There are very few ways the average Joe can help fight a pandemic, fortunately we have 3d printers to fill in the gaps of the supply chain and you and I can help the nurses and doctors which are the Special Forces of this pandemic.

The supply chain is the weakness here. There are many groups out there making face shields and other personal protective equipment such as Operation Shields Up: https://www.opshieldsup.org/ They have tons of product to give away if you qualify. And you can donate your 3d printer time to them too. That is the easy part. The hard part is the logistics. So, if you know of a doc or nurse or vet in need then you might connect them to opshieldup or make the parts and donate them yourself. Just be aware to follow sterilization best practices. And use PETG as it can withstand autoclaving.

If you can’t find anyone to donate to, then throw them up on etsy or other marketplace for as cheap as you can and they will find you. You help them because it’s really easy to click buy.

50 Surgical Mask “Ear Savers” ready to donate to my Doctor friend.

These ear savers are easy and lightweight print. They are used to reduce the pressure on the back of the ear when wearing surgical masks. On my slowish printer I can make 5 every 1.2 hours.

You can download the files here: https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3DPX-013410

Thanks to the original designer:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4249113

Ken Lord aka Suraky

https://www.thingiverse.com/Suraky/about