Elmhurst Hospital (QueensPost)
April 7, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The Corona section of Queens is one of the many hot spots across the five boroughs where the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a hold, according to the latest neighborhood data released by the Department of Health.
Three main epicenters have emerged — with one in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn; another in the Norwood neighborhood in the Bronx; and the third being the greater Corona area in Queens.
Corona remains the hardest hit zip code with 1,446 residents having tested positive through to the end of Sunday, when the city last gave a breakdown by zip code. However, the second highest was in Borough Park, where 1,136 residents had tested positive.
Ground zero for the virus continues to be the greater Corona area — with Elmhurst accounting for 963 cases and Jackson Heights 806.
However, the Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Borough Park, where large Hasidic and orthodox Jewish communities live, are close rivals.
For instance, the area adjacent to Borough Park is Midwood, where 946 residents have contracted the virus, according to the latest data from Sunday. Additionally, 789 Bensonhurst residents have tested positive.
In Williamsburg, 859 residents have been infected, according to the data.
Many residents in these neighborhoods of Brooklyn have been subject to criticism. In the past week, the NYPD has had to break up a number of orthodox Jewish funerals, as residents disobeyed the social distancing order.
The Bronx has its own epicenter in the 10467 zip code which covers parts of Olinville, Norwood and Allerton — 941 residents there have contracted COVID-19. Nearby East Bronx accounted for 795 infections.
Many other neighborhoods in each of the boroughs reported upwards of 600 or 700 cases of the total 64,955 cases citywide confirmed as of 5 p.m. on April 5 — the latest zip code data available.
The total cases has since swollen to 72,324 Tuesday morning.
The Health Department first released a zip code breakdown of cases last week after repeated requests from the media and the public.
The data, however, is imperfect — since about 7.5 percent of the people who tested positive for the virus were listed as having an unknown zip code. City Hall didn’t immediately respond to a question asking why the number of unknowns is so high.
The City has also not released the ethnic and racial data on coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. However, the mayor said that data would be released this week.
The map by zip code shows that low-income areas — particularly communities of color — have been impacted the greatest by the virus.
The data, for example, on the Rockaway Peninsula reflects that.
Far Rockaway — where 21.4 percent of the largely Black and Hispanic population lives below the poverty line — has 713 COVID-19 cases. Conversely, Breezy Point, on the western portion of the Rockways— where just 3.1 percent of the largely white population lives below the poverty line — has only 34 confirmed cases.
Likewise, Corona, the hardest hit community, is mostly Hispanic (75 percent) and more than 20 percent of its population lives below the poverty live.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the map shows that there is a health disparity in coronavirus cases. He agreed that low-income minority communities are impacted at a greater rate.
“This disease is affecting people disproportionately in lower income communities, in communities that have had more health problems historically and in communities of color,” de Blasio said at a press conference this morning. “The extent of that disparity we are still trying to understand.”
He said the City will release the ethnicity data this week, which will give a better idea of the disparities.
“There is no question in my mind,” he said. “There is a disparity dynamic here, it is real, it is meaningful.”
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Queens, 5 years ago, took over from Brooklyn, as NYC’s most populated borough. It continued growing at a rapid rate. Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Flushing, and Rego Park had hundreds of high-rise buildings being erected on a yearly basis.
I blame the Queens and NYC leadership for allowing 2 hospitals serving the busiest areas of Queens (St Josephs and Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills), to close during this time, while none opened in these areas. Think about it. Populations increased by 600,000, and 2 hospitals closed, while none opened.
St. John’s Hospital was less than a mile away. This allowed Elmhurst Hospital, which already was the 2nd busiest hospital in NYC, to become the busiest 5 years ago. The hospital was already one of the worst graded hospital in NYC.
When a hospital like this was left to service Elmhurst, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Corona, Jackson Heights, Maspeth, Woodside, Sunnyside, East Elmhurst, it was a recipe for a disaster during times like these.
