Husband hides his Covid-19 symptoms to see the birth of his son; now his wife is infected as well
A man from New York City hid his Covid-19 symptoms from hospital staff to witness the birth of his son, as reported by USA Today. It's no secret that New York has been struggling to contain the virus; it has the highest number of cases in the entire United States and its hospitals can't keep up with the demand for more available space and ventilators. Now they are at risk for having a second outbreak on their hands.
via USA Today
According to USA Today, the man even kept his symptoms from his wife. He told her after she had already given birth, when he started showing signs of difficulty breathing. The incident took place in New York City's Strong Memorial Hospital of Rochester. The medical staff also revealed that the wife tested postive for the Cornavirus, but could not provide any information on the newborn's condition.
Although the man explained that he hid his symptoms so that he could be with his wife while she gave birth, his actions are inexcusable. Because of his inconsideration, he put the entire medical staff and maternity section of the hospital at risk for contracting the virus. Since the incident, The University of Rochester Medical Center (whose campus includes Strong Memorial Hospital) announced on March 30th that they would start measuring visitors' temperatures before entering the building. They also stated that every staff member, patient, and visitor would be obbligated to wear a surgical mask while on the premises.
Even though the man's heart was in the right place, incidents like this cannot continue to happen. It only takes one person's neglegence to cause the epidemic to skyrocket out of control, which is a situation that New York cannot afford right now.
