As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep the nation, Detroit, a city that has survived one crisis after another, is staying strong by helping one another get by.
With the new coronavirus adding to decades of chaos in the Motor City -- from multiple crashes of the automotive industry, to the crack epidemic, to massive depopulation and bankruptcy -- residents know how to put up a strong fight.
“People are looking out for each other. We should salute that,” said Sheila Cockrel, a former city council member and founder of CitizenDetroit, a civic engagement nonprofit, in a recent Bridge Michigan article. “The bonds in neighborhoods have been built on meeting crises and tragedies and coming through those together.”
But Cockrel says that battle-tested or not, Detroit citizens and the government must work hard to get through these uncharted times. “We need to be very careful we don’t inadvertently push the message that we are so tough and resilient we can do this alone,” she told Bridge Michigan.
As for the current state of health care around the city, providers at Central City Integrated Health, a clinic in midtown that serves patients regardless of their ability to pay, are preparing to meet the critical and the chronic needs of residents.
Dr. Kristi Thomas told Bridge Michigan that fewer people are coming into the clinic during the governor’s stay-at-home order, despite patients’ needs being greater than ever, so the clinic is still in full triage mode. Residents have a great deal of health concerns, in addition to the new coronavirus, which makes them particularly vulnerable during these times.
Even without COVID-19, the city of Detroit has the shortest life expectancy in the state, at just 70 years of age, according to the Detroit News.
“We are only addressing the needs of emergent care that could end up at the hospital,” Thomas said.
As of April 3, the Detroit COVID-19 numbers have grown to over 3,500 confirmed cases and 117 deaths, according to Michigan.gov. The United States, at over 239,000, now faces the most confirmed cases in the world.