NCDHHS to Host Livestream Fireside Chat and Tele-Town Hall Featuring Firsthand Accounts of COVID-19 on June 1 | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Wednesday, June 1, from 6-7 p.m. to discuss COVID-19 recovery, ways to prevent and overcome long-term complications, and available treatments, and to hear firsthand accounts from North Carolinians who experienced varying severity of COVID-19 symptoms.

    The event will feature:

• John Baratta, M.D., MBA, Founder and Co-Director of the UNC COVID Recovery Clinic, who will share his on-the-ground experience treating patients with COVID-19;
• Rev. Corine Mack, President of the NAACP Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Branch, who will share her firsthand experience with COVID-19;
• Michael Vaughn, a retired respiratory therapist from Dunn, N.C., who will share his experience with COVID pneumonia, ICU hospitalization and long-term COVID-19 complications;
• Anthony Jones Jr., a community leader in North Carolina who will share his firsthand experience with COVID-19; and
• Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, M.D., State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer for NCDHHS, who will moderate the discussion.

    The fireside chat will stream live from the NCDHHS social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube), where viewers can submit questions. The event includes a tele-town hall, which invites people by phone to listen in and submit questions to help ensure everyone who is interested can participate. People can also dial into the event by calling (855) 756-7520, Ext. 81963#.

    American Sign Language will be provided. Communication Access Real-Time Translation will be available as well at https://tinyurl.com/2p9buzwr.

    As cases rise in North Carolina, it's important to remember that everyone is susceptible to COVID-19 and potential long-term complications, regardless of age, health condition or how mild their symptoms begin. Recent research found that more than 75% of patients diagnosed with long COVID were not hospitalized for COVID-19 when they were first infected.

    The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 and its long-term effects is to stay up to date on your vaccines. This means getting all your recommended vaccine and booster doses based on your age and health condition.

    NCDHHS fireside chats and tele-town halls are part of the state's ongoing public engagement to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure equitable access to timely information, resources and COVID-19 vaccines.

    The event will begin streaming at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1.

• NC Department of Health and Human Services
• 2001 Mail Service Center
• Raleigh, NC 27699-2001
• Ph: (919) 855-4840
• news@dhhs.nc.gov