What are you up to on this gloomy Saturday? At 10:30 I’ll be live-tweeting a COVID-19 virtual town hall hosted by the office of @chicagosmayor & the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation. It’s for residents of the Auburn Gresham area. @CHIdocumenters #ChiDocumenters
09:42 AM Apr 25, 2020 CDT
You can tune in to the town hall on the GAGDC’s Facebook page here: https://m.facebook.com/gagdcchicago/
This is the second of three virtual town halls hosted by the mayor’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team (RERRT) focusing on COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on African-American Chicagoans. https://abc7chicago.com/coronavirus-chicago-tips-illinois/6124418/
oh, and you can also participate via phone: Call 1-312-535-8110 and type in Access Code 964 351 919. 📞
African-Americans make up 96% of Auburn Gresham. You can learn more about the neighborhood here via GAGDC/@oh_em_ji_ : http://www.gagdc.org/mobile/news/3620
Candace Moore, chief equity officer in the Mayor’s office, comes on and says we’ll get started in a minute. It looks like almost a hundred people are watching live and she says more are on the phone too. https://t.co/Xrd6HHEyY3
Carlos Nelson, executive director of the GAGDC, greets attendees and says that GAGDC is the lead agency for a network of community based organizations and leaders.
“So often we talk about the data, the numbers, the trends.” But he wants to take a few moments to think about the lives lost to coronavirus–friends, family members. He asks for everyone to take a few moments of silence
A priest comes on and says a prayer: “We thank you God for our Mayor and administration,” and for Auburn Gresham community residents who are “rich with talents and gifts and commitment, potential.”
We will now hear from 3 of the 4 aldermen who rep this community: Howard Brookins, David Moore, & Derek Curtis.
Howard Brookins calls coronavirus one of two villains in the community. The second villain is gun violence.
“The life you save could be your mother, your grandmother,” he reminds attendees as he tells people to practice social distancing and wear masks:
Derrick G. Curtis of the 18th ward says he has lost 2 people who were close to him, a cousin and a dear friend, to the virus. “We’re closing in on 1800 deaths” in the state. “This pandemic doesn’t discriminate…Let’s win and stay in,” he concludes.
She encourages people to put questions into the chat box. Folks on the phone can email communityengagement@cityofchicago.org with questions too.
We move on to talking about the data. Dr. Wilnise Jasmine, medical director of the Chicago Department of Public Health, joins and goes over the data available, listed by zipcode. https://t.co/RfEHWhcWuP
There have been a total of 70 deaths in the Auburn Gresham zip codes.
“We’ve known even before the pandemic that your zipcode matters more than your genetic code,” Dr. Jasmine says as she discusses higher than average rates of asthma, hypertension and diabetes in Auburn Gresham.
Some q’s from the comments:
“When will you start contact tracing?” -Mina F.
“Do these #s include deaths of those who were not in the hospital??” -Menetti S.
“Can I get tested even if I’m not in the medical field, essential service worker or have active symptoms?” -Carla J
These bar graphs break down the race of those who have died of COVID-19 in the city. https://t.co/NQ2UcEGVap
Some more q’s people are typing in the comments:
“Where are the commercial labs in Chicago where people can get tested?” -Cynthia D.
“Where are the testing sites for 60620?” -Casandra W.
“Where are people dying? In the hospital, at home, nursing homes?” -Jewel Y.
Dr. Jasmine’s presentation concludes. Next is Ayesha Jaco, executive director of West Side United, who talks about the life expectancy gap among black and brown vs. white communities.
“We work with a citywide community based operation that’s hyperlocal....it’s really key to us being responsive and effective in this work. Another key tactic is listening & responding to community identified needs,” Jaco says. https://t.co/fHEIfTNWKO
Now Carlos Nelson says GAGDC “is in full crisis mode.” It’s providing emergency rental/mortgage assistance to those who have experienced wage loss or unemployment due to COVID-19. Also providing food distribution to seniors & other vulnerable groups
Candace Moore now says it’s time for “real talk”: how do we take care of ourselves? She introduces two doctors to discuss COVID-19 fact and fiction.
They are Angela Ellison, senior director of @thisisUIC‘s Office of Community Engagement, and Dr. Wilnise Jasmine again.
Now statements will be displayed on the slide and people should type “fact” or “fiction” in the chatbox depending on what they think.
