(Yukari Tanaka, for JAPAN Forward)

Why not add a little practical beauty to this worldwide fight against the novel coronavirus? Some countries are just now passing their peak; others are experiencing a second wave. A few have reopened local businesses and gradually resumed their pre-pandemic life, while finding a way to coexist with the virus.

Japan—globally recognized for having kept the number of cases and death toll fairly low—has just lifted the coronavirus state of emergency in 39 of the country’s 47 prefectures, while encouraging continued self restraint. Other countries and regions around the globe are weaving through different phases of the pandemic, but the majority still share a common issue – the global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare systems.

Meanwhile, there have been some novel approaches to solving the problem for healthcare workers in Japan. Akari Tsukiboshi, a dental hygienist in a family-owned dental clinic in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, says her clinic—like many others around the country—is facing a shortage in medical supplies. Her clinic was lucky enough to get a hold of face masks, but that was not the case for surgical gowns.

To protect the well being of their staff and for a safe work environment, she began to hand create surgical gowns out of polyester bonded fabricーbetter known as flower wrapping paperーand shared her tips in a how-to video online.