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THE POLIO VIRUS has been found in New York City’s wastewater in another sign that the disease, which had not been seen in the US in a decade, is quietly spreading among unvaccinated people, health officials said today.
The presence of the poliovirus in the city’s wastewater suggests probable local circulation of the virus, the city and New York state health departments said.
State health commissioner Dr Mary T Bassett said the detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples in New York City is alarming but not surprising.
“The risk to New Yorkers is real but the defence is so simple – get vaccinated against polio,” New York city health commissioner Dr Ashwin Vasan said in a statement.
“With polio circulating in our communities there is simply nothing more essential than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus, and if you’re an unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adult, please choose now to get the vaccine.
“Polio is entirely preventable and its reappearance should be a call to action for all of us.”
The NYC Health Department and @HealthNYGov have identified poliovirus in sewage in NYC, suggesting local transmission of the virus. Polio can lead to paralysis and even death. We urge unvaccinated New Yorkers to get vaccinated now: https://t.co/ELJCZi1WOL pic.twitter.com/TTmjZWhwtd
— nychealthy (@nycHealthy) August 12, 2022
New York city is being forced to confront polio as city health officials are struggling to vaccinate vulnerable populations against monkeypox and adjusting to changing Covid-19 guidelines.
“We are dealing with a trifecta,” mayor Eric Adams said today on CNN.
“Covid is still very much here. Polio, we have identified polio in our sewage, and we’re still dealing with the monkeypox crisis.
“But the team is there. And we’re co-ordinating and we’re addressing the threats as they come before us, and we’re prepared to deal with them with the assistance of Washington DC.”
The announcement about the discovery of the polio virus in New York City comes shortly after UK health authorities reported finding evidence the virus has spread in London but found no cases in people.
.@nycHealthy has identified poliovirus in sewage in NYC, suggesting local transmission of the virus. Polio can lead to paralysis and even death. We urge unvaccinated New Yorkers to get vaccinated now: https://t.co/iCkSuMkyXB
— City of New York (@nycgov) August 12, 2022
In New York, one person suffered paralysis weeks ago because of a polio infection in Rockland County, north of the city. Wastewater samples collected in June in both Rockland and adjacent Orange County were found to contain the virus.
Most people infected with polio have no symptoms but can still give the virus to others for days or weeks.
Vaccination offers strong protection and authorities urged people who have not received the vaccine to seek one immediately.
Based on past outbreaks, it is possible that hundreds of people in the state have got polio and do not know it, officials said.
Polio was once one of the nation’s most feared diseases, with annual outbreaks causing thousands of cases of paralysis. The disease mostly affects children.
Vaccines became available starting in 1955, and a national vaccination campaign cut the annual number of US cases to fewer than 100 in the 1960s and fewer than 10 in the 1970s, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
A small percentage of people who contract polio suffer paralysis. The disease is fatal for 5% to 10% of those paralysed.
All schoolchildren in New York are required to have a polio vaccine, but Rockland and Orange counties are both known as centres of vaccine resistance.
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The cynic in me thinks that Arlene is digging her heals in just to show she is British and therefore will not do the same as the Irish, but will do the same as the British even if that is not what NI citizens want her to do. The Scots and Welsh closing the schools gives her the opportunity to show she is as British as the Scots and Welsh. A ladder to climb down.
@Alan Rossiter: is say your statement is a statement of fact!
@Alan Rossiter: couldn’t agree more. The DUPs will happily risk everything. With Brexit they risked people’s livelihoods and now with the virus they risk people’s lives. All in an effort to prove/remain being British
@Alan Rossiter: Arlene will do as Boris says
@Alan Rossiter: had my children out anyway. They go to school in Tyrone. Take the power out off her hands. Seriously tricky ppl.
@Alan Rossiter: BJ caved in! Well done Scotland and NI :)
About time.
The north won’t close until Westminster tells them though.
@John Murphy: Snalene will now do as she’s told and not what was best for keeping this whole island safe. She will be remembered for doing nothing what a great leader.
@John Murphy: it’s not unprecedented…plenty of countries have done it already.
Dáil Éireann 1-0 Northern Ireland Assembly
Who said there was no sport
The extra week the UK had has been used for teachers to prepare student home course work and allow the parents to plan child care arrangements. There are no right answers here, there is no playbook to consult and its not a point scoring game . Its not about stopping the virus its about managing it so that health services can keep going.
Is that my horse running down the road? I’d better close the barn door so.
About time too. The North has been reckless with our health and safety. Wetherspoons and Filthys PUBS open in Belfast on Paddy’s day. On RTE news. As we an island with significant cross movements, direct bus and train links, we cannot let this go. A leading virologist at Queen’s said yesterday that due to poor testing regimes up to 3000 people could be infected now in the NORTH. Irish government needs to sort this out with Westminster. No repetition. Hop virologist is wrong. Soon find out.Titanic Centre closed/ staff illness.Try tracing its customers. Executive from at first at one subsequently divided on the issue
We cannot allow the Tory government to effectively undermine our trojan efforts to deal with the virus. We must be treated as an island for health safety purposes.Never again.
Our Strategy seems at odds with the UK & NI. Based on this would it not be prudent to shut down our exposure to the UK by way of Flights and Sea travel?
Only facilitate the movement of Goods and those who need to return home.
@Charles McCarthy: But they can fly into the North and come in that way or by ferry.
How dare ye try and tell us brits what to do…….our egos cant take it.
Closed now. A case of coronavirus in my niece’s school and the original plan was to close until Monday for a deep clean. My niece is experiencing symptoms and cannot get tested. Her mother is a public health nurse and has been instructed to continue working. Madness
Slow learners
Finally!!! It took long enough!!!
Took long enough but that’s all schools on islands shut now.
Thank goodness for that!
Poor Arlene too little too late
NI hang your head in shame…
@MickN: DUP, UUP and Alliance. the nationalist party’s said they should close
Arnold won’t be happy
@Seld Employed Anarchist: was he ever happy?
Australia keeps its schools open. Apparently, Aussie politicians want us to be another Italy. We had plenty warning but have chosen to ignore it.
I don’t think the proposed plan to allow the children of healthcare workers in N Ireland to be cared for in yet to decided on buildings in groups is maybe a good idea but completely understand the need to help the health workers as the elderly need protection too .China found that 15-17% of the covid 19 cases was among healthcare workers there . It could mean that if children or their parents in these groups contracted the disease and all the children are together potentially many of the parents could then become contacts if certain scenarios arose and then many healthcare workers be required to stay home or worse case scenario bring the virus from infected children in the group in to their patients as children often have little or no symptoms . Difficult situation to arrange .
I wonder how many people will die because Arlene was more worried about appearing to be more british than she was about the lives of the people of northern ireland
have your say