Coronavirus in New York: the first case of infection was confirmed in the city

A 39-year-old resident of Manhattan became infected with the virus while traveling in Iran. Now she is in isolation at home with her husband, who probably also became infected. This publication reports The New York Times.

“Unique case”

The information about the first case of infection among New Yorkers was confirmed on March 1 by the Governor of the state, Andrew Cuomo. “The patient has respiratory symptoms, but she is not in a serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving in New York,” Cuomo said on March 1.

According to state officials, the 39-year-old woman is in Manhattan. She returned from Iran last week and was examined after being admitted to a city hospital; since then she has remained at home.

On March 2, the state governor said the woman was a "unique case." Appearing on CBS this morning, he said that she is a medical professional and "knows that precautions must be taken." According to the governor, she has not used public transport since she returned to New York. Later on at CNN, he added that there is no reason for concern.

New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said the agency has already identified "patient close contacts." “Our detectives will take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the virus,” said Dr. Barbot. "Despite this development, the risk of infection in New York is still minimal."

However, the news that the coronavirus was recorded in Manhattan undoubtedly increased the level of anxiety in this densely populated metropolis, whose inhabitants live in tight quarters.

Little is known about the woman who turned out to be the first New Yorker to get a coronavirus. It is reported that she was one of two people who had been tested for the virus earlier, according to the city health department. Recall, earlier on Sunday at The New York Post it was reported that the mayor of New York mentioned two people who recently returned from Iran and are being tested.

Her husband - also a medical professional - is in isolation with her in their Manhattan home. It is also being tested for the virus, but the results have yet to come. Cuomo said officials suspect the man also contracted the deadly virus.

Other U.S. Virus Infections

More than 80 people in the United States have passed laboratory tests for the presence of coronavirus. Many of them were passengers of a virus-affected cruise ship, or were infected in China and then returned to America.

However, several cases of the spread of the virus from person to person in the United States have also been confirmed. Researchers say that in the state of Washington, the virus may have spread unnoticed for several weeks and that perhaps hundreds of people have been infected.

Two Washington residents who died after being infected with a new coronavirus were also reported.

About testing difficulties

Over the past month, there have been obstacles to large-scale testing. They probably limited the authorities' ability to detect new cases of the disease. Before this weekend, New York State Health Authorities were unable to check patients on site and were forced to submit samples to the CDC. However, the CDC has a framework that limits the eligibility for testing; in this regard, the number of people tested was quite limited, the source said.

Over the previous month, only nine people in New York received samples sent to the CDC for testing, not one of them was detected.

There is also good news: weekend testing procedures have changed since the Wadsworth Lab in Albany received permission from the federal government and began conducting tests for cornavirus.

On the subject: 10 tips on not getting infected with Chinese coronavirus or flu on a plane

In addition to this, New York City health authorities now have more control over who gets tested. This will contribute to much more testing than has happened so far. "We are closely monitoring the situation and preparing for the possible spread of infection here in New York," said spokesman for the New York Department of Health Patrick Gallahue (Patrick Gallahue). "And if the criteria need to be changed, we will strive for that."

NY virus outbreak

For several weeks, New York authorities have announced their readiness for a virus that has spread throughout much of the world.

By this weekend, however, many of the city's stores were running out of sanitary supplies such as hand sanitizers, masks and antibacterial wipes. Alexander Abdurakhmanov, supervising pharmacist and owner of the Chelsea Royal Care pharmacy in Manhattan, reported on March 1 that he was trying to order some products on Amazon. But, according to him, there are either certain difficulties with orders, or the prices are too high.

At the same time, New York authorities still state that they are ready for an outbreak of the virus. In New York, approximately 1200 hospital beds can be provided to patients with coronavirus.

What is known about the virus

The new virus is believed to have emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. It then spread to over 50 countries. More than 86 people have been infected and more than 000 have died.

New virus outbreaks have been reported in Italy, South Korea and Iran. Iran, the epicenter of the outbreak in the Middle East, has officially confirmed 987 cases, state-run news media reported.

In recent decades, in addition to coronavirus, other respiratory viruses have also been recorded: SARS in 2002-2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, which was first reported in 2012.

New York is in close contact with SARS. In 2003, a doctor from Singapore who contracted SARS while treating patients flew to the Big Apple for a conference. In connection with the deterioration of his condition, he returned home.

The new coronavirus in terms of mortality is less dangerous than SARS or MERS, but it spreads faster. According to the CDC, its symptoms may include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In some patients, the disease passes easily, in others it causes pneumonia and respiratory failure.