A small study from China indicates that the coronavirus can be found in the air up to 13 feet from patients in a hospital as New York’s death toll from coronavirus topped 10,000, with hospitals still seeing 2,000 new patients a day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. The virus was also found to linger on hospital staffers’ shoes and may be spread by walking in contaminated shoes.
What We Know:
- The research was posted online in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal.
- “The aerosol distribution characteristics … indicate that the transmission distance of COVID-19 might be 4m (more than 13 feet),” the report says. Testing was done in areas that held a total of 37 virus patients.
- High levels of the virus were also found on frequently touched surfaces such as trashcans, bed rails, and computer mice.
- Researchers have proven a device using ultraviolet light technology can neutralize the COVID-19 and other infectious diseases on the soles of shoes by more than 99.5 percent, according to a new study. The device, called HealthySole Plus, is being introduced in hospitals and other settings where infection control is urgent. A home version of the device is also available.
- The coronavirus has infected more than 2 million people and killed at least 133,000 worldwide, according to John’s Hopkins University. New York tallied 671 new deaths of those killed as of Sunday. It was the first time in a week the daily toll dipped below 700. Still, the governor noted people are still dying at a “horrific level of pain and grief and sorrow”.
- Cuomo said almost 2,000 people were newly hospitalized with the Virus Sunday, though once discharges and deaths are accounted for, the number of people hospitalized has flattened to just under 19,000.
“As the swab supply continues to decline, there is a real possibility hospitals will completely run out. At this time, providers are reminded to only test hospitalized patients in order to preserve resources that are needed to diagnose and appropriately manage patients with more severe illness.” – April 11th Health Alert
- “If the president of the United States or anyone else wants a recovery – and we all want it, right? But if you’re serious about it, you can’t do it without widespread testing,” Mayor Bill De Blasio said at a City Hall briefing Monday.
- Through Sunday afternoon, 462,000 people in New York have been tested for the virus, according to state figures. Of those, nearly 189,000 had tested positive.
- Lack of testing capability, partly due to rationing of personal protective equipment for the people who would have to administer them, has also stopped officials from doing widespread testing of hospital and nursing home staff who might be passing infections to each other and to patients.
You should wipe down surfaces’ multiple times a day if you leave your home and then come back.
