US developer designs 3-D printed face shield

If you have a 3D printer, you can help health professionals stay safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The owner of a 3-D print and design firm in Washington state has developed a medical visor and face shield that can be printed on any 3-D printer, even basic home hobby models.

It was tested and refined by actual emergency room workers in the University of Washington system, and then approved by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The design pattern can be now downloaded from the NIH website.

It uses a 3-D printed frame and visor, a commonly available clear document cover, which can be purchased from any office supply store and elastic to attach it to the head.

Now, anyone with a 3-D printer can turn out these devices and donate them to their local hospitals, police and fire departments or anywhere else they may be needed.

The face shields can be easily washed and reused,

The owner of the 3-D print and design firm says people are already starting to print the face shields around the world.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.