New York City's Dr. Nicole Seminara talks about her grassroots campaign, Masks4Medicine, that accepts donations of all kinds of protective equipment—including items you may have at home right now—and why she and other medical personnel are uplifted by the tremendous, nationwide response.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi. This is Malan Vervier and this is Kim Azarelli.
We are co authors of the book Fast Forward, How
Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose. And you're listening to
(00:26):
Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose, brought to you
by the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Welcome to this special edition. During these difficult times, we're
talking to experts who can help us gain perspective on
the impact of the coronavirus, as well as share tips,
resources and some much needed inspiration. Today I'm joined by
(00:47):
Dr Nicole Seminara. Dr Seminars an assistant professor and board
certified dermatologist at n y U lang Own Health. She's
also the founder of Masks for Medicine, a campaign started
by New York City doctors to help healthcare professionals on
the front lines of COVID nineteen. Dr Seminara, thanks so
much for joining us. Thank you, thank you for having
me so as a doctor. Could you tell us what
(01:08):
the scene is like in New York UM during this pandemic. Yes,
I think UM for doctors, not unlike everywhere else. There's
a lot of uncertainty UM, which is making people, you know,
quite nervous. We still don't really understand coronavirus and a
lot of ways, um, and you know where most people
get the opportunity to stay home and sort of waited out,
you know, most of the doctors are being sent to
(01:30):
the front lines, and so that level uncertainty is sort
of amplified. Um, And then it's a little bit unclear
you know what's really appropriate protective here is and it's
you know, being worked out kind of day by day.
And so I think that you know, the adds an
additional level of stress to healthcare workers and so that's
one of the things that we're really working to try
to abbeviate for them. So, as a dermatologist, you're on
(01:50):
deck to see COVID nineteen cases. Are all medical specialties
pitching in during this moment? Yes, so um, even though um,
we're dermatalitist, who would think, you know, we would have
nothing to do with this. Multiple people in our department
have already come down with COVID nineteen. Multiple people in
our department have already been redeployed. UM. A lot of
other people have been volunteered but just haven't been um
(02:12):
utilized yet. And so really it's just a you know,
a massive project on the part of everyone because we
need people to fill in, you know, all those spots
with these patient surges, with other doctors that you know
normally would be the people managing this going out sick.
You know, someone has to step up. So you know,
I would say every specialty, you know, it's the exception
of a few who really don't do a lot of
(02:33):
clinical care are really on the frontline. Incredible, it's an
incredible moment um. You talked a little bit about personal
protective equipment. How crucial is PPE for healthcare workers right now? Uh?
And is it typically reusable? So um PPE is so
incredibly m important right now. I can't tell you how
many people are getting sick that I personally know. I mean,
(02:53):
I probably know at least twenty healthcare professionals who are sick.
It's you know, multiple different hospitals, and so we know
that the protection that we're getting isn't really adequate. And
in China and in Italy, health care professionals were affected
far just proportionately to the general population in terms of
getting sick and also in terms of mortality. Um and
so people in the hospital are really aware of this,
(03:15):
and they also know they're bringing home to their families, right,
and so UM it's just incredibly incredibly important to us.
I can tell you we've delivered boxes of and ninety
five stops with all that were in need, and they've cried.
I can't tell you how meaningful it is each and
you know, because we're reusing them to keep a person
safe for you know, six days and their families safe
(03:36):
for six days. And so some people say, oh, I've
only got you know, four or five, but that's really
really meaningful to the individual UM in terms of reusing them.
So traditionally none of this stuff is reused. It's all
completely disposable. Now we're in this scenario where we don't
have enough to dispose it. We're not even close, and
so UM people have really been kind of pulling themselves
up by their bootstraps and trying to figure out ways
(03:58):
to reuse it. And so Stanford did a study where
they put in ninety five masks in the oven at
low temperatures and they seem to maintain their integrity and
sterilize them, start looking at UVC radiation to sterilize and
really everything they can possibly do to get as much
life out of what we previously considered disposable good. So
tell us about mass for Medicine UM and how you
(04:21):
got started on this. Master Medicine is essentially an organization
that is run by doctors trying to give personal protective
equipment to other doctors. And so you know, we're getting
things essentially from the community. And so that's you know,
an individual you know in Nebraska right who might have
three masks in their garage, or someone in Oklahoma who
(04:44):
might have a sewing machine that can so mass for us,
or you know, somebody who has a dentist office in
their clothes right now who can send us you know,
their mass. Becau's really everything and everyone. I give a
lot of credit to my aunt, Johanna actually Joanna quarder Um.
