About 100 college students, school and alumni attended the annual assembly, as a part of the varsity’s celebration of “Social Work Month”. Visitor panelists mentioned COVID-19 infections, loss of life charges and vaccines; social work in hospitals; and well being care in New York’s immigrant communities.

“Comparatively, we have had a tough time right here in the US and we have not carried out effectively,” stated Dr. Neil Schluger, professor and head of the Division of Medication at New York Medical School, who began the dialogue.

Greater than 30 million folks have had COVID-19 in the US and about 550,000 have died from the illness for the reason that begin of the epidemic, he stated, including that the US was among the many international locations with the very best variety of circumstances and loss of life fee.

In New York Metropolis, the epicenter of the pandemic a yr in the past, almost 800,000 folks – one tenth of the inhabitants – have had COVID-19, round 100,000 have been hospitalized and 30,500 have died, he stated. , noting that Manhattan had seen a decrease quantity. of circumstances and deaths than the opposite districts.

Important disparities in COVID-19

Whereas COVID-19 case charges are comparable for many age teams, loss of life charges are increased for folks over 65 and “very, very low” for these beneath 35. “Age is the most important threat issue for dying from COVID-19,” he stated.

The information confirmed important disparities in an infection and loss of life primarily based on gender, race and revenue or poverty stage. Whereas women and men had been contaminated at about the identical fee, males died at increased charges than girls. Blacks / African People and Hispanic / Latino New Yorkers had increased loss of life charges than whites or Asian Pacific Islanders.

Revenue or poverty had a comparatively small impact on individuals who contract COVID-19, however a extra pronounced impact on loss of life charges from the virus, Dr Schluger stated.

“You’re a little extra prone to contract COVID if you happen to stay in an space of ​​excessive poverty. The numerous disparities within the influence of the an infection in New York Metropolis are, I believe, associated to issues just like the underlying well being situation and entry to top quality care. We all know that individuals with weight problems and diabetes have the next threat of dying from COVID and these usually are not evenly distributed amongst New Yorkers.

Folks working from residence, or these dwelling in Manhattan the place loss of life charges are decrease and the variety of hospital beds per individual is increased than in different boroughs, could have obtained extra safety. , he famous, “All of this stuff are hypotheses … however these are all potential causes for the disparities that now we have seen within the toll of the epidemic in New York. “

Thus far, greater than 100 million vaccines have been administered in the US, with none worrying security considerations, famous Dr Schluger. But, simply as there are disparities between individuals who get COVID, there are disparities in who will get vaccinated. Eighty % of New Yorkers at the moment are eligible for vaccination and greater than three million doses have been administered in New York. Thirty-eight % of these vaccinated are white, 19 % Asian, 18 % Hispanic / Latin American, and 14 % black. “Entry might be a much bigger drawback than reluctance,” he noticed.

Within the first line

Doris Pleasure, LCSW-R, ACM-SW, social employee at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia College Medical Heart, shared her heartbreaking expertise on the entrance traces. In March 2020, she recalled, “all the standard methods of doing issues had been deserted.”

Pleasure described his hospital, stuffed wall to wall with intubated COVID sufferers dying earlier than his eyes. Workers had been reusing their masks as a result of a scarcity of PPE and the working rooms had been transformed into intensive care house. The foyer and convention rooms had been used for COVID surveillance. She stated the hospital had change into “a tense place” full of exhausted medical doctors and nurses caring for sufferers. Colleagues fell ailing and an emergency physician dedicated suicide.

Within the midst of all of it, Pleasure stated, she witnessed one thing “deep” concerning the function of social work: “With out there being a handbook or a written script, I noticed that our life and our coaching had ready us … to change into companions and assist alleviate Struggling. Social staff had been capable of stand nonetheless within the midst of COVID and see what we may do. We intervened and we intervened. We stepped in and did regardless of the state of affairs known as for. “

Amanda Lugg, Director of Advocacy and LGBTQ Applications for African Providers Committee in Harlem, shared her information and insights on well being care entry and fairness in New York’s immigrant communities. At his department, a full-service human rights company based in 1981 by Ethiopian refugees, 90 % of shoppers are undocumented and never eligible for stimulus packages. The dominant language amongst their predominantly West African clientele is French.

She described racial disparities in charges of an infection, hospitalization and loss of life in addition to in vaccinations. A “Vaccine Hesitancy 101” initiative has been launched to contribute to this. Nonetheless, as soon as launched, it shortly appeared that entry points had been extra vital than reluctance. “We saved listening to about entry issues: issues discovering an appointment, not talking the language…[People] need the vaccines however they simply cannot get them, ”she stated.

Lugg reassured the scholars of their important function: “Your advocacy at metropolis and state ranges is instantly knowledgeable by the work you do and the shoppers you’ve got and the tales you’ll be able to share. You’ll be able to actually change lives.