‘The war we are battling right now’

April 2, 2020
In The News
‘The war we are battling right now’

In an effort to ease constituent concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) hosted a town hall over the phone March 30 that allowed worried individuals to directly ask medical professionals and government representatives their most pressing questions.

The idea of implementing drive-through testing in the city like it has been in New Rochelle and on Long Island was repudiated by Department of Health representative Dr. Madhury Ray early in the conference call because health facilities are operating under the assumption that everyone has been exposed to COVID-19.

"There is widespread community transmission in New York City," said Ray. "At this point in the pandemic, testing doesn't actually change the way doctors will treat you with some small exceptions. We aren't thinking about drive-through testing because it's not really useful."

Ray said that one could obtain testing for the virus, test negative and contract it on the way home, negating the reasoning for the testing in the first place. She assured participants, however, that medical officials are instead treating every sickness as if it is COVID-19 and reminded them that most people will recover without additional medical treatment.

On whether animals could contract the virus from humans, Ray said that there have been reports of certain animals testing positive, but there is not enough evidence that the transmission between humans and animals is possible. Also speaking on how medical professionals know very little information on how the virus operates, Ray said there is a belief that an individual can develop immunity once he or she already had contracted the virus, but not a certainty.

"We don't know whether you could get it again, although it does seem unlikely at this time," said Ray. "But just because you get sick and recover on your own doesn't mean you can go outside, or go to parties, or get in large groups outside your home ... it's not something we know enough about for someone to stake their health or the health of their neighbors on."

The issue of limited medical supplies for hospital workers was raised, and Meng said that those with any form of personal protection equipment who are willing to donate can do so through at nyc.gov/coronavirus. She encouraged constituents not to hoard masks, despite the comfort they may bring, and instead to donate them to the frontlines.

"[Medical professionals] are the soldiers in the war that we are battling right now," Meng said. "Obviously we are in short supply right now. Professionals are asked to wear masks for a week and that's not the usual healthy protocol that is followed."

Meng briefly spoke about the recently passed $2 trillion economic stimulus package designed to mitigate the effects of the outbreak, part of which includes $1,200 to individuals making less than $75,000 a year. She said the checks should be distributed in about three weeks, and alluded to a fourth package that is being drafted by House Democrats.