She called me the same same day that the CDC,
or you know, maybe within a day or two of
the CDC recommendation that if you don't have proper um
(05:06):
protective gear that you should wear a bandana over your face,
which created a big outcry amongst doctors. And so she said,
you know what, I can sew you a mask, and
you know, I can sew you a really nice math
and I'd love to do that for you, and I thought,
that's such an amazing idea. If we run out like
you know, that could be really a saving grace for us.
So we had to do it on a massive scale.
And so we have a lot of really energetic and
(05:28):
amazing residents in our program, and so you know, I
asked a group of them they were interested in it,
and they were so gung how it was amazing, and
so you know, within days we got set up on
multiple platforms. I mean, it was so fast and so
incredibly successful that we've almost been shocked by the response.
Um and so the Demittality Residence has been the life
(05:50):
letter of the organization. It would not have been nearly
as successful. So it's just me. I can't tell you
how many different people have come up with in goggles
you know that they have for working on machine and
so it's really just this grassroots effort to get all
the protective equipment that we can possibly get and get
it out to the providers as fast as we possibly can.
We'll be back after this break. So for someone who sews,
(06:22):
how can they get involved in fabric mask making and
how can they find a pattern that it's effective. So
on our Facebook page, which is Masks for Medicine with
the number four. UM. There's patterns on there, there's videos
that we've created, and there's really a community of people
who've been sewing, who have lots of tips and tricks
and are answering each other's questions. None of us are
(06:43):
actually sewers UM, and so a lot of people asks
very technical questions that we probably are not the best
person to answer. UM. But a lot of other people
on the site are sowers and so you know, they've
been a real, UM, real resource for us. And how
do how do fabric masks hold up to medical gear
and can can they be made UM to make a
significant difference during this time UM. So there's no question
(07:06):
that a fabric mask is not equivalent to an N
ninety five, so we know that, but there's a lot
of really important uses that they do have. And so
a fabric mask actually will stop a droplet from a
person who is actively contagious. So if a person is
infected and they don't realize it and they cought that,
fabric masks will stop that droplets and going and gathering
(07:27):
and infecting other people. And so they're really important for
people who are contagious and may or may not know it.
The other thing that fabric masks can do is they
can cover the N ninety five masks and they can
cover the surgical mask. Once those gets soiled in any way,
they have to be disposive, and we cannot afford to
dispose of them, and so it just gives an extra
level of protection to that really high order personal protective equipment.
(07:49):
In addition, you know, different studies vary, but it looks
like fabric masks on the whole have about a seventy
filtration rate and really that's what's been used for most
of history and frankly and most of the world is
fabric masks, and so there are a lot of uses
for them, you know, for providers who are in lower
risk settings. You know, we have given them out to
people who are delivering you know, medications from pharmacies. Right
(08:11):
they're going to come into contact with lots of elderly
people and they're going to potentially act as vectors, and
so we want to lower those rates of transmission. People
are taking care of you know, the mentally ill, and
they can't get into um, you know, an environment where
they're less congregated. You know, people who are going to
protect children out in the you know, in the community,
(08:31):
and still need to make house visits and all of
those things. So those people have requested lots of mass Preston.
We've given out many, many thousand's already. Such an amazing
project and what you've done is just so incredible. And
you're doing this obviously, you're seeing patients. You have a
family at home as well. I mean, how how has
this impacted your life? I'm very busy lately. I don't
sleep a lot. You know, my kids have been pretty
(08:54):
tolerant to it. Fortunately they're they're young. Um, I don't
think they've necessarily noticed. But I mean it's completely overtaken
my life. In the last you know, ten or twelve
days since we've formed this, I work on it from
the second I wake up until the second I go
to sleep. And you know, if there's a patient that
you know, doesn't show up for an appointment, I am
working on it in between. Um. It's just been a
(09:14):
real passion project for myself and also for the residents.
I mean, we have residents well into the night answering
Instagram comments and Facebook comments, and you know, they've been
just tremendous. There's no way, you know, it's just sort
of function without them. Well, how can our listeners connect
and help masks for medicine UM. So a if you
have anything that could serve as personal protective equipment, we
(09:36):
need it so tremendously UM and nineties mass surgical mass goggles.
All of those things have to be new of course. UM.
And then you know tis ex suits, which are what
you know, painters where and people who work on septs where,
and there are those sort of disposable paper likes suits. UM.
