New York Governor Andrew Cuomo shared initial survey results of hospitalized coronavirus patients during a Wednesday press conference, which said 66% of respondents were at home before being admitted, showing that the virus has continued to spread during lockdown, even as New York prepares for an eventual reopening.
KEY FACTS
About 1,200 patients were surveyed from 113 hospitals over a three-day period, Cuomo said; his office did not respond to a request for comment by Forbes.
In addition to mostly coming from their homes, surveyed patients were more likely to be over 51 years old, and either nonessential workers, retired or unemployed.
96% of the surveyed patients had co-morbidities, which means nearly all had another chronic medical condition prior to catching coronavirus.
The survey also found that COVID-19 disproportionately affects African Americans and Hispanics living in the New York City area.
The New York survey appears to be unique in that it released results on where patients came from before being hospitalized.
Some of the survey’s results on ethnicity and age appeared to match a Centers for Disease Control study of hospitalized patients released April 8, 2020, which showed that older people and African Americans were more likely to have COVID-19.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“They’re not working, they’re not traveling, they’re predominantly downstate, predominantly minority, predominantly older,” said Cuomo. “Much of this comes down to what you do to protect yourself.”
KEY BACKGROUND
The survey was conducted because while new COVID-19 hospitalizations are down in New York, they are declining at a much slower rate than Cuomo would like, he said. Cuomo did not provide an explanation as to why so many of the surveyed patients were coming from their homes, but he did say it reaffirms precautions such as mask-wearing and handwashing to protect more vulnerable people. Cuomo said he was surprised by the survey results, because he expected more patients would be essential workers or using public transportation. “That’s not the case,” he said.
TANGENT
Cuomo also revealed that an upstate agricultural greenhouse was experiencing an outbreak that he compared to the state’s first outbreak in New Rochelle, as well as outbreaks seen at meat plantsacross the country. “It’s not about meat or vegetables, it’s about worker density and large gatherings,” Cuomo said of the spread.
This article originally appeared on Forbes.
