.”Here are the five exceptions to Whitmer’s face covering rules:Children younger than five years old.

DETROIT – Many people have wondered just how effective cloth masks can really be against the coronavirus (COVID-19). Health officials are saying one hair salon demonstrates exactly how important they are in the fight. But the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention used a hair stylist at a Great Clips in Springfield, Missouri, in a published report. A second stylist also developed symptoms during that time and continued working until the coworker tested positive. The stylists and their clients were following city and company policy by wearing either cotton face masks or surgical-style masks.

DETROIT Now that face coverings are a requirement in Michigan, more people are interested in whether face shields might be a suitable alternative to masks. Face coverings are widely accepted by the scientific community as one of the tools that decrease the transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19). In certain cases, face shields might be acceptable. Researchers used a cough simulator and found that face shields reduced a persons exposure to large cough droplets by 96%. The bottom line is that if a person cant tolerate a mask or there is an important need to see someones facial expressions, face shields can be useful options.

The strict new rules are aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), but there are concerns that some businesses and residents wont obey. Haidar Koussan, the owner of Greenland Market in Dearborn said at first, customers didnt believe there was a dangerous virus going around. They would argue about wearing a mask, Koussan said. Though its far from perfect, the process of wearing masks and having businesses enforce the rule has to start at the front door. Some dont watch the news and some didnt know about masks, but participation was 100% on Monday, the owner said.

LANSING, Mich. Michigan officials are warning of fake face mask exempt cards that have been circulated by some groups in an effort to bypass wearing face coverings in businesses and locations where they are required amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These groups are trying to spread misinformation about the use of face coverings, and the unfortunate outcome is that they are also endangering the lives of many people, Nessel said. COVID-19 cases have been increasing at a more rapid rate than previous weeks in Michigan and across the country. The chart shows a high risk of COVID-19 transmission when no face coverings are worn, and the least risk of transmission when coverings are worn by both parties. (MDHHS)Click here to learn more about face coverings and their effectiveness for slowing the spread of COVID-19 from the CDC.

Many are looking for ways to maximize their mask benefit and since the surface of copper is a known antimicrobial, can a copper-infused mask help? Thats where the idea that using copper fibers or infusing fabric with copper could improve a mask wearers protection. What about the things that get trapped in or on the mask -- could copper help there? Theres some fun science behind the idea of using a copper in a mask, but no evidence suggests it would be safer. Additionally, the primary purpose of a mask is to prevent the user from spreading their own germs, and a copper mask wont change that.

DETROIT Almost everyone in Michigan has worn a mask during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but is there any truth to recent social media posts claiming people are getting sick due to wearing masks for an extended period of time? Social media claimsBut a post making the rounds on social media is claiming its dangerous to wear a mask. Dr. McGeorge put that claim to the test with the Trust Index. Gasses such as oxygen and carbon dioxide freely pass in and out of the masks, making any significant buildup of exhaled carbon dioxide impossible, Dr. McGeorge said. It does take a little while to get used to wearing a mask, but its not harmful.

DETROIT Many people are pitching in to help frontline workers battling the pandemic by raising money to purchase Personal Protective Equipment. Students from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University are used to competing, but now they have joined forces to beat some pretty effective fundraisers. RELATED: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 54,881; Death toll now at 5,240Together the students have raised $13,000 to buy face shields and KN95 masks for frontline workers. The Michigan Indian American Community Service and Detroit Education Society turned to GoFundMe and social media to raise money for Personal Protective Equipment. Anyone interested in helping raise money for Personal Protective Equipment can visit the three online fundraising pages below.

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)WASHINGTON U.S. officials are invoking a rarely used provision of American law that would shield companies from antitrust regulations to help the country from again running out of medical supplies in a pandemic. The government began formal discussions Thursday with private industry officials and representatives on a cooperative five-year agreement to ensure future supplies of protective materials, medical equipment, medicine and vaccines. There was widespread recognition that U.S. supplies of critical equipment, much of which is now manufactured overseas, were insufficient at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak. Legislation in Congress would require the Department of Homeland Security to increase the amount of personal protective equipment it buys from American companies. Under the voluntary agreement, the government would work out a plan for future large-scale acquisitions with suppliers, manufacturers and distributors.