We have lots of people sewing, which is really tremendous.
(09:58):
And we've actually gotten such an incredible response on fabric
maths that a lot of the hospitals have actually started
asking us to make surgical caps, which is another part
of the UM the uniform that we're spools to be
wearing kind of boosepont caps or surgical caps, and so
we're going to try to get some patterns up for those,
and that's really a tremendous need right now. UM, people
are handmaking face shields and there are some instructions online.
(10:19):
We're going to try to post some of those as well.
Apparently they're pretty easy to assemble. That's been really tremendous,
and so you know, most people probably have the ability
or know someone who has the ability to do some
portion of it. This is just so incredible, um and
so inspiring. I know, this conversation makes me very optimistic.
What makes you optimistic in this moment that is so
(10:40):
hard for so many people. So before I started this,
I honestly felt very powerless. Um. You know, it was
a really depressing thing. It just felt like this was
kind of taking over and we couldn't stop it, and
with a great train heading toward us. And since starting
this has actually been so uplifting. I mean, I think
just for doctors and nurses and you know, everyone you're
working in the healthcare to know how many are supporting
(11:00):
us out in the world, you know, people from other countries,
people from all over the world that are not impacted
by this, or you know, some little town you know
that hasn't had a single Corona case sitting by their
sewing machine and making these for us and na sending
us little love notes along with them. And it's just
been so incredible and uplifting and just has given us
and I think all the people who are contributing a
(11:22):
real sense of power that we can come together and
you know, try to get through this together. Well, Nicole,
thank you for everything you're doing. UM, amazing, amazing work
obviously on the front lines and then of course extending
that to help thousands and thousands of health care professionals.
I hope that we can be helpful in some way. UM.
And please, uh please, I hope our listeners can be helpful. UM.
(11:42):
And we'd be happy to if you have the time,
bring you back on the show and and and we
can keep everyone posted. Thanks so much, Thank you. Take care.
You're listening to Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose,
brought to you by the Seneca Women podcast Network and
I Heart Radio with support from founding partner p ANDNG.
(12:05):
Listen to Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose on
the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts, and please support this podcast by telling
your friends, subscribing and rating us. For more information on
Seneca Women, follow us on social media, visit our website
Seneca Women dot com, and check out the Seneca Women
(12:26):
app free in the app store. Have a great day.
Hi. This is Malan Vervier and this is Kim Azarelli.
We are co authors of the book Fast Forward, How
Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose. And you're listening to
(00:26):
Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose, brought to you
by the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Welcome to this special edition. During these difficult times, we're
talking to experts who can help us gain perspective on
the impact of the coronavirus, as well as share tips,
resources and some much needed inspiration. Today I'm joined by
(00:47):
Dr Nicole Seminara. Dr Seminars an assistant professor and board
certified dermatologist at n y U lang Own Health. She's
also the founder of Masks for Medicine, a campaign started
by New York City doctors to help healthcare professionals on
the front lines of COVID nineteen. Dr Seminara, thanks so
much for joining us. Thank you, thank you for having
me so as a doctor. Could you tell us what
(01:08):
the scene is like in New York UM during this pandemic. Yes,
I think UM for doctors, not unlike everywhere else. There's
a lot of uncertainty UM, which is making people, you know,
quite nervous. We still don't really understand coronavirus and a
lot of ways, um, and you know where most people
get the opportunity to stay home and sort of waited out,
you know, most of the doctors are being sent to
(01:30):
the front lines, and so that level uncertainty is sort
of amplified. Um, And then it's a little bit unclear
you know what's really appropriate protective here is and it's
you know, being worked out kind of day by day.
And so I think that you know, the adds an
additional level of stress to healthcare workers and so that's
one of the things that we're really working to try
to abbeviate for them. So, as a dermatologist, you're on
(01:50):
deck to see COVID nineteen cases. Are all medical specialties
pitching in during this moment? Yes, so um, even though um,
we're dermatalitist, who would think, you know, we would have
nothing to do with this. Multiple people in our department
have already come down with COVID nineteen. Multiple people in
our department have already been redeployed. UM. A lot of
other people have been volunteered but just haven't been um
(02:12):
utilized yet. And so really it's just a you know,
a massive project on the part of everyone because we
need people to fill in, you know, all those spots
with these patient surges, with other doctors that you know
normally would be the people managing this going out sick.
