VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.— A Virginia Beach teen is on a mission to make PPE.
He’s using his engineering skills to create 3D-printed face shields for hospitals right here in Hampton Roads.
“If feels good to help in any way I can because this is a very serious pandemic,” says Jason Qin.
Qin has been busy printing with a purpose. The Princess Anne High School student found a design online for face shields about a month ago, so he dusted off his 3D printer and got busy.
“After a while I switched to this three-hole design. [It] uses a normal three-hole puncher so it streamlines the process,” says Qin.
Each shield takes about four hours to make and about $5 to produce. He’s given away around 45 face shields so far.
"First I was making these and sending them to a distribution center in South Carolina, and then once they found out I was doing this they were like, 'We need some, too.'"
Both of Qin’s parents are doctors at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. When they found out their son could create PPE, they told him first hand about PPE shortages they were facing in Virginia Beach.
“Only after they told me how bad it was for them did I realize that apparently everyone needed it, so I started giving it to my parents and having them distribute it for me.”
Tidewater Chinese School found out Jason was making shields, and they donated about 10 to Chesapeake Regional Medical Center last week.
The 15-year-old banded together with other local high school students who are also printing shields. They created the website VBFightingCOVID.com, where people can donate to the cause or learn how to 3D print the same shields.
Qin says he’s working with the other high school students to set up a sanitation and distribution center in Virginia Beach so they can ship the shields throughout the United States.
“I think if I can take some of the strain off of the hospitals, that’s going to be good because it means they can help more people.”
