COVID-19 In My Community

Overview

  • SARS-CoV-2 has impacted everyone in the United States. However , here in Schenectady people are still struggling through its detrimental impacts. New York state was hit the hardest by the virus, with 541,000 cases and 33,000 deaths. Schenectady county alone had 1,700 cases and 54 deaths due to Covid-19. It’s clear to say this has had a huge impact on the overall community.

Resources

  • Schenectady County Public Health Services (SCPHS) has been doing their best to ensure all citizens have access to the proper resources to protect themselves such as masks and sanitizer. The City Mission and other local homeless shelters have been giving out masks to some of their frequent visitors in order to ensure a safer overall community.
  • Schenectady County offers no-cost community testing on Mondays and Thursdays. All you have to do is call (518) 419-0370 to register.
  • They have a hotline at NYS Coronavirus: 1-888-364-3065 in order to encourage the spread of information and education into the community. You are encouraged to call if you have any questions about the general health and wellbeing of the community.
  • You may also request a mask. All you have to do is call (518) 386-2824,  9am – 3pm, Monday – Friday.
  • They also have a fully updated public health website which can be found here. This includes a lot of free information and education about the virus in order to ensure a safer overall community.

School During Covid-19

  • Like many local schools in the area, Schenectady public schools are virtual until they can ensure a safe learning environment.
  • The public school system update guidance can be found here.
  • Union College has had an excellent system with mandatory weekly testing. The results are back the next day, giving students a positive and safe environment to learn in. All in person classes must be attended while wearing a face covering and contact tracing has been working to ensure the safety of faculty and staff.

Working During Covid-19

  • For our essential workers who are putting their lives on the line and interacting with citizens on a day to day basis, it can be challenging. The community has put multiple efforts into place in order to show they care about their citizens and are looking forward to a safe and healthy environment in the future.
  • People working are required to wear a face mask and stay six feet away from their coworkers when possible.
  • If you start to develop symptoms of Covid-19 while working, you should immediately go home or to a testing center in order to ensure your own safety and those around you. Those who do test positive or those who were in direct contact with someone who tested positive must complete a two week quarantine before returning to their work setting.
  • The photo pictured to the upper right is from (https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2020/07/29/study-how-americans-feel-about-returning-to-work-during-covid-19/?sh=3315a7785301)

Hospitals During Covid-19

  • Ellis Hospital has a Covid tracking located on their website in order to keep the community aware and informed
  • They offer testing for corona virus with an appointment
  • In general, people exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms who have not been advised by a physician or public health professional to go to the hospital, should go into self-quarantine at home for 14 days, practice proper social distancing and preventive hygiene measures, and follow any prescribed treatment regimen.
  • Whether or not a patient has been tested does not change the physician’s treatment options

The photo above shows doctors working hard to ensure the public’s safety. (https://www.jnj.com/personal-stories/meet-doctor-helping-treat-coronavirus-outbreak-in-wuhan)

Overall, Schenectady is trying their hardest to preserve during these tough times and we are working together as a community.

Sources

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/new-york/

https://www.schenectadycounty.com/publichealth

https://www.schenectadycounty.com/sites/default/files/Essential%20Personnel%20Return%20To%20work%204.1.20.pdf

http://www.ellismedicine.org/covid19/public-details.aspx?ListID=30