You know, someone has to step up. So you know,
I would say every specialty, you know, it's the exception
of a few who really don't do a lot of
(02:33):
clinical care are really on the frontline. Incredible, it's an
incredible moment um. You talked a little bit about personal
protective equipment. How crucial is PPE for healthcare workers right now? Uh?
And is it typically reusable? So um PPE is so
incredibly m important right now. I can't tell you how
many people are getting sick that I personally know. I mean,
(02:53):
I probably know at least twenty healthcare professionals who are sick.
It's you know, multiple different hospitals, and so we know
that the protection that we're getting isn't really adequate. And
in China and in Italy, health care professionals were affected
far just proportionately to the general population in terms of
getting sick and also in terms of mortality. Um and
so people in the hospital are really aware of this,
(03:15):
and they also know they're bringing home to their families, right,
and so UM it's just incredibly incredibly important to us.
I can tell you we've delivered boxes of and ninety
five stops with all that were in need, and they've cried.
I can't tell you how meaningful it is each and
you know, because we're reusing them to keep a person
safe for you know, six days and their families safe
(03:36):
for six days. And so some people say, oh, I've
only got you know, four or five, but that's really
really meaningful to the individual UM in terms of reusing them.
So traditionally none of this stuff is reused. It's all
completely disposable. Now we're in this scenario where we don't
have enough to dispose it. We're not even close, and
so UM people have really been kind of pulling themselves
up by their bootstraps and trying to figure out ways
(03:58):
to reuse it. And so Stanford did a study where
they put in ninety five masks in the oven at
low temperatures and they seem to maintain their integrity and
sterilize them, start looking at UVC radiation to sterilize and
really everything they can possibly do to get as much
life out of what we previously considered disposable good. So
tell us about mass for Medicine UM and how you
(04:21):
got started on this. Master Medicine is essentially an organization
that is run by doctors trying to give personal protective
equipment to other doctors. And so you know, we're getting
things essentially from the community. And so that's you know,
an individual you know in Nebraska right who might have
three masks in their garage, or someone in Oklahoma who
(04:44):
might have a sewing machine that can so mass for us,
or you know, somebody who has a dentist office in
their clothes right now who can send us you know,
their mass. Becau's really everything and everyone. I give a
lot of credit to my aunt, Johanna actually Joanna quarder Um.
She called me the same same day that the CDC,
or you know, maybe within a day or two of
the CDC recommendation that if you don't have proper um
(05:06):
protective gear that you should wear a bandana over your face,
which created a big outcry amongst doctors. And so she said,
you know what, I can sew you a mask, and
you know, I can sew you a really nice math
and I'd love to do that for you, and I thought,
that's such an amazing idea. If we run out like
you know, that could be really a saving grace for us.
So we had to do it on a massive scale.
And so we have a lot of really energetic and
(05:28):
amazing residents in our program, and so you know, I
asked a group of them they were interested in it,
and they were so gung how it was amazing, and
so you know, within days we got set up on
multiple platforms. I mean, it was so fast and so
incredibly successful that we've almost been shocked by the response.
Um and so the Demittality Residence has been the life
(05:50):
letter of the organization. It would not have been nearly
as successful. So it's just me. I can't tell you
how many different people have come up with in goggles
you know that they have for working on machine and
so it's really just this grassroots effort to get all
the protective equipment that we can possibly get and get
it out to the providers as fast as we possibly can.
We'll be back after this break. So for someone who sews,
(06:22):
how can they get involved in fabric mask making and
how can they find a pattern that it's effective. So
on our Facebook page, which is Masks for Medicine with
the number four. UM. There's patterns on there, there's videos
that we've created, and there's really a community of people
who've been sewing, who have lots of tips and tricks
and are answering each other's questions. None of us are
(06:43):
actually sewers UM, and so a lot of people asks
very technical questions that we probably are not the best
person to answer. UM. But a lot of other people
on the site are sowers and so you know, they've
been a real, UM, real resource for us. And how
do how do fabric masks hold up to medical gear
and can can they be made UM to make a
significant difference during this time UM. So there's no question
(07:06):
that a fabric mask is not equivalent to an N
ninety five, so we know that, but there's a lot
of really important uses that they do have. And so
a fabric mask actually will stop a droplet from a
person who is actively contagious. So if a person is
infected and they don't realize it and they cought that,
fabric masks will stop that droplets and going and gathering
(07:27):
and infecting other people. And so they're really important for
people who are contagious and may or may not know it.
