COVID-19 | Mount Sinai Today

Staying Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: A Guide for IPV Survivor Well-Being

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | COVID-19, Featured, Public Health, Your Health

Isolation, uncertainty about tomorrow, and fear of consequences that are out of their control can be common experiences, especially for those in abusive relationships. According to Angela Fernandez, Assistant Director of the Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention (SAVI) Program at Mount Sinai, the voluntary seclusion that many have been practicing in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 may be compounding these realities for survivors of intimate partner violence.

“Abusers will often isolate a survivor and disconnect them from their support network,” says Ms. Fernandez. “COVID-19 is just another factor that makes these challenges harder for a survivor.”

How can survivors remain safe and connected to support when physical distance is essential for safety? As we weather the current pandemic, Ms. Fernandez provides safety tips for survivors—and their loved ones—that are applicable now and as we enter a new normal due to COVID-19.

Identify a “go to” person or network of people in your physical or digital community.

As much as possible, create scheduled check-ins with your support network, and identify at least two people you can contact with an established code word or phrase that will let them know that you are in trouble. Using this word or phrase will indicate that you need an immediate help or intervention.

Discuss with your support network what “getting help” means to you.

“Getting help” is a catch-all phrase that could mean any number of things. Be sure to let your support network know what should happen immediately after you use a code word/phrase/sentence. Would you like someone to help de-escalate a situation, should someone call 911, or do you need to leave?

“Every survivor’s situation is unique and evolving,” says Ms. Fernandez. She notes that physical violence is often seen as the main threat to a survivor’s safety, despite the prevalence of psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse—which are often concurring and are equally damaging to their well-being. “Using a code word or phrase could very well indicate the immediate need for emotional first-aid as much as a physical intervention.”

Be prepared to leave if your situation escalates.

Think about the easiest and safest routes for you to get out of your home quickly, if necessary. Keep an emergency bag that you can quickly fill (or, pre-packed if safe to do so) with a portion of your medication, money, important documents, and food and that you can access on your own time. Keep your identification on you as much as possible.

Identify the “safest” spaces inside.

To protect yourself during times of escalation, think ahead about what spaces feel safest. This might mean a room where there are no weapons (i.e. avoiding the kitchen) and/or has easy access to a door or window to exit the house or apartment. Identifying the safest areas within the home can at least reduce the risk of harm.

If you are part of a survivor’s support network, remember that the person experiencing intimate partner violence knows their situation best.

What you believe to be best may differ from the survivor’s lived experience. In fact, for a survivor, the risks of leaving can often outweigh the risks of staying—especially during a pandemic that has exacerbated economic instability.

Supporters should be careful not to take control away from survivors, which is what the abuser is doing on a daily basis.

“When we look at the power and control dynamics, just because you think you are taking action with good intentions, doesn’t make it any less disempowering for a survivor,” says Ms. Fernandez. “We should be helping to re-empower that person by making sure they have space to consider what is best for them.”

This is especially important now when there are fewer resources available due to the pandemic but holds true during “normal times,” Ms. Fernandez says. Seeking police intervention should be the exception and not the general practice for supporting survivors of intimate partner violence, she says, but this calculation changes if there is a threat of serious and imminent harm.

If you or a loved one needs advice, assistance, or support regarding sexual assault or intimate partner violence; the Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention (SAVI) Program at Mount Sinai is available to help. For more information, visit the SAVI website or call 212-423-2140.

Additional resources include the National Domestic Violence Hotline and Safe Horizon, which provides social services for survivors throughout the five boroughs.

Learn more about SAVI

People With Down Syndrome May Experience Severe Forms of COVID-19

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | COVID-19, Featured, Research

Individuals with Down syndrome, the nation’s most common genetic disorder, represent a small, vulnerable segment of the U.S. population whose comorbid conditions may make them particularly susceptible to severe forms of COVID-19.

