Next March 1 will be two years since the first case of COVID was found-10 in New York, forcing a state of emergency to be declared weeks later, and the 19 of March, the order was given to close non-essential businesses and start quarantines.
And although the vast majority of the 4’844,420 of New Yorkers who have so far tested positive for the virus , have recovered satisfactorily, to the drama left by the more than 66,485 deaths and the economic, social, mental and emotional impact caused by the pandemic, is added that of thousands of people infected with COVID who continue to face serious damage to their health and permanent damage.
Survivors of COVID, such as the Ecuadorian Francisco Palacios, who was “turned three times and brutally kicked” by the coronavirus, according to his own words, despite not having succumbed to the disease, they have had to resign themselves to living with permanent symptoms and havoc in their lives.
To your 39 years old, the former construction worker, originally from the city of Cuenca, assures with a deep left pain in his voice, that he 20 December 2020 began a nightmare for him that has not stopped haunting him.
“ One day before Christmas, I felt like I was going to die, because I couldn’t breathe; I was down, no appetite and unable to sleep, so I called 911 to help me. Without a family, alone, I drowned three floors down, they put me in the ambulance and I didn’t know anything more about myself,” says the immigrant. “There I fell into a coma, they intubated me and the next thing I remember is opening my eyes in April of 2021. I had COVID that almost killed me.”
And although he mentions that he feels grateful because he did not lose his life, thanks to the care of the doctors at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, the Ecuadorian says that his life turned “upside down”, and today he declares himself a very sick and “crippled” man.
“ This COVID left me with lasting damage. He crippled my entire body. I was completely deaf in my right ear, I was crippled in my right leg, I can’t move well. My knees hurt from many of the blows that I give myself every so often because I stumble a lot. Diabetes attacked me worse. I lost my memory and I constantly forget things. COVID changed my life,” the immigrant sadly assures.
Don Francisco added that due to his health condition, he was unable to return to work, and does not have any type of income, for which is at the expense of the charity of organizations that give him food, and family members that help him with his expenses.
“That is why I would like the Mayor and the Governor, in addition to giving us medical attention and treatments, which are very useful, will help us undocumented immigrants who are crippled by COVID with a monthly check or a kind of relief fund, because or else depression and anguish are going to kill us,” added the patient from COVID.
Mexican Rosita Morales is another of the New York Latinas who was affected by lasting symptoms of COVID, and assures that in her case, her 45 years, feels like if they had put 29 More years above.
“I was an active woman who did everything and was in good health and after COVID, which hit me hard in April of 2020, now I have no energy, my whole body hurts and the worst thing is that I choke when walking and my feet and legs. Sometimes they even get stiff and I fall to the ground because they don’t answer me to take the step, “said the mother of the family, who has not gone to any doctor to treat her, because she did not know about the available aid or the insurance free doctor.
And it is that in her eagerness so that patients who face serious consequences in New York receive the attention they need and can attend to their ailments, the governor, Kathy Hochul assured that the State is allocating millionaires resources of the more than ,000 Millions that will be allocated to the health system so that COVID survivors with prolonged symptoms are not left to their own devices.
“We know that there are still many people experiencing lasting symptoms and we want to make sure that the health system is treating them seriously with adequate treatments as well as lost wages,” said the state president.
The commissioner of the State Department of Health, Mary Bassett, highlighted that a priority of her agency is that there is the necessary support for those who suffer from prolonged COVID.
“This is a problem that affects millions of people around the world and there is no doubt that it is real and that it affects lives, and we have been on the front lines responding to it and identifying ways to diagnose, manage and make effective therapies, “said the official, adding that it is urgent to be alert on that matter and educate more health providers to deal with it. “Long COVID is poised to result in significant health, social, and economic consequences for the people of our state for months and years to come. It is because of these consequences that some refer to the COVID pandemic-19 as a mass disable event due to prolonged COVID”.
The Commissioner highlighted in a special way that racial and ethnic disparities have also influenced people with lasting symptoms and recognized that they must address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and its subsequent effects, with equity and justice racial.
The official added that New York is leading in the monitoring and care of patients with prolonged COVID and asked those who have conditions to seek the help available, which includes a network of 26 post-COVID care centers.
In New York City, the call of the authorities of health is also not to suffer from the symptoms of COVID prol ng alone, but rather come forward to seek care, even if you don’t have health insurance or have no way to pay for the costs. Through the NYC Care plan, thousands of New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status, can receive free care.
“All NYC Health + Hospitals doctors are very familiar with long-term symptoms of COVID. I myself have patients who have had these symptoms, which can be neurological, respiratory, heart issues. We have excellent centers that focus on that, but any primary care physician can help address this,” said Mitchell Katz, president of NYC Health + Hospitals. “We also tell New Yorkers experiencing prolonged COVID that the best way to seek support is to call 212-COVID-19 (212) 268-4319, and say they have prolonged symptoms and we will connect them with a primary care physician. Those symptoms get better faster with medical attention.”
Manny Castro, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs, joined the call for New Yorkers who are suffering from prolonged symptoms to benefit from medical care, and recalled that immigration status does not matter and that there are services available in Spanish to access medical help.
“The pandemic has impacted many people and not everything is known about the long-term symptoms that COVID leaves, but it is better to be registered in advance with a health care such as NYC Care in case you have symptoms or something happens in the future, so you already have a doctor. One does not know when the next emergency is going to arrive”, said the Municipal Administration official.
COVID in New York in numbers
- March 1st the first case of COVID was reported in NY
- 4 ‘892,359 infections have been reported in the state of NY since the pandemic began
- 66,485 COVID deaths have been recorded in the state
- two’270. COVID infections have been registered in the Big Manz Ana
- 23,584 deaths have been recorded in all five boroughs
- two,456 were the infections on the last day
- 1.71% is the average number of infections in the last 7 days
Symptoms and conditions associated with post-COVID-19 acute
Where to ask for help to be treated for the consequences of COVID?
- If you have persistent symptoms, see your doctor or you can review the Post-COVID Care Clinics, at the following link: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/covid/covid-19-care-clinics.pdf in the five boroughs
- If you do not have health insurance or a health care provider you can use the free NYC Care program, from which you can Learn more at this link: https://www.nyccare.nyc/enroll/
- NYC Health + Hospitals provides care to all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay