Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Dakota Helvie | Airman 1st Class Skylar Medrano, 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard...... read more read more
Kansas Air National Guard medical teams take pride in helping their communities. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical technicians from the 190th Air Refueling Wing have visited more than a dozen nursing facilities in the Topeka and Rossville area, completing over 350 N95 protective mask fittings.
“Meeting all the new people, going to new places, and getting to learn more about people here while fitting and handing out the N95 mask in Topeka means a lot, because you are protecting them,” said Airman 1st Class Traevonne Greene, 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard health service technician.
Homestead of Topeka is one of the many facilities where the team conducted their tests and training. Homestead is a memory health care facility where isolation is not always possible.
“We attack this with cleaning rather than isolation, which is why the N95 is so important to our center,” said Susan Bullock, executive director of Homestead of Topeka. “If we have someone that shows symptoms, it would be very difficult to isolate them from the people living here or the staff.”
The N95 masks are used by the nursing care staff to minimize spread of diseases, such as COVID-19 and will strengthen their defense response while continuing to care for all residents.
“It makes me really proud, I’ve been able to give back,” said Senior Airman Emma-lee Elmer, 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard bioenvironmental engineering technician. “Hearing how thankful these people are, it just feels really good knowing we are able to give back to them.”
The N95 mask requires fit-testing and must be adjusted to the face to provide the intended effectiveness of filtering 95% of particles with a mass median diameter of 0.3 micrometers. The fit-test is completed by holding the mask in one hand, with the nose piece at the fingertips and letting the head straps hang loosely in front of the mask. Using both hands, to mold the nose piece to the shape of their nose by pushing inward with their fingertips. Then seal-checks are completed by covering the mask completely with both hands, and exhaling sharply. If air blows on face or eyes, readjustment of the mask is required until passing the seal-check.
The test allowed Airmen to correctly determine which mask size provided a proper fit for the Homestead of Topeka staff. Once the staff had passed the seal-check with the N95 mask, medical technicians placed a see-through hood over the staff member's head. A non-toxic test solution is sprayed into the hood to test the N95 protective masks’ ability to filter airborne particles. The staff member was then educated on how to properly remove the N95 protective mask.
“The nursing homes we are visiting, the administration is coming up and thanking us for everything we are doing, we definitely feel our purpose, need for being here,” said Airman 1st Class Skylar Medrano, 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard medical technician. “It feels like we are making a difference and helping.”
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2020 14:54 |
| Story ID: | 369580 |
| Location: | TOPEKA, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Helping to minimize spread of COVID-19, by SFC Dakota Helvie, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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