A stonemason found 5,000 forgotten respirator masks from the 2006 bird flu scare stored in the crypt of the Washington National Cathedral.

It is no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives. Our work, our schooling, and our supply chain. With the growing need for medical supplies, D.C. stonemason, Joe Alonso, didn't hesitate to help when he found a forgotten treasure in the crypts of the National Cathedral. The tradesman stumbled upon 5,000 unused N95 respirator masks that were stored during the 2006 bird flu scare.

When the news broke of the masks, the Twitter-verse wasted no time asking questions.

Who decided to put medical supplies in a crypt? What will happen to the masks?

While no one knows why exactly they were stored in the crypt, the cathedral stated that the masks would be donated to two hospitals. After the masks were certified as safe and usable by the manufacturer, Georgetown University Hospital received 3,000 while the other 2,000 went to Children's National Hospital, and the cathedral did state that they will keep a very small number of masks for pastoral care needs.

Even though there is still a shortage of medical equipment, 5,000 masks will make a major difference in the lives of the healthcare workers in these hospitals. Donations from the cathedral and the efforts of Americans everywhere have shown that people can be supportive of each other in hard times.