In fact, people with Down syndrome who are over the age of 30 appear to be about nine times as likely as the general population to be hospitalized for COVID-19, and their hospital stays tend to be more than twice as long, with a median of 17 days, according to a recent study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai that was uploaded onto the pre-print server medRxiv. Approximately 250,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome.

“When you don’t have a critical mass of people who are able to advocate for themselves, which is the case with Down syndrome, then people start falling through the cracks,” says the study’s senior author, Dusan Bogunovic, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology, and Pediatrics, and Director of the Center for Inborn Errors of Immunity, which is part of the Mindich Child Health and Development Institute. “We did not want that to happen. We felt that particular attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in individuals with Down syndrome.”

From left: Dusan Bogunovic, PhD, and Louise Malle, MD/PhD candidate

Dr. Bogunovic and MD/PhD candidate Louise Malle led a research team that examined the electronic medical records of 4,615 patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized within the Mount Sinai Health System. They expected to find one or perhaps even two patients with Down syndrome based on the syndrome’s low prevalence within the population. Instead, they identified six adults, all of whom were in their 50s except for one, who was in her 30s. Two of the six patients, both in their 50s, succumbed to the disease. By comparison, Dr. Bogunovic says, 2 out of 30 cases were fatal in an age, sex, and race-matched control group of people who did not have Down syndrome.

Four of the six Down syndrome patients with COVID-19 were also diagnosed with sepsis, which is a marker of extreme inflammation, according to Ms. Malle. The individuals with Down syndrome were more likely to be hospitalized in an intensive care unit and to have been placed on a ventilator. In addition, she says, a constellation of other health issues associated with Down syndrome, such as autoimmune disease, epilepsy, and dementia, may have played a role in the severity of COVID-19. Further studies will be needed to determine whether these patients were more likely to produce higher levels of inflammatory markers.

Over the past 20 years, improved health care for individuals with Down syndrome has led to increased longevity, with many now living into their early 60s. That however, is still roughly 20 years shorter than individuals without the disorder. The median age of the hospitalized patients with Down syndrome was 54, roughly 12 years younger than the rest of the population that was hospitalized as a result of the disease.

Dr. Bogunovic says one positive finding was that “none of the patients we looked at were pediatric patients, so it does follow the trend of the general population that the older you are the more likely you are to be hospitalized with COVID-19.” He adds that the current study points to the need for “additional research into the medical conditions of marginalized patients with rare genetic conditions,” particularly during a pandemic.

Broadway Performers Honor Mount Sinai Graduates during Virtual Commencement

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | COVID-19, Featured

Virtual pomp and circumstance prevailed on Thursday night in a graduation of 62 Mount Sinai residents, and while commencement exercises via Zoom have become the new normal, a special performance by celebrity performers added an element of surprise for the newly minted doctors: an original song written just for them. The ceremony was held by the Department of Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital, which is part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

An offering of The Clear Day Project, the song, “Keep Your Head Up Child,” was written by actor Joe Tippett and performed by him and his Grammy award-winning collaborator, Sara Bareilles. The song was dedicated to the graduates of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and their instructors who have worked tirelessly and selflessly throughout the pandemic.

“Our Internal Medicine residents were on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. Their dedication, compassion, and commitment were extraordinary. So I wanted to do something special for these residents who gave so much of themselves during this pandemic. I am thrilled that Sara Bareilles and Joe Tippett wrote this song to honor them and their hard work. I am so very grateful to them for recognizing their sacrifice and for helping us celebrate this important milestone in their medical careers,” says Barbara Murphy, MD, the Murray M. Rosenberg Professor of Medicine, Chair of the Department of Medicine for the Mount Sinai Health System, and Dean for Clinical Integration and Population Health.

