Long Island News Post Published on April, 22nd 2020
NY Governor Cuomo announced a statewide antibody testing program that has begun on Monday 4/20 as New York State anxiously looks to reopen. The program testing is said to be a survey that will help gauge the states' progress in combating the spread of COVID-19.
The survey is going to use the same sample size as a similar survey conducted in Germany with 3,000 participants. It should be noted, however, the population in Germany is 80 million as opposed to 19 million in New York State. This should make for more accurate results when they get reviewed.
New York State is going to work closely with the federal government to ensure the supply chain of getting testing equipment to the state is sufficient.
Do You Need To Participate In this Program to Go Back to Work?
The participants in this program being laid out by the state will be selected at random but in proportion to affected regions. For example, since 60% of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 came from New York City, it is expected that 60% of the survey sample will be taken in the New York City Area.
Several grocery stores throughout the state have been contacted to set up testing centers for the survey program. Wegmans has agreed to set up testing centers in select stores, the first of which is the East Avenue location in Rochester and a Johnson City location.
It seems as if this program is being discussed as almost a pilot program for a larger scale mass testing procedure that Americans will have to go through before returning to work. Governor Cuomo stated that “antibody testing will be key in shaping the approach going forward”, and that it will provide “the first true snapshot at just how many people were infected with COVID-19 in New York.
Is This Program Necessary?
This program is being pitched as a necessity to gauge where the state is in regards to getting past the Coronavirus outbreak that hit several locations in New York, such as the city, especially hard. Although getting accurate information about the number of people that have been infected within the state is important, the program seems very intrusive to the general public.
As it stands, participants are going to be selected at random to participate in this survey study. This means if your local grocery store is servicing as a testing center, you may be asked to participate in the program while you are in that store.
Many health leaders have been critical of this program, citing that the tests will likely lack quality. It should be noted that if participating in the study is not necessary.
“History Doesn't Repeat Itself, But It Does Rhymes” - Mark Twain
“History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme” is a well known quote by Mark Twain. This famous quote by Mark Twain is appearing to be more relevant today. You may be wondering if mass testing is really necessary for New York to reopen. As we are currently in a state of widespread fear, it is important not to simply accept the hand we are being dealt without question.
Throughout history, people around the world have lost many basic privileges and freedoms after a crisis, during times of desperation. If you are a business owner in America, do you have the right to operate under any associated health risks in order to feed your family?
Mayor Bill Deblasio made a statement over the weekend to take pictures and submit businesses that are not adhering to Social Distancing Guidelines. Although in this scenario it is to protect the health and well being of the public, many believe this echoes Nazi Germany telling their people to rat out their neighbors and parents for the love of the fatherland. Learn more about this time in history here.
New York has also rolled out a mandatory rule to wear a mask to enter public areas where Social Distancing cannot be enforced. This seems like it would have been a great idea before the peak of the outbreak. To avoid being reported many businesses have now had to turn away customers because they do not have the proper equipment to enter the store.
The spread of the Coronavirus is a serious threat to the public and must be handled responsibly. However, at this point, the rule feels like a reminder to the people of New York to remain scared of the virus since it has been reported we have already surpassed the peak of the outbreak.
The public seems to be willing to do whatever it takes just to get the state back open and to have life return to life as we know it again. However, it is crucial that we do not accept a “new normal” and give up basic freedoms in the process. Stay updated on
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Long Island News Post Updated April 22nd, 2020
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