Seltzer Bottle To Coronavirus Face Shield: Polar's DIY Solution

WORCESTER, MA — The co-owners of Worcester-based Polar Beverages are stepping into the fight against the new coronavirus with a do-it-yourself solution for personal protective equipment.

Polar and Wachusett Mountain co-owner Carolyn Stimpson and her family recently released a video demonstrating how to turn a seltzer bottle into a face shield. All it takes is a couple of cuts, some weatherstripping, and a length of string. In the demonstration video, John Stimpson completes a mask in about 2 minutes.

The company is also offering to donate sterile seltzer bottles to anyone who wants to make a shield, according to Boston 25.

Medical professionals typically use face shields to protect themselves from body fluids such as mucous and saliva, which can carry the virus. The plastic shields alone do not provide protection from the coronavirus, but they can be used along with equipment such as N95 masks.

Hospitals across the state and nation are experiencing shortages of PPE as the coronavirus pandemic peaks. In Massachusetts, health officials are projecting the peak to hit around April 29. Close to 1,000 people in the state have died, and more than 28,000 have tested positive, according figures released Tuesday afternoon.