NYC couple sees trucks remove 'string of bodies' outside apartment
As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies in the United States, scenes become grimmer in the eastern state of New York. In New York City, which has reported over 4,500 deaths due to coronavirus, refrigerated trucks moving corpses have become a common sight. Here's what it looks like to be in New York City, from the perspective of a couple in Brooklyn.
'We're seeing so much chaos manifest outside of our home'
Alix Monteleone is a 28-year-old account supervisor who lives in Bushwick in the Brooklyn borough of NYC with her fiance Marc Kozlow (33). Monteleone told Reuters over Skype, "We have a bird's eye view...We're seeing so much chaos manifest outside of our home that we can't imagine how bad it is inside. You know, we stopped counting how many bodies came out."
Couple lives near Wyckoff Heights Medical Center
Reportedly, in recent weeks, the Brooklyn couple has seen several refrigerated trucks—deployed as temporary morgues—line up outside their apartment to move the corpses from the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in the neighborhood. Monteleone said, "This is very serious. This is very real."
Trucks started coming in last week, says couple
The couple first noticed the sight from the Bushwick apartment when Kozlow overheard two doctors talking while he was walking their dog last week. The doctors mentioned the trucks would be arriving soon. Shortly thereafter, Monteleone "turned around on the couch and peered out the window and saw it." Over the past week, the couple has seen "a pretty serious string of bodies."
Couple's friends have advised them to move
Monteleone said the head of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Ramon Rodriguez, has been checking in on the neighbors, however, everyone in her personal and professional life has urged the couple to leave. "They don't think this is a good place to be," she said.
New York reports over 6,000 COVID-19 deaths
According to Reuters, New York State reported 1.5 lakh COVID-19 cases, including over 6,000 deaths, till Wednesday. New York City alone has recorded over 4,500 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Due to the increasing number of fatalities, hospitals, funeral homes, and morgues have been struggling to keep up. Across the US, 4.3 lakh cases and 14,000 deaths have been reported.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 was first reported in China's Wuhan city late last year. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The virus attacks a host's respiratory system triggering symptoms such as fever, cough, and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it may cause pneumonia, multiple organ failure, or death. COVID-19 has spread to over 170 countries, killing 89,000 and sickening 15 lakh.
