On the front lines during COVID-19
Dermatology World Weekly talks with Linda Stein Gold, MD, recently chosen as the AAD’s next vice president-elect and the current division head of dermatology at the Henry Ford Health System, about how dermatologists have stepped in during the COVID-19 crisis.
DW Weekly: What has your experience been as a dermatologist on the front lines?
Dr. Stein Gold: There are several us in dermatology who have re-deployed to the ER. We weren’t drafted; we were given the option to help out. Our first-year residents have been working in the emergency room for a few weeks at this point. They’re fully immersed there, assisting in every way. Attending staff were given the option to re-deploy, and we are there as an extra set of hands to do COVID-19 testing. We work full shifts in the ER. With Detroit being one of the virus hot spots in the country right now, the help is desperately needed.
DW Weekly: What has the adjustment been like returning to a critical care setting?
Dr. Stein Gold: It’s been a long time since I stayed up all night. This past week was my first overnight shift since I was in my 20s! The ER is very busy, but also very professional and organized. We feel protected; we aren’t assigned anything that we’re not capable of doing. My general medical training comes in handy. We are there mainly as an extra set of hands to administer COVID-19 testing, which eases the workload of ER professionals so that they can attend to other tasks.
DW Weekly: Can you describe the testing process? Are there other ways Henry Ford dermatologists are supporting COVID-19 care?
Dr. Stein Gold: The testing involves inserting a swab into the nasal cavity to the back of the nasopharynx and rotating the swab for about 15 seconds. It is not painful but is a bit uncomfortable. Henry Ford dermatologists Henry Lim, MD, and Iltefat Hamzavi, MD, have developed a protocol to disinfect n95 respirators using UVC light. This could help offset the nation’s shortage of protective equipment.
DW Weekly: There have been some reports of dermatologic manifestations of COVID-19. Is that something you’ve come across?
Dr. Stein Gold: Right now, I’m just doing consults in the hospital, as well as seeing emergency patients in the clinic for dermatology. I know others have seen dermatologic manifestations, but I haven’t in person.
DW Weekly: What advice do you have for fellow dermatologists who may be recruited to assist with COVID emergency efforts?
Dr. Stein Gold: The emergency room staff is so appreciative of the help, and they couldn’t be more welcoming to us. It feels great to work with colleagues in other specialties. We have all the appropriate personal protective equipment that we need, so I feel that we are in a safe and controlled environment. Everyone is there to help, and we are all in this together.
Linda Stein Gold, MD, was recently chosen as the AAD’s next vice president-elect. She serves as division head of dermatology at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
Are you on the front lines managing COVID-19 patients? Share your story with DWW. Email dweditor@aad.org.