The other thing that fabric masks can do is they
can cover the N ninety five masks and they can
cover the surgical mask. Once those gets soiled in any way,
they have to be disposive, and we cannot afford to
dispose of them, and so it just gives an extra
level of protection to that really high order personal protective equipment.
(07:49):
In addition, you know, different studies vary, but it looks
like fabric masks on the whole have about a seventy
filtration rate and really that's what's been used for most
of history and frankly and most of the world is
fabric masks, and so there are a lot of uses
for them, you know, for providers who are in lower
risk settings. You know, we have given them out to
people who are delivering you know, medications from pharmacies. Right
(08:11):
they're going to come into contact with lots of elderly
people and they're going to potentially act as vectors, and
so we want to lower those rates of transmission. People
are taking care of you know, the mentally ill, and
they can't get into um, you know, an environment where
they're less congregated. You know, people who are going to
protect children out in the you know, in the community,
(08:31):
and still need to make house visits and all of
those things. So those people have requested lots of mass Preston.
We've given out many, many thousand's already. Such an amazing
project and what you've done is just so incredible. And
you're doing this obviously, you're seeing patients. You have a
family at home as well. I mean, how how has
this impacted your life? I'm very busy lately. I don't
sleep a lot. You know, my kids have been pretty
(08:54):
tolerant to it. Fortunately they're they're young. Um, I don't
think they've necessarily noticed. But I mean it's completely overtaken
my life. In the last you know, ten or twelve
days since we've formed this, I work on it from
the second I wake up until the second I go
to sleep. And you know, if there's a patient that
you know, doesn't show up for an appointment, I am
working on it in between. Um. It's just been a
(09:14):
real passion project for myself and also for the residents.
I mean, we have residents well into the night answering
Instagram comments and Facebook comments, and you know, they've been
just tremendous. There's no way, you know, it's just sort
of function without them. Well, how can our listeners connect
and help masks for medicine UM. So a if you
have anything that could serve as personal protective equipment, we
(09:36):
need it so tremendously UM and nineties mass surgical mass goggles.
All of those things have to be new of course. UM.
And then you know tis ex suits, which are what
you know, painters where and people who work on septs where,
and there are those sort of disposable paper likes suits. UM.
We have lots of people sewing, which is really tremendous.
(09:58):
And we've actually gotten such an incredible response on fabric
maths that a lot of the hospitals have actually started
asking us to make surgical caps, which is another part
of the UM the uniform that we're spools to be
wearing kind of boosepont caps or surgical caps, and so
we're going to try to get some patterns up for those,
and that's really a tremendous need right now. UM, people
are handmaking face shields and there are some instructions online.
(10:19):
We're going to try to post some of those as well.
Apparently they're pretty easy to assemble. That's been really tremendous,
and so you know, most people probably have the ability
or know someone who has the ability to do some
portion of it. This is just so incredible, um and
so inspiring. I know, this conversation makes me very optimistic.
What makes you optimistic in this moment that is so
(10:40):
hard for so many people. So before I started this,
I honestly felt very powerless. Um. You know, it was
a really depressing thing. It just felt like this was
kind of taking over and we couldn't stop it, and
with a great train heading toward us. And since starting
this has actually been so uplifting. I mean, I think
just for doctors and nurses and you know, everyone you're
working in the healthcare to know how many are supporting
(11:00):
us out in the world, you know, people from other countries,
people from all over the world that are not impacted
by this, or you know, some little town you know
that hasn't had a single Corona case sitting by their
sewing machine and making these for us and na sending
us little love notes along with them. And it's just
been so incredible and uplifting and just has given us
and I think all the people who are contributing a
(11:22):
real sense of power that we can come together and
you know, try to get through this together. Well, Nicole,
thank you for everything you're doing. UM, amazing, amazing work
obviously on the front lines and then of course extending
that to help thousands and thousands of health care professionals.
I hope that we can be helpful in some way. UM.
And please, uh please, I hope our listeners can be helpful. UM.
(11:42):
And we'd be happy to if you have the time,
bring you back on the show and and and we
can keep everyone posted. Thanks so much, Thank you. Take care.
You're listening to Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose,
brought to you by the Seneca Women podcast Network and
I Heart Radio with support from founding partner p ANDNG.
(12:05):
Listen to Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose on
the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts, and please support this podcast by telling
your friends, subscribing and rating us. For more information on
Seneca Women, follow us on social media, visit our website
Seneca Women dot com, and check out the Seneca Women
(12:26):
app free in the app store. Have a great day.
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