April 8 Dean’s Daily COVID-19 Update

Message from the Dean

To: WCM Community

Subject: April 8 Dean’s Daily COVID-19 Update

Data on the number of patients who have been hospitalized or admitted to intensive care suggest that New York may be at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak.  To keep the virus under control, it is essential that all of us continue to stay home as much as possible.  Virtual gatherings are indispensable for many of us at work, but they’re also a safe way to keep in touch with family and friends.

Here are today’s major updates at Weill Cornell Medicine:

• Starting today, WCM employees with symptoms of COVID-19 may be tested for the virus (more details below).

• New intensive care units continue to be opened at our medical center, and starting this week, at the David H. Koch Center. 

• Hospital for Special Surgery is accepting transfers of intensive care patients from our medical center.

• Nearly thirty physicians, nurses, and technicians have been deployed from Cayuga Medical Center to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.  The team left Ithaca this morning and will be providing assistance in hospital medicine and intensive care.

• We’re expanding video visits with our Weill Cornell Connect app and are encouraging physicians to offer this service when possible (see telemedicine guidance for providers).

Please see below for additional information on:

• The global situation
• Testing for symptomatic WCM employees
• Diversity and inclusion
• Supporting children’s mental health
• NewYork-Presbyterian video updates

Sincerely,

Augustine M.K. Choi, M.D.

Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean
Weill Cornell Medicine
Provost for Medical Affairs
Cornell University

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Global Situation

• Worldwide. On April 7, COVID-19 cases surpassed 1,412,100, with infections reported in 184 countries and regions. China ended its lockdown of Wuhan, the city in which the coronavirus pandemic began.

• United States. California returned 500 ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile to help states like New York that are facing larger outbreaks. The number of cases in the U.S. surpassed 386,600 on April 7.

• Tri-State area. New Jersey surpassed 44,400 COVID-19 cases on April 7. Governor Phil Murphy closed all state and county parks and extended the state’s public health emergency order by 30 days. Connecticut reported more than 7,700 cases on April 7.

• New York. Governor Cuomo announced that the state was going to invest in private companies to bring rapid testing for COVID-19 to scale. He also said that the State Department of Health has developed a test to detect antibodies to the COVID-19 infection in an individual's blood. New York state has more than 138,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of April 7. New York City has reported more than 68,700 cases as of April 7.

WCM Update

• Testing for Symptomatic WCM Employees. Beginning today, Wednesday, April 8, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian will offer COVID-19 testing for WCM faculty and staff with symptoms of the virus. COVID-19 symptoms include a fever of over 100 degrees, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, runny nose or congestion, or diarrhea. Following guidance from the New York State Department of Health, employees without symptoms are not recommended for testing at this time.

• WCM employees experiencing symptoms should call Workforce Health and Safety at 646-697-9470. You will be directed to a clinician who will evaluate your symptoms and provide testing and treatment guidance through a telehealth visit.

• Testing is available by appointment only, after a video visit, at six testing sites:

• Manhattan:
• NYP/Columbia – Tent at Broadway and 167th Street, outside the Milstein Adult Emergency Department entrance
• NYP/Weill Cornell – Tent at 70th Street and York Avenue

• Brooklyn: NYP Brooklyn Methodist, Sleep Center, 501 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215

• Queens: NYP Queens Ambulatory Care Center parking lot, 182-19 Horace Harding Expwy., Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

• Westchester:
• NYP Hudson Valley: 1985 Crompond Road, Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
• NYP Lawrence Hospital: 685 White Plains Road, Eastchester, 10709

• Diversity and Inclusion. WCM is committed to equitable care and a culture of belonging for all members of our community. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will be holding Weekly Diversity COVID-19 Pandemic Town Hall meetings starting today, April 8 at 4 pm.  This recurring platform will allow our community to raise questions or concerns regarding diversity and inclusion at WCM during the pandemic.  Videoconference information is available here.

• Supporting Children’s Mental Health. Parents may be wondering how they can help their children cope with being housebound and physically cut off from friends and family. Sticking to a schedule, explaining the importance of social distancing in an age-appropriate manner, staying connected through technology, and seeking out mental health support by using telemedicine all can help (link to article).

• NewYork-Presbyterian Daily Video Updates. Dr. Laura Forese, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and members of the Infection Prevention & Control team are providing COVID-19 updates Mondays through Saturdays at 10 a.m. Recordings of past updates are here (available on campus or by accessing the WCM network remotely; view Infonet access instructions for WCM employees).