It is no accident that we have the most deaths in the area; the area where my office is located.
I’ve been in the area selling real estate for 30+ years, and pretty much NO ONE wanted to go to Elmhurst hospital even for a simple stitch. We all knew, top doctors did not want to go to work there.
Those who are in the area, know exactly what I am talking about.
That said, I appreciate every Elmhurst Hospital doctor, nurse, EMT, security, secretary, porter, handyman, and everyone else who works there daily these days, and for risking their lives for us. They are fighting an unknown disease, which NO ONE around the globe was prepared for.
Whether animal related, or biological warfare, it’s here, and no one outside China, has this under control. I posted on another tread why China has it under control.
Think about it, 30% of all deaths in the United States from Covid-19 is tragically happening in Elmhurst hospital. I personally know 3 realtors, 2 developers, who got this. And they all work in the area. But they went in with early symptoms, and they are alive.
So why do I think 30% of all deaths are in Elmhurst Hospital?
There are several reasons. I’ll mention just 3.
1) The most apartment buildings congested in the same 3 mile radius in NYC
2) When you introduce an unknown contagious disease to a hospital such as, Elmhurst Hospital, you’re in trouble.
There wasn’t enough doctors to maintain this. Elmhurst Hospital only accepts Covid-19 cases right now, that’s how overwhelmed they are.
3) This reason, most overlook, but it is one of the reasons why so many deaths are taking place in this area. We have tons of illegal immigration in Elmhurst, Corona, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Woodside, all located within 1 to 3 miles from Elmhurst Hospital. All living in congested buildings. Many of whom are sharing a 3 bedroom apartment with 10 people.
Many illegals were afraid to go to the hospital with symptoms without proper ID, until it was too late.Hey, I’m an immigrant too (legal). Trust me on this, since I work in the area, I know pretty much what goes on in my backyard. Those realtors who work these areas, know exactly what I know.
Everyone looked the other way, because lets face it, it’s cheap labor; which allows these local vendors to charge less for items. However, it is an additional reason why we are paying a hefty price for it.
They continued working in supermarkets, diners, restaurants, nail salons, beauty salons, massage parlors, construction sites, tire shops, auto body shops, etc. and infecting people.
Why?
Because many were afraid to go the hospital for the fear of being deported, and/or for the fear of losing their jobs.
After all, it takes immigrants to appreciate America even more, than those born here. We saw the alternative, and America is like nowhere else.We really don’t appreciate how great this country is, that even at a low paying job, people are willing to put their life online by tens of thousands, crossing dangerous borders and shark infested waters in small little rafts.
So why this disease will stick around for a long time?
People are the conduit that transfers this disease from one to another. More than half the people in supermarkets, subway, etc, are walking with no face or hand covering. I mentioned that in a different tread on my feed. They touch cereal boxes, fruits, sodas, milk, paper towels, etc in a store, and if those folks don’t have gloves and masks, they are exposed to this, or expose others to this.
Tragically on a personal side, my 93 year old aunt (on my mom’s side) is hooked up to a respirator due to getting Covid-19. Only 4% of the people who got hooked up to a respirator survive this disease. Her nephew (on her late husband’s side. My uncle) died 2 days ago at 48 years old of Covid 19.
Sadly, it’s impossible for people to say a proper goodbye during these tragic times.My aunt and her late nephew, both lived in a fancy neighborhood coop of Forest Hills, right near Continental Ave.
May the Higher Power continue to watch over us, and protect us all, during these turbulent, horrific times for mankind. Lastly, if you know someone with COVID-19, please instruct the doctor immediately to give them the hydroxychloroquine.
If it’s taken in the beginning, 99.5% beat it! Once someone goes on the respirator, they are pretty much done.
Victor Weinberger: Realtor
Odd coincidence that there spikes in cases in the areas where people are completely disregarding social distancing and any time of preventative action to mitigate contagion. Perhaps they’ll start to take it more seriously now that they can see the issue in front of them.