Dr. Arabia Mollette is an emergency medicine physician at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to her health care efforts, Mollette hosts The Visit with Dr. Arabia Mollette podcast.
Mollette currently is working to help treat patients who have been affected by the COVID-19 virus and to help inform the public about how to stay safe.
When did you first hear about COVID-19?
The first time that I heard about COVID-19 it was mid-January to late January. This is when it was reported back in China. I lived in Cuba for many years and graduated from medical school back in Cuba. At that time, the Dengue virus hit the Caribbean and South America, and I was diagnosed with Dengue three times. I know what it feels like when the whole entire country is inflicted with an epidemic.
But the difference was that the Cuban government and medical society were well-prepared to deal with it, even with limited resources. When I heard about the epidemic in China, it worried me because of travel. I felt that it would be a matter of time before it hit the U.S.
Why did you think this was a unique situation, and did you imagine that it would have such an impact?
I did imagine that it would have this impact because it’s a new virus that’s spreading really quickly. Let’s be honest: the White House’s efforts to cut CDC funding may have limited the government’s ability to fight the virus effectively, and also the White House did not take this seriously.
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