Ford Motor Company has been assisting in the fight from the beginning, and Local 4s Dr. Frank McGeorge was given a unique firsthand opportunity to test out one of their pieces of protective gear. Normally when he works in the emergency room, Dr. McGeorge wears an N-95 mask with a paper mask on top of it to keep it clean. Like most personal protective equipment, Fords product is in high demand, which is why the automaker stepped in to help produce it. Dr. McGeorge wore Fords protective equipment for two night shifts. With Fords equipment, they could see his entire face.

DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford Motor Company is beginning to ship powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) to health care facilities across the U.S.With design and testing consultation from 3M, Ford designed and built PAPRs to help meet frontline workers’ need for personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. MORE: Ford teams with 3M, GE, UAW to speed production of respirators, ventilators“Ford could not stand by while health care workers in this country placed their lives on the line to help others without even having proper protection,” said Jim Baumbick, Vice President of Ford Enterprise Product Line Management. Ford and 3M have developed the PAPRs over the last month with the approval from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, officials said. RELATED: Ford produces 10 million face shields for health care workersVirginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle is the first customer to receive the equipment. Ford has also produced reusable gowns, face shields and ventilators for health care workers amid the pandemic.

DETROIT – Michigan received an N95 mask decontamination device that will allow hospitals and medical centers to reuse masks up to 20 times each amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. May 3, 2020: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 43,754; Death toll now at 4,049N95 masks, or called N95 respirators, have been in short supply and high demand as the COVID-19 pandemic hit southeast Michigan and the rest of the country. The device uses concentrated, vapor phase hydrogen peroxide to cleanse the masks and prepare them for reuse, officials said. As of Friday hospitals and medical centers can send used N95 masks to Detroit’s TCF Center -- currently serving as a temporary field hospital -- where the decontamination device is located. Battelle has sent employees to operate the device, officials said.

The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. The views expressed in this article are those of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect those of this site or affiliated companies. With the right team and manufacturing facility already in place, Edison, CEO of Ann Arbor’s Adaptive Energy, and Gujral, the company’s owner, were able to quickly establish Arbor Apothecary to make intubation boxes and medical face shields that are in high demand. “Establishing Arbor Apothecary means we can bring back the staff we had to place on leave,” said Edison. “Our longer-term vision is to create a network of Michigan manufacturers, large corporate donors, and the health care community,” Edison said.

ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor District Library announced this week that it has joined forces with Operation Face Shield Ann Arbor to print protective gear for those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Operation Face Shield Ann Arbor is a public Facebook group that was launched less than two weeks ago. The three hole punch model that Operation Face Shield Ann Arbor is printing was modified by an engineering student at Skyline High School. A permanent drive-up donation site has been established in the parking lot of Ann Arbor Distilling Company. Ann Arbor Distilling Company is at 220 Felch St.For more information, join the Facebook group or visit its website.

ANN ARBOR – On March 20, Michigan Medicine put out the call for donations of personal protective gear and sanitizing supplies for its front-line health workers, and residents showed up. In the video, staff can be seen receiving and sorting boxes upon boxes of donations at its drive-up donation site at the North Campus Research Complex at Dock 90 on 2800 Plymouth Rd. Here's a message to everyone who has helped us by donating gear to protect our teams during #COVID19 care - and to everyone who might still be able to. We're also now collecting food for @FoodGatherers. Donations can be made at the drive-up site on weekdays and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.✉ Like what you’re reading?

DEARBORN, Mich. – Henry Ford College’s School of Health and Human Services has donated ventilators and personal protective equipment to local hospitals amid supply shortages due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Hospitals and medical centers are currently facing unprecedented shortages of medical and protective equipment due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 outbreak. RELATED: Donate: List of hospitals, medical providers in need of supplies during coronavirus outbreakVentilators, machines for artificial respiration, are especially in high demand and low supply as medical workers respond to the pandemic. In response to the shortages, Henry Ford College (HFC) donated five ventilators to Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) to support patients, officials said. HFC donated additional medical supplies after local hospitals reached out to nursing and healthcare profession programs to donate essential items amid supply shortages, officials said.

ANN ARBOR – Operation Face Shield Ann Arbor was started by local resident and registered nurse Kevin Leeser. He launched the Facebook group in an effort to rally residents with 3D printers to print face shields as local hospitals face shortages of essential personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 outbreak. It takes three hours to print the base for one face shield. "They don’t cover your nose and they’re disposable.”The homemade face shields can be cleaned and reused. Join the Operation Face Shield Ann Arbor Facebook group.