This week Everett Cox (Everett Cox) called again a few old friends who wanted to say goodbye to him. Most veterans of the Vietnam war, like himself. Men. Lonely. All slightly over 70. Some chronic disease. They believe that sooner or later will pick up the virus and then they will have no chance to survive.
Cox — social worker. He feels the fear caller. Listen to them. Not even trying to be reassuring. Advises to turn off the TV and not to leave the house. He doesn’t want them in danger, but thinks to look at the world — healthier, even if the view from afar, and the window empty street.
On television, Ticker without end transmits data about sick and dying instead of the usual stock prices, the results of football and basketball games or surveys on the attitude of citizens to politicians. Now the situation determines death.
This week, perhaps after a few hours, the number of victims of coronavirus in the United States exceeds the number of soldiers killed in Vietnam — the war that lasted 12 years. In new York, the epicenter of the pandemic, the virus has long been overshadowed by all the catastrophes of the last century and even the attacks of September 11, 2001. Then, with the collapse of the twin towers of the world trade center killing 2753 people. The virus in one only new York took in five times as many lives. In this case, before the last Chapter “the History of the coronavirus” in the Big Apple is still very far away.
New York is a city for extroverts. Anyone who wants to get here, needs to declare itself loudly to forget about modesty, to show strength and look for people that will applaud him, and the louder, the better. But after the outbreak of the coronavirus city if left to themselves. So quiet that its residents now, through the closed Windows I hear the birds chirping. New York so empty that strangers encountered on the street, only from afar, smiling at each other through masks and waved a hand. Now the city needs other qualities to survive: caution, distance, restraint, doubt. This is perhaps one of the 8.4 million new Yorkers was not ready.
Some residents expressed their dissatisfaction aloud. Here is a couple of days on lampposts in Manhattan hang posters facing runners and cyclists: “Idiots, yuppies, Millennials, narcissistic pig! Put on your fucking mask you live not alone!” In emails to the “left” radio station WBAI listeners fell into one of the leading, which is supposedly too later announced that he had contracted the coronavirus. As a woman ganged up on the pages of the New York Post to American Airlines for being on Board the plane flying from Miami to new York, almost half of the passengers were not wearing masks. The airline was justified by the fact that she has no means to p��adavit rule requiring passengers to wear masks.
Some new Yorkers, faced with their own mortality, and dare to be creative. The writer is a teacher of literary creativity Lisa Friedman (Lisa Freedman) from the beginning of the pandemic, a host of new clients, working on their own literary projects. And indeed, Friedman in his lyrics began to pay more attention to the issue of death and sadness. The seminars, which she previously led one of the city’s universities, it was moved to the Internet. The pandemic has enabled her to save the hour trip to Manhattan and back. A week goes saving at eight o’clock, no longer have to spend underground. But the seminars in Zoom you have to spend almost more energy to maintain the students ‘ interest.
Light walk against fear
Other residents of the city come out to meet fear light footed. “It’s not for you!” — shouted us a passer-by on the Jogging track around the pond in Central Park. My friend and I were standing with outstretched arms on either side of the pointer, which was marked with a red line with a length of six feet (1.8 meters — approx. transl.). We wanted to find out what a safe distance actually is. A passer-by were at a distance less than arm’s length from me. His rag mask dangling around the neck.
Soon I met another man who came to me even closer. Suddenly he noticed my eyes on his huge orange plastic mask — a sort of mouthpiece. “I bought it a few days ago in the shop,” he said with pride, this moment is like a little boy. The mask covering his mouth, making the voice louder, almost booming. He unscrewed the cap on the right cheek, to show how a mask, you can insert a filter. I took a step back. But before I could say something about the mask, some woman pulled him along and they left.
From new York to Tirschenreuth
New York. According to Sunday in new York, there were about 158 thousand confirmed cases of infection with coronavirus. 12 067 people died, 18 018 are considered to be recovered. Thus, in a metropolis with a population of 8.4 million people every 53 persons were infected. Right now it hurts every 60 minutes. Every 696-th person died. Across the country the number of confirmed cases on Sunday was about 986 thousand, the number of deaths — 55 417.
