New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced results from a study that estimates 13.9% of residents have coronavirus antibodies in their system. That means approximately 2.7 million New Yorkers have been infected by COVID-19 with the vast majority of them already recovered without showing symptoms that drew them to the hospital.
This news follows similar studies in California that indicated 4.1% of the population had been infected. It’s very positive news from a death rate perspective as New York, which has the highest number of deaths, is currently showing an effective 0.56% mortality from the virus. That means out of every 1000 people infected, only six have died.
The bad news is the infection is likely going to continue to spread rapidly despite stay-at-home orders. In New York City where the concentration of people is the highest, 21.2% of the population is showing antibodies. That means one out of every five people living in the city have been infected. This is most likely due to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s insistence that people should go about their daily business as usual as late as March.
“What we found so far is that the state-wide number is 13.9% tested positive for having the antibodies,” Cuomo said. “They were infected three weeks ago, four weeks ago, five weeks ago, six weeks ago, but they had the virus, they developed the antibodies and they are now recovered.”
Mainstream media is already spinning this, focusing on the massive numbers of infected and not explaining the real story about the much lower death rates. This news adds fuel to the fire as calls for the country to reopen continue to pour in across the country.
With death rates much lower than expected, it’s time to open the country up for business. The most vulnerable should self-isolate for a bit longer if they choose, but healthy adults should get back to supporting themselves and their families.
