Coronavirus cases hit 2 largest US cities differently

Coronavirus cases hit 2 largest US cities differently

SeattlePI.com

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles recorded its first case of coronavirus five weeks before New York City, yet it's New York that is now the U.S. epicenter of the disease.

Public health officials are keeping a wary eye and warning that LA could end up being as hard hit as New York in coming weeks, in part because a planned increase in testing may uncover a dramatic surge in cases. Testing in Los Angeles County is expected to increase from 500 per day to 5,000 by the end of the week.

“I would love to be able to say with all certainty that's where we're not going,” Los Angeles Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said when asked about New York's numbers. “We would be foolish not to prepare for a similar scenario here in LA County.”

In both cities, schools have been canceled, many businesses shuttered and employees who can have been ordered to work from home. New York City, with roughly 8.5 million residents, had nearly 22,000 cases and 281 deaths as of Thursday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Los Angeles County, which contains its namesake city of 4 million people plus an additional 6 million residents, had just over 1,200 cases and 21 deaths.

Health experts don't know why there is such a big difference in the number of cases, but believe several things could be at play, such as urban density, differences in the use of mass transportation and slightly earlier moves by authorities to enact social distancing policies. A difference in the speed and amount of tests could also be factors, as officials warn that many people who get COVID-19 don't necessarily have symptoms.

The virus is spread in tiny droplets from coughs and sneezes. Most people who get it experience mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For others, in particular older adults or...

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