Infectious disease expert answers viewer questions about coronavirus
Dr. Marc Lipsitch, infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard University, predicts that the coronavirus will ultimately not be containable.
A day after New York officials announced the state’s first case of coronavirus, a second illness was confirmed in another resident who is currently in a New York City hospital "in serious condition." The 50-year-old man is a Westchester County resident who works as an attorney in Manhattan and had underlying respiratory issues, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.
According to Cuomo, the man did not previously travel to an area with known coronavirus cases but did visit Miami recently, however, he was not infectious during that time. He lives in New Rochelle, New York, and went to a hospital in Bronxville before being transferred to a New York City hospital. Cuomo said officials are tracking down whether he used public transportation while infectious, and that a Riverdale school where one of his children attends has closed.
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"Yesterday, a New York State resident with respiratory issues was diagnosed with the coronavirus at a New York City hospital," New York Mayor Bill De Blasio said in a statement released on Tuesday. "The patient remains hospitalized and is in serious condition. City and State disease detectives are working closely to identify close contacts and the appropriate next steps."
De Blasio said the test was conducted by New York City Public Health Laboratory on the first day of testing, and the results were confirmed within hours enabling officials to "take next steps to stop the spread of this virus."
"We have said from the beginning that it is likely we will see more positive cases of the coronavirus," he said. "We are working closely with our state and federal partners to ensure we are taking the highest precautions to keep New Yorkers safe."
Later in a press briefing, De Blasio said that both of the man's sons are isolated at home and are being tested. He added that one son, who attends a university in New York City, does have symptoms.
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Separately, Cuomo said that two families in Buffalo who had traveled to Italy recently were isolated in their homes and are being tested for possible coronavirus.
The first case, which was confirmed in a press conference with New York health and state officials on Monday, involves a 39-year-old health care worker who lives in Manhattan and had been working in Iran, which is currently experiencing an outbreak of the virus. Cuomo said the woman was not believed to be infectious while on a plane back to the U.S. last Tuesday and took a private car to her home.
He said she took proper precautions when she began developing symptoms and has been in her home with her husband since testing positive. Her husband is also being tested, and Cuomo said they expect his results will also be positive. As of Tuesday morning, his results had not been reported.
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Cuomo and other state officials had sought to quell fears about the eventual spread of COVID-19 throughout the state and had said that they were prepared for a likely uptick in cases. De Blasio said the city had 1,200 beds prepared for potential patients if the outbreak were to hit the city on a larger scale.