COVID-19: NYC Quote of the Day 2020-04-01

Wednesday, April 1, 2020, NYS Gov. Cuomo - Show the Country What It Means to Have Coronavirus

On a personal note - my brother Christopher tested positive for the coronavirus. He's at home. He's doing fine enough. He has a fever, he has chills, symptoms of basically a very bad flu. I think this is illustrative in a number of ways. First of all, anyone can get this disease. Relatively young people, strong people, people who take a lot of vitamin pills. People who go to the gym a lot. Anyone can get this disease. No one can be protected from it. I couldn't protect my own brother. With all he knows, and as smart as he is, he couldn't protect himself.

I understand the data. I understand 80% self-resolve, 20% going to the hospitals. Christopher is not in the category that is problematic, by all the data he should have it, he'll have it for a period of time, and he will then resolve. If he has bad symptoms, he'll go into the hospital, he'll be treated, and he'll be released. That's what all the numbers say.

Even though that's what all the numbers say, when he told me he had the coronavirus, it scared me. It frightened me. Why? Because we still don't know. And even if there's just a 1 percent, 2 percent chance, it's frightening. And I deal with all sorts of stuff, and I've seen all sorts of things, and it frightened me. Why? Because we're talking about my little brother. This is my best friend. Basically, spent my whole life with him. And it is frightening on a fundamental level because there's nothing I can do, and I'm out of control, and there's nobody who can tell me. And this situation is the same situation for everyone.

I take solace in the numbers, and the facts, because you can't divorce yourself from the facts, otherwise you go to a place of irrationality. But we're emotional beings. And as an emotional being, it is frightening.

But I also want to say, he did a show last night from his basement. What a gutsy, courageous thing to do. In some ways this can be very instructive to many people. Because everybody wants to know. "Well, what happens if you get coronavirus?" And he does this show every night. Maybe some nights he won't be able to do it, but he does this show every night.

So, what's the positive? Show the country what it means to have coronavirus. And that information, that experience can be helpful to people. And that's why he did the show last night. Okay, I have coronavirus. But you know what? Here I am. I'm doing my show. I didn't fall over. I didn't collapse. It's not a death sentence. Here I am. I'm doing my show. Kudos to him. My pop would be proud. I love you little brother.
Edited for redundancy, grammar, and emphasis
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