10,000 dead in New York City alone. The United States is hit hard by the pandemic of coronavirus, now representing the first source of contamination in the world. The latest report shows more than 2,200 dead in 24 hours across the country. Figures “apocalyptic” but still “underestimated”, deplores Julien Cavanagh, neurologist and head of interns at Sumy, State University of New York, which brings together three hospitals. “We will probably never know the exact number of deaths in New York,” he assures Wednesday at the microphone of Europe 1.
“Our capacities are starting to be exceeded”
The city’s hospitals are overloaded. “We make it a point of honor to welcome everyone, but our capacities are starting to be exceeded,” he says at the microphone of Europe 1. The establishment where he works has been completely reconfigured in recent weeks. “All the floors are now Covid floors. It took up all the space,” says Julien Cavanagh.
In the three State University hospitals, resuscitation capacities have quadrupled, and additional beds will still be opened. Throughout the floors, “code 999”, for cardiac arrest, and “code 88”, for intubation, echo through loudspeakers. “Normally this only happens once or twice a day. Right now it’s several times an hour …”
“Some do not come to the hospital because they are afraid of receiving an invoice”
The situation of the most modest people is particularly worrying. “In the United States, Covid 19 is a disease of poverty, because it induces more promiscuity and therefore transmission, but also more obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure,” explains Julien Cavanagh.
The more so as the American systems of access to care are “extremely complicated”, and discourage some from seeing a doctor. “People do not come to the hospital because they are afraid of receiving an invoice. They are not aware of all the care systems that exist …”
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