Many brands and tailors all over the world have put a halt on their regular production and stepped up to help with the coronavirus crisis and the tragic shortage of equipment we are currently facing.
PPE is vital to people working on the front lines and we are facing a dramatic challenge as doctors and nurses are risking their lives to care for the sick without adequate protection.
If you are a sewer, you can apply to be a volunteer and make masks and gowns for medical staff through various organizations. You can check out this thread on the forum for more information. 
Research suggests face masks may be effective in containing the spread of the virus, but please refrain from buying them if you’re not working on the front lines or are not sick as per the CDC guidelines. 
[Update: as of Friday April 3, the CDC has officially recommended wearing cloth masks in public. This recommendation does not replace social distancing.]
Instead, you can take on a project and try your hand at a DIY face mask following a tutorial published by I Sarti Italiani, a sartoria in Sicily that was one of the first to convert their production to PPE for doctors, policemen, and people unable to work from home but providing essential services. 

Here’s what you need to make a DIY face mask:
– Fabric (ideally cotton or wool, no jersey)
– Lining (cupro bemberg, rayon, silk, but if you don’t have any of these you can just use your fabric of choice)
– TNT (non-woven) fabric (alternatively, you can use baking paper)
– Elastic band or ribbon

Download the PDF Face Mask Pattern created by I Sarti Italiani and print it 100% scale. 

Video copyright: I Sarti Italiani

Let us know if you found the tutorial helpful, and please stay safe.