I’ve been going through my rather large stash of fabrics and have been making fabric masks to give to friends and family while social distancing. It’s a way of feeling that I’m doing something to help the general effort while reducing waste, reducing pressure on clinical masks, etc. There still isn’t a clear message that wearing a fabric mask will help slow down the spread of the virus, but hey - they’re surely not going to do any harm, and mine have the advantage of being comfy to wear and completely washable at high temperatures. There’s also a kind of semiotic element here - wearing a mask gives out the message that you are at least taking the situation seriously. They also stop you touching your face while you’re out and about, something I do a lot! And during this hay fever season with the tree pollen at stratospheric levels, they will reduce any public alarm if you get caught out with a sudden sneeze!
A friend asked me for instructions so she could do the same, and it ended up with me making a video. It’s not the best video I’ve ever done because my jumper is in better focus than the mask. But it’s better than nothing, and it’s been quite popular on my vimeo channel.