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Chabad Info, Translated by Sholem Traurig

As concern is mounting across the globe regarding the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), Chabad Chassidim are first and foremost interested in what is happening in the neighborhood of Crown Heights, which reportedly has been severely hit by the outbreak.

As a result of the situation becoming much worse, resulting in the Rabbonim of Crown Heights ordering the closure of all the Shuls, including 770 – something that has never happened before.

ChabadInfo.com contacted R’ Yosef Hershkop, manager of the Kāmin Health – Crown Heights Urgent Care, located at the corner of Kingston and Lefferts, to hear firsthand about the current situation.

Can you give us a general picture of what is currently taking place in Crown Heights?

Crown Heights is now completely closed, only stores selling food and basic necessities are open. This is a decidedly positive step, as it means that people are following the instructions given by the Rabbonim, doctors and the health professionals.

How many people do you estimate caught the virus?

I do not want to give an estimation since I don’t know, but it seems that a lot of people have caught the virus, though not that many have been affected by it.

What are the Doctors and Health Professionals doing now?

A Health Organization is confronted with a flood of calls and they respond when each case is examined on its merits. Local doctors are trying to pass directions to patients over the phone as much as possible. The goal is to minimize the number of patients walking around the streets and going to clinics.

In your opinion, is the situation worse in Crown Heights than any other neighborhood in NYC?

Currently, the situation in the neighborhood is indeed very bad, much worse than the other neighborhoods in New York City. At the same time, from the reports we get from other neighborhoods in the city, it seems that the other neighborhoods are on the way to reaching this situation or even worse.

Do you think people will follow the instructions issued or do you think people will disregard them?

Now that even the 770 has closed, I believe everyone is following the guidelines. Unfortunately, there will always be the fool who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, but ninety-nine percent of the residents are taking the matter very seriously.

What are the guidelines for those who don’t get infected? And what are the guidelines for those who start developing symptoms of the virus?

The most important guideline is to stay home, including not going to one of the out-of-the-neighborhood clinics where the Coronavirus tests are being conducted.

Anyone in a condition that really needs medical attention will get it by the neighborhood doctors. At the same time, most residents do not need to be tested at all, and in the case of mild symptoms, a painkiller, drink plenty of water and maintain alertness in case of deterioration, will do the job.

Most people who are infected will be healed without any medical treatment, but if necessary – contact a local Health Organization.

Thank You very much, stay healthy!

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