Mardi Gras blamed for hike in cases
Louisiana now centre of outbreak
THE New Orleans Mardi Gras was last night blamed for the fact that Louisiana has the fastest growth in new coronavirus cases in the world.
The US state has 2,305 cases, up from 19 two weeks ago – a growth rate that tops all others in the world and puts it on a similar trajectory to Italy and Spain.
About 1,000 cases are in New Orleans and were fuelled by the two-month Mardi Gras celebration, which culminated in street parades on February 25. Health experts said it was the ‘perfect incubator’ for spreading the disease.
New Orleans is part of a second wave of American cities which saw dramatic spikes in cases and pushed the US to the top of the table of coronavirus patients in the world.
But despite the growth in new cases, Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis has seen him enjoy the highest approval rating of his presidency.
According to an ABC News poll yesterday, 48% of Americans support him – the first time his approval has been higher than disapproval, which is 46%. This came as the doctor guiding the US through the crisis denied a falling-out with Mr Trump. Relations between the president, a notorious sceptic of experts, and Dr Anthony Fauci, who appears at White House briefings, often appear frosty.
The nation’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr Fauci has even come under attack from Trump supporters, who claim he is trying to derail the presidency as he balances the often off-thecuff White House pronouncements with actual science. But Dr Fauci told Science magazine: ‘Even though we disagree on some things, [Mr Trump] listens. He goes his own way. He has his own style.
‘But on substantive issues, he does listen to what I say.’
The number of positive virus results in the US topped 94,000 yesterday, which is more than
China, despite America having a third of its population. The US now has the highest number of infected people, with cases across the country more than doubling in four days.
Italy yesterday become the second country to surpass China in reported cases. It reached 86,498 cases on the same day it recorded its single biggest leap in coronavirus deaths, with 919 victims – the highest daily total of any country.
Across Louisiana, 119 people have died from coronavirus – and more than half of those are in New Orleans. Dr Joshua Denson, of the Tulane Medical Centre, said: ‘As far as fears New Orleans could be the next epicentre... I think that, unfortunately, I kind of think we are there. I think it came during
‘He does listen to what I say’ ‘Someone brought it here’
Mardi Gras, given the timing of it. Someone brought it here and then it starts spreading slowly.
‘I diagnosed the second case, the first critically ill patient, here last weekend. Her timing was about two weeks postMardi Gras.’
New York remains the US centre of the outbreak by numbers of overall cases, with 23,000 cases and 365 deaths. In the city on Thursday, calls to the 911 emergency line exceeded 6,500, more than the number made on September 11, 2001.