The Clear Day Project is a living theatre project co-founded by former Carnegie Mellon drama classmates Jordan Dean, Kersti Bryan, and Dan Amboyer. Mr. Dean had two surgeries, including a 13-hour open-heart surgery, at The Mount Sinai Hospital in 2019. Reacting to the gravity of the pandemic, Clear Day Project assembled an eclectic series of New York performers, including Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winners, to create artistic messages of gratitude and solidarity for front-line workers at the Mount Sinai Health System titled, “Songs for Mount Sinai”.

“The Clear Day Project was started as a space for New York City artists to bolster those most affected by COVID-19: the front-line workers and their families. We are in awe of the incredible, life-saving work performed by those on the front lines in the Mount Sinai Health System. Their tireless devotion to the people of New York during this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic deserves the highest recognition. We hope the graduates, their families, and staff love Joe and Sara’s performance as much as we do,” says Mr. Dean.

How Mount Sinai Students Have Responded to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hear More Songs for Mount Sinai

Protecting Yourself from COVID-19 as New York Reopens

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | COVID-19, Your Health

New York State has been on PAUSE—a period of sheltering in place and the closing of non-essential businesses—since Sunday, March 22, in order to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the state has significantly decreased its new cases of the novel coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have begun to ease restrictions. While this is a very positive sign of progress, reopening may cause some anxiety for many New Yorkers who have been keeping their distance from others.

Dana S. Mazo, MD, MSc, an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Disease) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and physician lead for Infection Prevention at Mount Sinai Queens, explains how to safely transition to a more bustling New York City and what you need to know about protecting yourself as the city and state reopen.

How can New Yorkers prepare for reopening?

It’s completely reasonable to be anxious; we are in unchartered waters. When we stop sheltering at home, life will not go right back to how it used to be—we will enter a new normal. The good point here is that we have been practicing all of the measures we need to take to keep us safe for this ‘new normal’ during the PAUSE. Once we can go outside for more non-essential reasons, we should continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask, clean high-touch surfaces such as door knobs, and practice good hand hygiene. Those are the key behaviors that everyone can do to remain safe.

Additionally, the Mayor and the Governor will reopen the city and state in stages. This will give us time to adapt to the changes so that you can keep yourself, your loved ones, and the people around you safe.

If I am wearing a mask, do I need to continue to practice social distancing?

It is important to keep doing all of the preventative behaviors—including social distancing—regardless of whether you are wearing a mask. The most important role of the mask is to protect the people around you because, even if you are not exhibiting symptoms, you can still be infected with and spread the coronavirus.

The virus is spread via respiratory droplets. So if you are talking, singing, coughing, or shouting without being masked, the droplets can spread from your mouth to someone else. Wearing a mask reduces the spread but doesn’t stop it completely. That’s why wearing a mask alone is not sufficient. You should still practice social distancing—try to keep more than six feet away from other people—and wash your hands.

Hand washing is one of the most important measures that you can do to prevent spreading or contracting the coronavirus. Not only can droplets spread through close, unmasked talking, but droplets can fall on surfaces. If someone touches the surface where infected droplets have fallen and then touches their face, it is possible for them to contract the virus. Additionally, it is very important to stay home if you’re not feeling well, especially if you have a fever, cough, or headache.

While I am excited to get back outside, I am concerned about large, crowded areas. Are there special precautions I should take to protect myself?

The good thing is that your likelihood of becoming infected with the coronavirus outside is less than your likelihood of contracting the virus inside. When you’re outside, there is usually more space so it is easier to social distance likely that you are going to touch the same surfaces as other people. it’s much less likely that you are going to touch the same surfaces as other people, like when you are riding a crowded subway, eating in a restaurant, or going to the movies.

So, being outside is good not just for your peace of mind and enjoyment, but also because it is harder to spread coronavirus. That said, it is still possible to contract coronavirus outside, even if the risk is less than when you are indoors. So, you should still practice social distancing by trying to avoid large groups and to not spend a lot of time around people who you haven’t already been sheltering in place with.

How is Mount Sinai preparing to return to normal operations?

