Huge proportion of US coronavirus cases found to come from one source
A large number of coronavirus infections in the US have been traced back to one source – New York City.
New research from the Yale School of Public Health claims the city was “the primary gateway for the rest of the country.”
Thousands of infected travellers passing through the city in March before it was placed on lockdown went on to infect others in their home states, according to the research published by The New York Times.
The wave of people-fuelled outbreaks in several states, including Louisiana, Texas, Arizona and California.
Half of all cases seen in California stemmed from New York City, with 70 per cent of cases in Texas also coming from the Big Apple, according to the research.
Incredibly, 100 per cent of the coronavirus infections in Iowa and Louisiana were tracked back to New York, as well as 98 per cent of cases in Idaho. An outbreak in Seattle, Washington, also spread to a dozen states.
The delayed timing of the city’s lockdown shaped the pandemic for the rest of the country, researchers said, according to The New York Times.
Had authorities acted faster to close the city off and ban international flights, the virus would not have spread so much, Kristian Andersen, an immunology and microbiology professor at Scripps Research, told the publication.
“It means that we missed the boat early on, and the vast majority in this country is coming from domestic spread,” she said.
“I keep hearing that it’s somebody else’s fault. That’s not true. It’s not somebody else’s fault, it’s our own fault.”
Coronavirus: Meat shortage leaves US farmers with 'mind-blowing' choice
'On the eve of genocide': Chilling theory emerges around Amazon tribe amid virus
Half of US states reopen
Despite seeing more than 74,000 virus deaths and 1.2 million infections, numerous states reopened its restaurants, bars and parks last weekend.
The push to ease state lockdowns comes amid pressure from businesses that are collapsing by the day.
Over 33 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits over the past seven weeks, and a highly anticipated report on Friday is expected to show US joblessness as high as 16%, a level not seen since the Depression.
In the meantime, the Trump administration has shelved a 17-page Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document with step-by-step advice to help local authorities do it safely.
Agency scientists were told that the report — which was supposed to be published last Friday —“would never see the light of day,” according to a CDC official who was not authorised to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
There are few specifics to the White House guidelines that say that before reopening, states should have a downward trend in flu and COVID-19-like illnesses for 14 days; hospitals should be able to treat all patients without crisis care; and robust testing should be in place for at-risk health workers.
It says local officials “may need to tailor the application of these criteria to local circumstances”.
with AP
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
