New York mourns amid the Rona outbreak
Devastated, New York, one of the world’s busiest cities, has been hit by the dreaded Coronavirus virus that has left a trail of destruction and horror to the once vibrant city. Confined and their movements curtailed, New Yorkers are grappling with uncertainties aggravated by the imposition of total lockdown.
But how? You may wonder, did New York get into its current predicament. Why is it the epicenter of this voracious monster? Why are mortality rates skyrocketing threatening to decimate the once populous metropolis?
Encapsulated below are answers to these mind-boggling queries and the mechanisms adopted to combat and control its spread.
Why New York is the epicenter
Dubbed as the “city that never sleeps,” and one of the busiest metropolitan cities in the world, New York is home to over eight million people robust with diverse languages featuring over 500 tongues.
Below are some of its attributes that contributed to its staggering infection and death rates:
- Enormous population:
Population concentration in New York is roof blowing. Coronavirus being highly contagious thrives in densely crowded areas as social distancing is unfeasible.
Typically stacked and congested together in sub-ways, eateries, and sidewalks, New Yorkers provided a fertile ground for the spread of the virus unconsciously. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
- Major tourist destination:
A major tourist destination and the most toured city in America, New York bore a higher transmission probability as international tourists recently from Corona torn countries landed there.
That provided a window of opportunity for the virus to spread unnoticeably only to become an epidemic after the asymptomatic period lapsed.
- Delayed response:
Spread quickly by social contact with the infected persons; the authorities are at fault for not acting promptly to abolish social gatherings in the formative days.
Social distancing, even though not the remedy for the virus, proved to flatten the transmission curve explaining why aggressive authorities contained then spread quickly.
Escalating mortality rates explained
The high infection and transmission rates of (Covid-19) have overwhelmed medical staff and facilities which work around the clock to meet the un-satiable demand.
The virus acting by compromising and annihilating the breathing system prompts health workers to place the patients under ventilator machines to aid in their breathing.
Due to high infection rates and demand for the already scarce ventilators, most patients, especially those with compromised immunity, succumb to the infection.
The result is a trail of dead bodies that have surprisingly overwhelmed even the morgues prompting undertakers to improvise refrigerated cargo trucks as makeshift morgues.
Measures to curb the spread of Corona
As top researchers and scientists are in pursuit of a vaccine to this voracious virus, some guidelines are in play to control the spread and contamination.
New York is the worst hit by this pandemic and has adopted the following measures:
- Scrapping social gatherings:
Authorities in New York have moved to abolish social events and groupings by shutting down schools and businesses to reduce the spread of the disease.
To further realize zero social gatherings, the government recently announced a total lockdown on New York, leaving the once vibrant streets a haven for speeding ambulances.
- Deployment of national guards to fumigate public places:
Deployment of national guards has been lauded by many as a step to victory amid the escalating infections.
The guards are responsible for disinfecting the city, as well as distributing food to needy households.
Personal measures against (Covid-19)
Despite some areas being red-zones of the horrific virus, it is crucial to understand that anyone might be a victim. However, adherence to the following protective measures might cushion you:
- Maintain a safe social distance and, if possible, stay indoors.
- Regularly wash your hands with clean running water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds. With the absence of water, adopt the use of alcohol-based sanitizers on your hands.
- Frequently disinfect active surfaces such as doorknobs and stair rails.
- Cover your mouth when sneezing or sneeze on your elbow.