Tirschenreuth. In Germany, similarly high rates in percentage terms was in the district of Tirschenreuth, in the Upper Palatinate (Bavaria). In the German center of disease live only 72 500 people, of which on Monday, was infected with 1097. Since the beginning of the pandemic died 100 people. Thus, in recent weekscoronaviruses infected for every 60 residents of the district, each 725 th died. Throughout Germany, the total number infected, according to the Institute Robert Koch, rose to 155 193 people. 5750 people died.
The situation with the pandemic. Unlike new York, where so far recovered only about 12 thousand of cases, performance in Sochi is much more comforting. Most of the sick recovered. At the moment patients are all 119 people.
In this city, where usually very easy to talk to someone on the street (because new Yorkers are very talkative, especially when speaking of themselves), now every convergence with a stranger is difficult. Because either will have to keep a distance of six feet and shouting to each other, or we fail to keep a safe distance and lighten the task of the virus.
A few minutes walk from the Jogging track around the pond on a bench still sits a middle-aged man looks away. In Central Park, where on this spring day there are lots of much more pleasant places, he chose probably the most uncomfortable close to the bustling Fifth Avenue, very close with several police cars and just close to the barrage grids, covered with a blue plastic ribbon with an inscription “Pass is forbidden”.
the Evangelical Christians in Central Park
A couple of dozen meters behind the barricades, directly on the lawn is a dozen white tents of the charitable organization “Purse Samaritan” (Samaritan`s Purse). Inside there are 68 beds for patients with the coronavirus, including ten beds for those who require resuscitation. Maybe someone close to this man lies in one of the tents and fighting for life. Relatives of patients, the entrance of this field hospital is prohibited. Maybe he’s one of the residents that the presence of this field hospital in the city is very scary.
Field infirmary in Central Park refers to the located on the opposite side of Fifth Avenue the Mount Sinai hospital Hospital (Hospital mount Sinai). From 1 April these tents have been 140 patients for whom there was no space in the hospital. This infirmary is a clear sign of how confused these days proud and liberal city. Ninety-staff of a field hospital signed the “credo” of eleven points. In most southern States this would be no problem, but in new York its very presence contradicts the sense of life of this city. In paragraph 7 stipulates the recognition of marriage as the Union of “genetic men and genetic women.” And paragraph 11 directed against abortion. “We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ,” are obliged to declare people who want to work in these white tents.
“Purse of the Samaritan” is a charitable organization Christian evangelicals. The head of the organization — ppropovednik Franklin Graham (Franklin Graham), who considered a political ally of Donald trump. The mayor of new York, Democrat bill de Blasio (Bill de Blasio), by his own admission, was “puzzled” by the emergence of evangelists in the city. Here the police lead handcuffed, dressed in a pink suit activist William Talena (William Talen) that stuck on a lawn a rainbow flag. The hospital is Mount Sinai assured that the evangelists during the “coronaries” treat all patients equally.
Graham, whose organization is also involved in the treatment of patients with coronavirus in Italy, did not fail to seize the opportunity for self-promotion. At Easter he made in Central Park with a speech, standing on the background of tents with the logo of the organization. His performance in the live show TV channel Fox News. Since then he has been calling for donations to address the millions of new Yorkers.
In residential neighborhoods on either side of the Central Park social housing is replaced with luxury complexes of class “luxury”. Plain brick houses, home to about half a million new Yorkers, and in normal times are often barely getting by all, now and at all crowded like never before. Adults, remaining without a job, and kids sitting at home because schools are closed, now have 24 hours to spend in cramped apartments.
A couple of blocks away start expensive and prestigious homes. There is unusual silence. Park Avenue in the Upper East side polished to a Shine. On a dividing strip arranged flowering red tulips. A doorman in white gloves washes the sidewalk under the green awning. Besides him, on the street almost no one. Cars on Park Avenue, which at this point has three lanes in each direction, now passing about every two minutes.
Since the beginning of the pandemic expensive neighborhoods of new York were deserted. Many residents fled the city to their villas in the Hamptons on long island or on a ranch upstate.
