A Nassau County man has tested positive for the coronavirus, the first confirmed case of the virus on Long Island, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a press conference this afternoon.
The patient, a 42-year-old man, is currently hospitalized.
Ten additional cases of coronavirus were also confirmed today, including two in New York City and eight in Westchester County, bringing the statewide total to 22.
Two of the new confirmed cases are from New York City. Both are hospitalized in intensive care units, NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio said in a separate press conference earlier today. Neither of those patients had any known connection to existing coronavirus patients, De Blasio said.
Eight new cases in Westchester County are all displaying “mild or no symptoms,” according to Cuomo, and are currently at home under self-quarantine. Those cases are all related to the case of the 50-year-old Westchester attorney, who has been hospitalized in severe condition since Thursday, Feb. 27.
More than 1,000 people in Westchester County are currently in self-isolation, all in connection to the attorney, who attended a synagogue in New Rochelle prior to his hospitalization and may have exposed other members to the virus.
Two to three dozen people statewide are under mandatory quarantine, Cuomo said. Mandatory quarantines require residents by law to isolate themselves, while self-isolations are only voluntary.
The more tests that are performed, the more cases will be confirmed, Cuomo said.
“The number has to go up if you continue to test,” Cuomo said. “There is no reason for undue anxiety. The facts are reassuring.”
Eighty percent of coronavirus cases are mild and self-resolve, Cuomo said. The other twenty percent result in more severe illness and require hospitalization.
He emphasized that basic health and hygiene precautions are still the best way to protect yourself against the virus. People should avoid shaking hands and other forms of physical contact to prevent spread of the virus.
The CDC’s decision this week to allow local labs to perform their own tests has allowed New York to increase the amount of patients tested to between 100 and 200 tests a day.
Though the decision to test is advised by local physicians, the test kits are still controlled by state health officials, so the ultimate patient sampling decisions are made by state health officials, according to Dr. Lincoln Cox, chair of emergency medicine at Peconic Bay Medical Center. Local healthcare providers, including local hospitals, do not have test kits yet.
Lab tests are currently being performed by Wadsworth State Laboratory and a few private labs, including Northwell Health’s Core Lab in Lake Success.
“They’re trying to make sure the tests are accurate before they allow other people to do it,” Cox said in an interview this morning. “Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, it will be opened up to Northwell hospitals.”
If local residents are presenting with respiratory symptoms and fever, they should stay home from work or school and call their doctor, Cox said.
They should also contact the state or county health department so that a decision can be made whether or not to seek testing.
People with mild symptoms should remain in isolation at home, Cox said. Anyone having difficulty breathing or a persistent high fever who needs to go to the hospital should call ahead to allow the hospital to prepare to isolate the patient. Anyone calling 911 with these symptoms should also inform the dispatcher of their concerns so that ambulance crew members can be adequately prepared.
More coronavirus coverage
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
