NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – With a new mayor comes a new administration. The latest addition to Mayor Eric Adams’ team is Dr. Ashwin Vasan. In case his name isn’t a hint, he’s New York City’s newest health commissioner.
Following last week's conversation with the state’s new health commissioner about where New York stands with the pandemic, this week, 880 In Depth dove a bit deeper by speaking to Dr. Vasan about how the city is specifically handling COVID, as well as the rising epidemic of mental health issues.
“I call it ‘the second pandemic’,” said Dr. Vasan, who started his tenure as the city's 44th health commissioner this week.
While most adult New Yorkers are still adjusting to the new normal, with some slightly rolled back restrictions, Vasan believes that the isolation needed to contain the virus could be harmful in the long haul for society’s most vulnerable.
He says, “Loneliness is the root of so much mental health…The burden [is] going to fall disproportionately on our children and on people who already suffer and live with mental health challenges.”
Listen to the full conversation above, on the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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