Sixteen thousand New Yorkers could die to the coronavirus before the contagion runs its course, according to a projection cited Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as statewide deaths from COVID-19 rose to 1,941.
That unthinkable figure is based on a projection by the Gates Foundation — and may actually be conservative, as it projects only 93,000 deaths nationwide, as opposed to the six-figure tallies forecast by the White House.
“That would mean that New York is only 16-percent roughly of the number of deaths,” said Cuomo. “I don’t even understand that, since New York is so much higher right now.
“But what that does say to the rest of the nation is this is not just New York.”
Cuomo also warned that 80 percent of coronavirus patients put on a ventilator never recover, as he revealed that nearly another 400 New Yorkers died in the span of 24 hours.
“That number will continue to go up,” said Cuomo, speaking in an Albany press briefing, of the death toll, which now stands at 1,941 — up 391 from Tuesday.
“That is [largely] people who have been on ventilators for a period of time,” said Cuomo. “If you go on a ventilator, there’s roughly only a 20-percent chance that you will come off.”
Cuomo noted that there are now 3,022 patients statewide in ICU beds, which officials have defined as beds with capacity for ventilators.
Statewide, there are now 83,712 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 47,439 of those in the five boroughs, Cuomo said.
“Everyone asks the same questions. … When is this going to be over?” said Cuomo. “I understand people want answers. I want answers. But the answer is, nobody knows for sure.”
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