Wellness

TALK ABOUT IT! Emerging Perspectives on the COVID Pandemic

By Hazel Rosetta Smith

No-one can deny we have come a long way in a short time to gain the upper hand on COVID-19. Two vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna have rolled out of labora-

tories into the arms of citizens

across the country. Vaccines from AstraZeneca and the sin-

gle shot Johnson & Johnsonare moving rapidly down the pipeline as well. So far, so good, few side effects and those are

said to be manageable within a 24-hour period with a Tylenol, if need be.

What we need to do to

gain the ultimate success in the COVID-19 fight is CONVERSATION. Information

about vaccines, clinical trials and community practice is available and can only be understood when we are open to listening and learning from medical professionals and sci-

ence.

Clear cut conversation is

Dr. Marcella Maxwell

what was presented on a recent Webinar titled Emerging

Perspectives on the COVID

Pandemic organized by the Golden Life and Health MinisDr. Rose Blackburne, MD, MBA

tries of the Abyssinian Baptist Church; The Greater Queens, NY Links Chapter; Annapolis, MD Chapter of the Links, Inc. and the COVID -19 Task

Force of the Greater New York

Links.

Following the welcome by Dr. Marcella Maxwell, Leader of Golden Life and Gerri War-

ren Merrick’s opening prayer, Dr. Nanette Alexander-Thom-

as, M.D, FACP, FACR, Medical Director of Ambulatory Care, Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center served as the mod-

erator. Dr. Alexander-Thomas

has more than 37 years of experience as an Internal Medicine Specialist.

The medical panel included: Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institute of Health (NIH). The Institute conducts research programs to advance knowledge of mechanisms to improve minority health, identify health disparities and develop effective interventions to reduce these

disparities in community and clinical settings.

Rose Blackburne, M.D., MBA, Executive Medical Director, Global Product Development, PPD, a leading global contract research organization providing comprehensive, integrated drug development, laboratory, and lifecycle management services. PPD applies innovative technologies, thera-

Dr. Nanette Alexander-Thomas

peutic expertise, and a firm commitment to the time curve

of drug development to deliver life-changing therapies that improve health.

Dr. Michele Reed, FAAFP, CPT, a Family Medicine Physician with 28 years’ experience in Geriatric and Internal

Medicine. Owner and Man-

aging Partner of MS Family Medicine Health Care, P.C. and a NASM Certified Per-

sonal Trainer, owner of Fit Doc Total Wellness, LLC. Dr. Reed serves as the Medical Di-

rector for The Congregational Church of South Hempstead and the School District Physician for the Hempstead, Malverne and Roosevelt School

Districts.

FOCUS ON THE FACTS:

Communities of color are

about 4 times more likely to be hospitalized than white people. Risks are not about race or genetics, but rather on social determinants of health, discrimination, healthcare access, education, income and wealth gaps, housing, and occupations.

FEARS & MYTHS: Long-

Dr. Eliseo Perez-Stable Dr. Michelle Reed

term side effects of the vaccine.

Access to technology to register for a vaccine appointment, limited internet access, lack or limited transportation to a site and many are not locally accessible. Our DNA is being damaged, our genes are being changed. I will get COVID-19 from the vaccine. I already had COVID-19, I am immune, I do not need a vaccine. Or, more often, the researchers rushed the development of the COVID vaccine, so its safety cannot be trusted.

Vaccine hesitancy is real and must be addressed by a collaboration of “trusted”

sources that include academ-

ic partners, community-based organizations; healthcare centers & providers; faith-based organizations and pharmacy networks. Access health providers in person or with Telehealth including mental health/ behavioral resources. Vaccines prevent clinical illness from COVID-19; however, recipients should be aware it could take a month for full

effectiveness to kick in. Must

continue to wear a mask, wash hands and practice social distancing. If a vaccinated person tests positive, even if they lack symptoms, it is possible to still be infectious to others. It is not

known yet what level of immunity or how long the immunity lasts after receiving both vaccines.

KNOWLEDGE IS POW-

ER: Contemplate and investigate the information that is available and have the talk

with your primary physician about getting the vaccine. We all play a role in the worldwide effort of wellness for all. Stay steady, stay carefully safe.

The Webinar was time well

spent listening to doctors who offered not only their knowledge, but their sense of compassion for a community that is still in dire straits. The infor-

mation provided by the panel is valid, valuable, and greatly appreciated. Touché