Texas A&M students, faculty help healthcare community amid COVID-19 outbreak

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Students and faculty from Texas A&M's Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy are helping the health care community during the COVID-19 coronavirus.

One group of students, led by assistant professor Natalie Rosario, PharmD, MPH, BCACP, has begun making PPE equipment by sewing fabric face masks together to address the shortage in supplies health care workers are facing.

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“On the first service day, five 4XL T-shirts were used as the source of fabric to make the masks,” Rosario said. “On the second day, we utilized 100 percent cotton bedsheets which provided more fabric for us to work with.”

According to the school, 44 masks were produced on the first day of service. The second weekend of work yielded another 154, while a final weekend brought the total number of masks made to over 400.

Texas A&M student Humberto Ramos, has also used his 3D printer to make face shields which he donated to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen and the South Texas Rehabilitation Hospital in Brownsville.

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“I was aware of the lack of personal protection equipment, and 3-D modelers had been working on face shield designs that were uploaded free of charge for 3-D printer enthusiasts to print,” Ramos said. “With almost four years of printing experience as a hobby, this was an excellent opportunity for me to provide face shields to local health care workers.”

Another group of students, led by the vice dean of the College Station campus, Mansoor A. Khan, PhD, RPH has begun making hand sanitizer and providing it to all administrative offices at Texas A&M.

Khan and his research team began to prepare FDA-recommended hand sanitizer in the Formulation Design Development laboratories. The team made an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and filled 16-ounce dispensers as well as gallon-sized refill bottles.

“As I reflect on these challenging and unprecedented times, I am deeply moved and greatly inspired by our faculty, staff, and students for their dedication, creativity, humanity, and above all, selfless service,” said Indra K. Reddy, PhD, professor and founding dean of the Rangel College of Pharmacy. “I am very humbled to be a witness to this, and I am very proud to be part of this Aggie ‘Pharmily.’”

Group of Texas women form company to make masks with zippers

Sarah Cordill, along with her friends Madison Herington and Haley Manley, have been working for weeks to develop “Shut Your Mouth”. 

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