In New York, the number of confirmed corona infections doubles every three to four days. This has made the city the new epicenter of the global pandemic. The city is not locked up as a precaution, as President Donald Trump previously considered, but the residents are no longer allowed to travel just like that.
More than 121,100 infections have now been registered in the United States and more than 2,000 people have died from the effects of the virus. The state of New York is particularly hard hit. According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, more than 700 residents have died there since the virus outbreak.
There are fears that the health care system will collapse. Steve Kasspidis works in New York as a doctor in intensive care and sees that the burden is too great. “It’s hell. Of biblical proportions. I’m serious. People arrive, are intubated for ventilation, they die, and the cycle repeats.”
States compete with each other
“People are scared, especially here in New York, with a third of the infections. We could have the same scenes here as in Italy,” says professor and physician Michael Merson. As a precaution, he has been quarantined at home for two weeks. “Mainly because I am in a high-risk group, as a person over 70.”
Merson worked for the World Health Organization for many years, where he led the fight against the AIDS epidemic. He watches with sorrow how the federal government is tackling the pandemic.
“There has been no nationwide mobilization. So the governors of the different states are competing with each other for the necessary equipment. That’s not what you would do in a war situation,” says Merson. “Our president says we are at war, but doesn’t act accordingly.”
Trump hinted earlier this week that the restrictions would be phased out in the short term. And he even mentioned Easter as a target date. “That is a special day. And it would be a great prospect,” said the president. To Merson’s surprise: “These are castles in the air, and would lead to many more infections.”
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New York Governor Cuomo, meanwhile, is ringing the alarm. He is demanding action from the federal government quickly. “Nothing just happens. The government has promised 400 respirators. What am I going to do with that? I need 30,000. You choose which people will die from that shortage.”
The governor is highly praised for his disciplined approach to the crisis. According to health care economist Sherry Glied, many Americans have much more faith in local governments than in the federal government. “As a leader in times of panic, you need a consistent message. If you change your mind every other day, it doesn’t inspire confidence.”
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“Our government does hold press conferences, but is not helping, although they have had months to prepare,” Morgan Sykes said indignantly. Like many thousands of New Yorkers, she lost her job due to the crisis. She is now working as a bicycle courier for a volunteer organization that delivers groceries and medicines to people who cannot go outside.
In the video below, Sykes explains why she finds her work for Corona Couriers so important to do and shows how quiet it is now in the otherwise bustling metropolis.
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‘My parents are scared that I am at the center of the pandemic’
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The corona crisis has devastated the booming US economy. In a week, more than three million Americans lost their jobs, the US has never experienced anything like this before. “The question is whether structural flaws in the economy are being exposed or whether it is just a severe storm,” says economist Glied.
Everyone in the Sykes area is now unemployed. “The wave of redundancies and the economic devastation are enormous.” Working for Corona Couriers helps her feel better. “I can cycle out all my anger, my frustrations, my feelings of vulnerability and powerlessness. I can turn them into a helping hand, an act of defiance and joy.”
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