CityMD Urgent Care at 37-26 Junction Blvd. in Corona (Google Maps)
July 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Corona and Jackson Heights — neighborhoods hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic — may fare better if a second wave of the deadly virus hits New York City, according to a published report.
A large number of residents from these neighborhoods have the antibodies that may protect them from the virus, the New York Times reported.
According to the publication, more than 68 percent of people tested for coronavirus antibodies at a CityMD in Corona were found to have them. Meanwhile, at a Jackson Heights CityMD, 56 percent of people tested were found to have the antibodies, according to the data.
The data was collected from late April through late June.
The two communities have higher percentages of residents with antibodies than other neighborhoods in New York City, according to testing results from CityMD. For example, just 13 percent of residents tested at a CityMD in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn were found to have the antibodies.
Antibodies could provide some immunity to the virus, though scientists have yet to confirm it. Much remains unknown about the duration and strength of any potential immunity provided by antibodies.
A senior official in the city’s public hospital system told the Times that the high antibody levels in Corona and Jackson Heights only confirm what health experts already knew — that the areas were disproportionately hit by the deadly virus.
Corona, Jackson Heights and the adjacent Elmhurst neighborhood became known as the “epicenter of the epicenter” of the pandemic at its height.
More than 4,850 Corona residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since March– higher than any other neighborhood in the five boroughs, according to the latest city data.
