Live Science, by Kimberly Hickok: As the number of coronavirus cases in New York City continues to skyrocket, the city’s health care system is overwhelmed and seems on the verge of collapse. Other U.S. cities may soon follow, especially if residents don’t stay committed to firm mitigation measures.
Since mid-March, New York has had the most U.S. coronavirus cases of any state. As of Friday (April 3), more than 50% of the state’s 102,863 COVID-19 cases and about 90% of the state’s 2,965 coronavirus-related deaths are in New York City.
New York City’s health care system is already overwhelmed, and the state has scrambled to prepare makeshift hospitals in Central Park, at the Javits convention center, and onboard a U.S. Navy medical ship. On Thursday (April 2), Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state is projected to run out of lifesaving ventilators in the next six days, The New York Times reported.
Other metropolitan areas in the U.S. could also experience similar, overwhelming demands on their health care systems, said Krys Johnson, an epidemiologist at Temple University in Pennsylvania.
Cities like New Orleans, Miami, and Los Angeles are popular vacation and event destinations, and as such, experience large numbers of visitors from around the world, she said. “All areas with this type of [global] appeal have likely had coronavirus cases for longer than we have been aware and have more cases than we know,” Johnson told Live Science in an email.
Areas that were slow to issue stay-at-home orders or to disperse personal protective equipment and health care resources may end up suffering the worst. “I think states like Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, unfortunately are very likely to have high cases and death rates per capita,” Johnson said. The high state-wide numbers are driven by the major cities in the state, where the majority of the population lives.
Prophetic Link:
“The Lord will not suddenly cast off all transgressors, or destroy entire nations; but He will punish cities and places where men have given themselves up to the possession of Satanic agencies. Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God’s indignation, because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.” Evangelism, page 27.
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