The New York nursing home has 46 coronavirus deaths; 52 others are suspected | Coronavirus

The case, at the Isabella Geriatric Center in Manhattan, is one of the worst in the United States, with the highest number of cases and deaths from the disease in the world. As of Friday (1), the official state account listed 13 deaths in the nursing home.

But officials at the 705-bed center later confirmed that as many as 46 residents who were diagnosed with Covid-19 had died, as well as 52 other people suspected of having the virus, the Associated Press reported. Some died in the nursing home and others died after being treated in hospitals.

The number of bodies was so large that the house placed them in a refrigerated truck, because funeral homes are taking days to collect the bodies.

“It is absolutely horrible,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. “It is an invaluable loss and it is impossible to imagine so many people lost in one place.”

According to a spokeswoman for the center, the place, “like all New York nursing homes, initially had limited access to extensive and consistent internal testing to quickly diagnose our residents and employees.”

The center also struggled with a shortage of employees and a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to the Associated Press.

The Isabella Geriatric Center said it “could not speculate” why the state survey previously listed 13 deaths from Covid-19 at its facilities. The center said it “truly and accurately reported” its death toll to state officials.

The New York Department of Health said it received “outbreak reports” from 239 nursing homes, including at least six facilities with a death toll of 40 patients or more.

Nursing homes have been the focus of diffusion for Covid-19. According to an AP survey, more than 3 thousand people died in these places across New York State since the pandemic began.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also expressed its concern, on several occasions, with these places, where the virus can easily spread and cause many deaths. The elderly are considered at risk in the pandemic.