Mount Sinai has been working very hard to make sure that we can safely return to more normal operations. Staff, as well as patients, are required to wear masks while on the premises, and we have made sure that patients can socially distance while in lobbies and waiting rooms.

Additionally, we actively screen both staff and patients for symptoms of the virus.

When patients receive their pre-appointment reminder, they are screened for symptoms and—when they come in for the appointment—their temperature is measured and they are again screened for active symptoms. When appropriate, before high-risk procedures, we will test our patients for COVID-19.

Mount Sinai is also thoroughly cleaning high-touch surfaces like door knobs and elevator buttons—both in the hospital and in the ambulatory clinics—and ensuring there is hand sanitizer easily available throughout our facilities. You will see the dispensers everywhere.

If your reason for coming is COVID-19, we will address that appropriately.

Mount Sinai is working hard to make sure that our patients can safely receive treatment. If you are sick and you need to go see your doctor or visit the emergency room, do not put your health on hold. We want all of our patients get the care that they need.

How Mount Sinai is Keeping Patients Safe

Face Coverings: What You Need to Know

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | COVID-19, Your Health

Just about everything in our lives has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in crowded metropolitan areas like New York. One of the more visible changes is that face coverings have become a part of everyday life. Bernard Camins, MD, MSc, Medical Director for Infection Prevention for the Mount Sinai Health System, offers some basic guidelines on face coverings.

Why should I wear a face covering?
Since early April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measure are difficult to maintain, such as when grocery shopping. Shortly afterwards, the governors New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut ordered people to follow the CDC recommendations.

Do I need to use a face mask like the ones I see doctors and nurses wearing?

No. In order to preserve supplies of face masks certified for use by health care workers, the directives require only that you cover your face.

What is the best face covering for me?

Anything that covers your nose and mouth while you are in public is what is recommended in order to prevent the spread of the infection. It can be a handkerchief or a scarf or a bandana. You can make something out of cloth. The CDC has provided plenty of helpful tips. You do not want something that can make you short of breath. There can be shortages of masks for some hospitals and health care institutions, which is why it’s best if you use something other than a medical grade face mask.

What do I need if I am going to Mount Sinai for care?

All staff at Mount Sinai will be wearing medical face masks. If you arrive with a face covering that is not a medical face mask, we will provide you with a medical face mask. If you brought your own medical face mask, you may keep that on during your visit.

Can I reuse my cloth facial covering?

Yes. But you should be aware that the CDC suggests cloth face coverings be washed daily. If you are reusing a facial covering, rather than throwing it away, you should be careful when you take it off, as it may have become contaminated, and you should wash your hands afterwards. Having more than one cloth face covering is recommended.

I have heard a lot about N95 respirators. Do I need one of those?

No. Those masks are specifically designed for health care workers. They must be properly fitted for health care workers in order to guard against breathing in the tiny virus particles that cause the COVID-19 infection while caring for patients who are infected.

Why do I need a face covering?

Wearing a face covering is mostly to prevent you from infecting others by preventing the spread of respiratory droplets that carry the virus when you cough or sneeze. This is important because you may be infected but not know because you do not show any symptoms. Wearing a covering on your face can also provide some protection to you against being infected by others. The COVID-19 disease is transmitted by tiny virus particles in the droplets that come from our mouth or nose when we cough or sneeze. A secondary and less common method of transmission is when these particles land on surfaces people touch, like a checkout counter at the store or a cell phone, and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth, allowing the virus to spread. We maintain social distance so that if someone should cough or sneeze, these virus particles will fall towards the ground and not come close enough to allow us to breathe them in or to land on our clothing.

Should everyone wear a face covering?
Yes, except for children under the age of 2 or elderly people or others who may have trouble breathing.

I saw face masks advertised online. Is it okay to buy them?

You may be able to buy masks at the store or online. But you should be aware that there are some counterfeit masks on the market.

My glasses are fogging up when I wear a face covering. Any suggestions?

