Inside STAT: With diving gear and plumbing supplies, labs respond to Covid-19

A WORK TABLE AT THE HOME OF DOMINIC PERALTA, A BAY AREA INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER WHO IS PART OF A TEAM MODIFYING A SNORKEL MASK TO PROTECT HEALTH WORKERS AGAINST COVID-19. (DOMINIC PERALTA)

Having been in Europe when the continent was seeing a spike in Covid-19 cases, Bay Area scientist Manu Prakash knew the U.S. wasn't ready for the surge of cases it was about to be hit with. Already a recipient of a MacArthur award for his work creating innovative global health supplies, including paper microscopes and centrifuges, fashioning new medical equipment out of necessity was not a new concept for Prakash. After returning to the U.S. (and a brief bout of illness), he began designing protective gear using snorkeling masks. In a new story, STAT contributor Usha Lee McFarling shares the story of Prakash, as well as two other innovators in the Bay Area who have fired up their own projects to design much-needed medical equipment. Read more here.