RALEIGH, N.C. – N.C. State engineers are spending the weekend fighting COVID-19.

Saturday, grad students manufactured disposable face shields, which will be distributed to healthcare professionals across the state.

The students use lasers to cut plastic designs that can attach to their custom helmets.

Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Landon Grace says N.C. State is working with the governor's office and UNC Health to determine where the shields need to go.

“Doctors, other health professionals that will be interacting with patients with COVID-19 and doing high risk procedures wearing something a little more substantial than a N95 mask," Grace says.

Grace says his students will make 5,000 shields in the next 30 to 60 days.