The first statement is: “Wearing a facial protection is the most important thing I can do to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.” People are typing a mix of ‘fact’ and ‘fiction’ in the chat. And…it’s fiction!
Dr. Jasmine says the most important thing is actually staying at home.
Facial coverings are still important; cloth masks are good, reserve surgical masks for those working in the medical field. Have proper hand hygiene practices too, washing hands for at least 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer before you put on/remove the mask.
The next statement is “Black people can contract COVID-19.” Everyone in the chat is typing ‘fact.’
It is a fact. Dr. Jasmine states again that Black people are disproportionately affected by COVID19 but unfortunately there was a rumor a couple months ago that Black people were protected against the virus.
The next statement is: “if you are stressed, depressed, or sad during this time, you just need to suck it up.” People are typing ‘fiction’ into the chat. It is indeed fiction.
Dr. Jasmin encourages attendees to keep in contact with friends and family and not keep emotions bottled up inside. Young people should reach out to older people and vice versa. If you do feel overwhelmed you can call 311 and ask to be connected to mental health services.
You can also text HOME TO 741741 to be connected with a trained crisis counselor.
The next statement is “It is a good idea to get tested for COVID-19 even if I am not experiencing symptoms.” There’s a mix of ‘fact’ and ‘fiction’ in the chat, leaning toward ‘fact.”
The statement is fiction! If you don’t have symptoms the tests available may have a false negative. Wait til you develop symtoms before you get tested. But also consider if you’re in a high risk group; if so, speak to your doctor to make that decision together.
Fact and fiction is over. We move on to finding resources and relief. If you have questions, Candace Moore says, you should go to http://www.chicago.gov/coronavirus which is a “wealth of information. We update it every single day.”
311 is also a good option. So is the daily “The Doc is In: Ask Dr. Arwady” series at http://facebook.com/chicagomayorsoffice
Carlos Nelson of the GAGDC speaks now to local efforts and brings on others to share their efforts: St Sabina church, Chicago Christian Health Center, and UI Health
Dr. Karriem Watson of UI Health asks everyone to pay attention to the question of who needs to get tested. Use the city website to make an informed decision about whether to get tested. You can call 1-866-600-CARE to find out how to schedule an appointment for testing
Father Michael Pfleger of Saint Sabina says people can receive food from its food pantry and it’s also servicing senior buildings with food too. It also has an employment resource center with virtual job training and a tech center for people to come in and use computers.
Ken Burnett, CEO of Chicago Christian Health Center, says it can offer drive- through testing by appointment only; it also offers telephonic primary care and mental health care. Call 773-233-4100
We now answer questions from attendees. The first q: “is testing free?” Also: “If someone tests positive do they have an opportunity to get retested?”
Dr. Jasmine says in terms of cost you’d have to contact the facility or your insurance. As for the second q, if you do test positive, the CDC recommends no re-testing because tests are limited
The Christian Community Health Center does not charge for its tests, Burnett says. A new UIC clinic in South Shore that will be opening next week will be free too, says Dr. Watson, with no insurance required; you do have to have an appointment though.
The next question involves strengthening one’s immune system. Dr. Jasmine says there’s no magic trick but there are some general practices to do this, including a well rounded diet rich in fruits & veggies; also keep stress levels down, and get good sleep.
Addressing another myth, “When it comes to disinfectant under no circumstances should you enter, inject or ingest it into your body,” Dr. Jasmin says. She says to limit consuming alcohol too; drinking alcohol isn’t a good protection against the virus.
Now addressing the question of where people are dying, in terms of setting (hospital, at home, etc).
Dr. Jasmin says “the great majority of deaths are occurring in the hospital setting.” After death the medical examiner lists an official cause of death and this is where the numbers come from.
Alderman Curtis says “I have a constant contact, a great email base of about 10,000 people” as well as using social media and Greater Ashburn Development Corp to get info out. His office been delivering masks daily when available
Alderman David Moore comes on and apologizes for his tardiness, saying he had a funeral this morning.
He says his office number is 773-783-3672; they’re available to assist folks. More info is updated on the 17th ward Facebook page too. He thanks the Mayor and her team for recognizing the issue of race and COVID-19 deaths.
Candace Moore wraps up by urging people to fill out the census if they have not done so already (http://my2020census.gov). This concludes the Auburn Gresham COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall. Stay safe and thanks for following along with #ChiDocumenters