Mercer medical students respond to those in need amid COVID-19

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)– Mercer University School of Medicine students have organized their own COVID-19 response team.

Students from Mercer University’s Macon, Savannah and Columbus campuses have partnered to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

On March 17, the Association of American Medical Colleges recommended that institutions temporarily suspend medical students’ participation in any activities that involve patient contact. Despite the order, students at Mercer still wanted to help.

Third-year medical students Marissa D’Souza, Kunal Patel, Payton Prins, and Catherine Waldron founded the new MUSM COVID-19 Student Response Team.

The response team is offering to make masks and purchase PPE for hospitals in need. The COVID-19 response team is also delivering groceries to elderly and immunocompromised people, helping with blood drive screenings, and assisting their local health departments.

Marissa D’Souza says the teamwanted to help kick start a relief effort for those impacted in her own community, as students reached out for help.

D’ Souza stated, “It’s really hard to see people that we care about and people that we know, you know all of our attendings, all of our mentors in the hospital, they’re still there and they’re going home to kids, and I don’t know. It’s scary for them, so any way that we can kind of help, it just absolves some guilt.”

The group has started a website to organize volunteers and a donation drive for personal protective equipment for medical facilities.

The website also has a Go Fund ME for those who cannot donate medical supplies, but still want to help.

Third-year student Kunal Patel says the group has two main goals.

Patel said, “I think our overarching goal is to just unify our response under one name so that one we can reach as many people as possible. And two if anyone is looking to volunteer to be able to see what’s available.”

The COVID-19 response team is constantly searching for new volunteers, and you don’t need to be a part of Mercer’s School of Medicine to help. For details, visit tinyurl.com/gastudentvscovid. The website has volunteer options under the “Other Opportunities” section on the home page.

Here in Macon, student Alyse Ragauskasis collecting mask donations. To coordinate a drop off location, email her at MaconMasks@gmail.com. 

If you want to help or need assistance within the Macon, Savannah,  or Columbus communities, please contact the team by email at musmcovidresponse@gmail.com or phone at (404) 556-2408.