New York has 'much more virulent' strand of COVID-19 than elsewhere in the U.S. By Luke Perry
New York has far more cases of COVID-19 than any other state and over one-third of the total cases in the United States. Public health experts have identified several factors that explain this, including “a politically charged federal response, urban density, racial and economic disparities, and the city’s role as a hub of global commerce and transportation.”
Dr. Kent Hall, Chief Physician and Executive of Mohawk Valley Health System, recently told Keeler in the Morning (WIBX in Utica) there are least 8 different mutations of COVID-19. Some are more aggressive than others.
California, for instance, has experienced a lower death rate than New York. “That virus has a slightly different genetic make-up than the virus that is on the east coast,” Hall explained, “which is a much more virulent virus.”
Photo from Governor Cuomo’s office
COVID-19 is just five months old. Scientists are continually gathering information and learning about the virus. One emerging theory is that genetic differences among people also may explain the range of symptoms individuals experience.
Dr. Hall emphasized “this is not the flu.” COVID-19 can be “absolutely devastating to the body.” Fortunately, this is not the case for the vast majority of people, but for some, the virus is incredibly destructive.
COVID-19 primarily attacks the body’s lungs, but additionally, there can be an intense response by one’s immune system fighting the virus, called a Cytokine Storm. This harms internal organs, including the heart, liver, and kidneys, as a “true, total body, systematic response.”
Photo from NY Department of Health
Dr. Hall said “if we let loose of the social distancing that we’ve been doing too soon, and we start to get more cases of it again, it can ramp back up very quickly.” Widespread testing is necessary to know how many people have had it and what their immune status is. This information, Hall explained, “will allow us to say ‘it is safe for certain people to do certain things,’” including the resumption of social and commercial interaction.
Governor Cuomo stated yesterday that reopening businesses will depend on testing, be staggered, and unfold in phases. Two major considerations are how essential a particular business is deemed and how great the potential risk of spreading the virus to employees and the public will be.
New York recently joined a working group with five Northeastern states to determine how to approach the easing of social distancing requirements.
Luke Perry (@PolSciLukePerry) is Professor of Government at Utica College
