Contagion Live News Network: Coronavirus Updates for April 3, 2020

Welcome to the Contagion® Live News Network. I'm Michaela Fleming and this is your coronavirus update for Friday April 3rd.

With more than 1 million COVID-19 cases across the globe Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Is warning Americans that the pandemic in the United States will get much worse before it gets better. Dr. Fauci calls for Americans to continue following social distancing recommendations. “The physical separation that we’re doing is clearly having a positive impact” Fauci said.

As of Friday, only 10 states did not have stay-at-home orders in place. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

At this time President Trump does not plan to issue a nationwide stay at home order.

Dr. Fauci also stated that face masks should not be considered a substitute for practicing social distancing. Guidance has been shifting in regard to global health recommendations regarding mask use, and reports are conflicting. One thing that can be agreed upon though is that N95 masks should be reserved for health care workers.

In New York City, the US Navy Hospital Ship Comfort is bolstering processes and procedures as the ship takes on more patients. The ship is docked at pier 90 and only had 20 patients on board. New York has more than 100,000 cases of the virus across the state. City mayor Bill de Blasio publicly stated that Sunday will be “D-Day” for COVID-19 in New York City.

It is anticipated that the city will run out of ventilators and health care workers will be stretched thin. The mayor predicts that approximately 5,000 individuals in New York will be in need of a ventilator early next week.

For other stories relevant to COVID-19 and the latest infectious disease news, visit ContagionLive.com. To track the spread of infectious diseases in the United States and abroad, be sure to use the Contagion® Outbreak Monitor.