THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH
queenschamber.org
COVER STORY
CITY’S TOP DOC ADDRESSES NEW COVID CONCERNS When Dr. Dave Chokshi replaced Oxiris Barbot as commissioner of the Department of Health in August of last year, it would still be five months before the first COVID19 vaccine in the nation would be Before accepting the post of commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Dave Chokshi served as Chief Population Health Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, where he built and grew an award-winning team dedicated to health system improvement, spanning innovative care models and analytics, primary care transformation, social determinants of health, community-based care management and chronic diseases and prevention. Dr. Chokshi’s prior work experience spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including positions with the New York City and State Departments of Health and the Louisiana Department of Health, before and after Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Chokshi served on the FEMA delegation to New York City after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He also served as a White House Fellow and was the principal health advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He trained in internal medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, where he received the Dunne Award for Compassionate Care, and was a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School. During his training, Dr. Chokshi did clinical work in Guatemala, Peru, Botswana, Ghana and India. He received his M.D. with Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from Penn. He also earned an MSc in global public health as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and graduated summa cum laude from Duke.
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given to a nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. The future was still uncertain when the Jackson Heights resident assumed the role of the city’s top doctor, even as lockdown-weary New Yorkers attempted to return to some sense of normalcy, cautiously eating out, meeting with friends, and traveling. When the city began offering vaccines at the beginning of the year, it looked like a full return to normal was on the horizon, but now the highly contagious Delta variant, which research suggest even vaccinated individuals can spread, it looks like that longawaited return could be facing a major roadblock. Last month, Commissioner Chokshi took part in a Facebook Live chat with members of the Queens Chamber of Commerce to address the concerns of business owners as they start to welcome their employees back to the office even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city. This Is Queensborough caught up with Commissioner Chokshi following the chat to get his opinion on some of the larger issues facing New Yorkers the pandemic appears to be making a resurgence. This is Queensborough: Queens was the “epicenter of the epicenter” during the first wave of the virus last year? As the Delta variant continues to spread, should we be concerned about Queens becoming ground zero for the pandemic once again? Dr. Dave Chokshi: Queens families have been deeply affected by the virus. Their dedication to ending this pandemic shows in the level of vaccinations. Right now, Queens is the second-most vaccinated borough in the city. To protect against the rise of Delta, I encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to get vaccinated now. It’s the single most important thing in the fight against COVID to prevent the avoidable suffering that too many experienced during previous waves.
Dr. Dave Chokshi briefs New Yorkers on COVID. (Photo: Ed Reed/Mayor’s Office)
TIQ: To what extent will vaccines diminish the effect of the Delta variant? Will booster shots be required and, if so, for whom? DC: Vaccines are essential to defeating the Delta variant. We know that all of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines are effective in protecting against it and other currently circulating variants, particularly against severe illness causing hospitalization and death. Right now is the most dangerous time to be unvaccinated. As for boosters, we are still learning about the duration of immunity provided from vaccines to determine whether boosters are needed. Studies are ongoing regarding this and we’ll follow the science.
DC: Although fewer children have gotten COVID-19, children can still be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and spread the virus to others. This is why we are urging that children who are eligible for the vaccine - right now from ages 12-17 - should receive it, and the city is working on making the vaccine as accessible as possible to children and their families. At this time, masks are still required in school buildings as part of our layered approach to COVID-19 prevention. Additionally, the city is mandating that staff get vaccinated or tested weekly in time for school reopening. We also recognize, as a city, that schools promote the health of children.
TIQ: How do you think this newest wave of the virus will impact school re-openings in New York City? Do you think students should be returning to in-person classes? Should students be wearing masks this fall? Are young people atrisk of catching or spreading the virus?
TIQ: With another month of summer still ahead of us, should New Yorkers be wary of participating in outdoor activities such as visits to the beach, baseball games, barbecues? Should people avoid large gatherings once again as was the case last summer? DC: We know that outdoor trans-