This has been an issue for some people. Some research recommends cleaning your glasses carefully with soapy water and making sure they are dry before putting them on. Fogging can happen as you breathe out and the air goes upward towards your glasses, so you could also try ensuring the covering is tighter above your nose.

Seeing people in the community wearing face coverings makes me uncomfortable. What can I do?

People must change their thinking, their mindset about face coverings and realize that this is just a new part of our lives. It is something we need to become comfortable with in order to prevent the disease from spreading.

How a Small Force of Mount Sinai Nursing Students Played Key Support Roles at the Height of COVID-19

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | COVID-19, Featured, School

Nursing student volunteers, from left, Pearl Scalzo, Sylvie Jean Baptiste, and Jacky Lee stocked emergency trays for the Mount Sinai Beth Israel Pharmacy.

Twenty-two students at the Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel have logged more than 1,000 volunteer hours since early April, taking on key support roles in pharmacy and research to help overburdened Mount Sinai Health System staff at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort was launched by two student leaders, Shayna LaSala, President of Student Government at the School of Nursing, and Frances “Frankie” Burney, chapter president of its National Student Nurse Association. They say they were inspired by the several hundred medical and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who had been volunteering through the newly created Sinai Student Workforce.

With the help of Dean Todd F. Ambrosia, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNAP, Ms. LaSala and Ms. Burney created the Nursing Student Workforce, giving nursing students the opportunity to volunteer in the pharmacy at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and at Mount Sinai Morningside, and to play vital roles in a significant COVID-19 research project at the Icahn School of Medicine.

As part of their efforts, the nursing students assembled crash carts and emergency kits, prepared medications, and performed whatever tasks were requested by pharmacy technicians. One student who was particularly skilled in phlebotomy trained registered nurses and personal care assistants on the latest venipuncture techniques. They also joined a cadre of staff and other volunteers on the Mount Sinai COVID-19 Tissue Collection Taskforce, where they helped to create a biobank of specimens from COVID-19 patients that later would be analyzed in research laboratories as part of a study by Mount Sinai scientists. The students were assigned to help assemble test tubes, deliver them to unit nurses, and then collect the full ones hours later, working in day or evening shifts.

Nursing student volunteers, from left, Dominique Falci, Rebecca Dornfeld, and Gurpawan “Gia” Kang helped to create a biobank of specimens from COVID-19 patients as part of a research study.

“Our nursing students were determined to help during this crisis,” says Dr. Ambrosia. “Their actions demonstrated that nursing truly is a calling—one that attracts those who strive to help humankind. I am extremely proud to stand with them and the nursing profession as we continue to care for our patients and one another.”

“It was inspiring to be part of a team where everyone—doctors, nurses, volunteers—came together to get through this,” says Dominique Falci, a nursing student who was involved in both research and pharmacy tasks. “There were so many extremely sick patients and so much bad news, but staff and volunteers were so warm and supportive of each other. It was very uplifting, especially as a student,” she says.

The students believe they got a unique perspective that will influence how they perceive hospital relationships. “Everyone brings a different skill set into a situation,” says Ms. Burney. “This experience has, for me, highlighted the special relationship between doctors and nurses and how much they can achieve by working together closely as a team across all disciplines.”

The students volunteered between semesters, launching the project in April after completing their final exams. However, now that classes have resumed, most are unable to continue volunteering, though Ms. Falci intends to make it part of her schedule. Fortunately, as new COVID-19 admissions have been declining, there is less need for volunteers. The student volunteers, who are in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, will graduate in August.

“It really has been a privilege to ease some of the burden on front-line workers,” says Ms. LaSala. “And, seeing our student body come together and work seamlessly as an interdisciplinary team with the medical students and Mount Sinai staff during such a stressful time is a learning experience we’ll never forget.”

Nursing student volunteer Gurpawan “Gia” Kang, left, helped Nicole Simons, MA, Team Leader of the COVID-19 biobank research study, collect biospecimens at an inpatient unit in Guggenheim Pavilion.

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