Special Blankets for Disaster Victims
Polymer Group Inc., a South Carolina company has specially designed lightweight, non-woven blankets, keeping disaster victims dry and warm, across the world.
The blankets are supposedly warmer than other blankets woven of cotton or wool. One side of the blanket is soft and provides comfort while the other side provides a barrier from moisture and dirt.
The blankets have been named "All Day, Every Day" blankets. The blanket also sheds water and dries more quickly. It saves the disaster victims from water which is considered to be the biggest vector of bacteria and fungi, thus spreading diseases.
Polymer has worked for several months with Church World Service, a relief ministry and has produced these blankets. The weight of the blankets, which is just a third of the normal woolen blankets, allows the relief agencies to send more quantity at the same price.
The Polymer Group itself has donated tens of thousands of the blankets, which are not for sale to the general public.
Apart from this, the company is also developing a new blanket with a thin coating of aluminum applied at the back. What the coating does is that it reflects the sun's ultraviolet rays, keeping disaster victims cooler in warm weather. On the other hand, the blankets can be reversed to act as insulators helping to retain the body heat. These blankets are not available now but will be unveiled next year.