On the opposite side of Central Park is also a notable outflow of the wealthy population. Masseuse March Lipton (Lipton Martha) with balcony on the 17th floor you can see the Parking lot of an apartment complex, and there, according to her, now 25-30% fewer cars than usual. “My rich neighbors are gone,” she says. After the start of the pandemic she had almost gone customers — massage is now useless. Mar spends the time reading and walking through Central Park. Purchase she makes in the supermarket, where there was never crowding and “panic procurement” as in other parts of the city. There is even toilet paper. Inside the residential complex no longer allowed couriers — they now have to leave the pizza at the entrance. Martha Lipton, by his own admission, on the Upper West side feels safe, but adds: “While I ��e need to the hospital.”
But health care in middle and Lower Manhattan is much better than in poorer areas. The number of ambulance calls has increased from 4 thousand a day in April of last year to 6.5 per thousand in April. And this despite the fact that the authorities for several weeks without end urge citizens to dial 911 only in exceptional cases — if they have breathing problems or a heart condition.
the death rate is increasing and is unevenly distributed
The sirens of fire trucks and ambulances — almost the only sounds that violate new York’s silence in these weeks. This is not always the people you call your doctor for coronavirus. Simultaneously with the start of a pandemic among the citizens has increased dramatically and the number of deaths from a heart attack. This spring two to three times more than last year. Primarily affects people in poor areas. In the southern part of Queens since the beginning of March the death rate from heart attack increased fourfold compared to last year’s figures, and in the poorest neighborhoods of the Bronx — and at five times. In the South of Manhattan the number of emergency calls has also increased, but the deaths — “only” twice more.
Shi Dao Wang (Shi Dao Wang) arrived at the hospital not in an ambulance. His March 23 in brought for examination at Presbyterian hospital is the daughter of Lin Gordon (Gordon Lin). Some days he felt weak. Because 72-year-old man had no cough, no high fever, his family did not think it was a coronavirus. However, Shi Tao Vanya immediately admitted and hooked up to a ventilator: the level of ventilation it was 67%. And the next day was ready the result of the test and it was positive.
The next three weeks were for Lin Gordon is very heavy. While her father was on a ventilator in a different hospital mother — her analysis of coronavirus was also positive. Have the daughter also had a cough and temperature. But her symptoms were not pronounced, and her analysis covid-19 refused, because tests are missing. Lin Gordon sent the son to the father, and she was concerned about parents who don’t speak English and are not able to communicate with each other. She is due to illness of some time could not to attend them.
Several times Lin Gordon was able to talk with him on Facetime for a minute, because longer hospital personnel are not allowed to be in the same room with patients because of the risk of infection. When the doctors decided that Shi Tao WAN can handle the load, Gordon visited his father at the rehabilitation ward, where it was moved from the intensive care unit.
But on the night of 14 April, she got a call from the hospital. The nurse established a relationship on Facetime and held the father Gordon’s hand while he talked to her daughter in Chinese. Mother Lin Gordon reported on the death of his father only after that was discharged.
Lin Gordon highly appreciated the work of medical personnel. She brought my father into the best hospital in new York and I’m sure he was lucky that so many rich people left Manhattan and local hospitals are loaded much less than in neighboring Queens or the Bronx.
Nurses, doctors and other essential staff care to shopping, transportation, mail service and garbage collection has continued to work — that they are the real heroes of new York in the period of the disaster. On times square the saxophonist Sweet Lew (Sweet Lew) plays the melody of the song Frank Sinatra New York, New York. “If you do not know the motive, I will force you to produce documents,” he jokes. Suddenly his music intrudes the rumbling produced by two young skateboarders. They go without masks and helmets. On the facades of buildings on a nearly deserted times square spinning rollers Coca-Cola, Nasdaq or the Samsung group, thanking fighters covid-19.
A couple of kilometres to the North every day, about seven o’clock the inhabitants of the Upper Westside open the Windows and start cheering, drumming and whistling in appreciation to doctors. For three minutes they chased a mourning silence, interrupted only by sirens. People sit at the Windows. For many, this friendly collective concert at the end of the next day of the pandemic. Briefly, the wells of the new York houses a newly filled part of the former extroverted energy.
