Emotional New York Gov. Cuomo says ‘I couldn’t protect my own brother’ from coronavirus as Chris battles bug – The Sun

EMOTIONAL NY Governor Cuomo said he "couldn’t protect my own brother" from coronavirus as Chris Cuomo battles the deadly bug.

The CNN journalist tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday and has been quarantined in his basement with tightness in his chest and the chills.

On Wednesday Cuomo said he was "frightened" but acknowledged that his brother's situation could be "illustrative" for other people battling COVID-19, which has killed 1,941 New Yorkers as of April 1.

"There is no superhero who is immune," the governor told reporters. "No one can be protected from it."

"I couldn't protect my own brother," Cuomo added. "As smart as he is, he couldn’t protect himself.

"When he told me he had the coronavirus it scared me it frightened me. Why? Because we still don’t know.

"I deal with all sorts of stuff and I’ve seen all sorts of things and [his diagnosis] frightened me."

Chris is one of 83,172 New Yorkers who have tested positive for the deadly virus, which has claimed the lives of at least 4,361 Americans across the country.

Cuomo said the news was disturbing given no doctor could really say if and when his brother will recover, even though he is in a low-risk category and is healthy.

Cuomo noted the majority of COVID-19 patients who need a critical ventilator don't survive the illness and said according to projections, 16,000 New Yorkers may die from it.

He commended Chris for filming his show from his home last night, where he opened up about the symptoms he was experiencing.

Cuomo's brother described the potentially deadly sign of the virus to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, saying he is "confirmation" of the outbreak's reality on his nightly program Cuomo Prime Time.

Gupta told him didn't look good, and said he'd call later to talk about a tightness Cuomo was feeling in his chest.

Shortness of breath is a serious symptom of the coronavirus – if a person feels a "persistent pain or pressure in the chest", the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they should seek medical attention.

Speaking on WAMC Northeast Public Radio yesterday, Cuomo described how his brother called him to break the news first thing on Tuesday.

"He is a strong, he’s in good shape," Cuomo told radio host, Alan Chartock. "It’s just frightening for everyone. It’s disruptive."

He described Chris' situation as a "semi imprisonment" in the basement for a fortnight and has experienced all the typical symptoms like shallow breathing and the chills.

"He was with people who tested positive afterwards so he knows he was with positive people," Cuomo said. "This damn thing just transfers so easily."

Cuomo said Chris wanted their elderly mother, Matilda, to stay at his home two weeks ago but the governor convinced him not to after a "back and forth."

Chris revealed the his COVID-19 diagnosis on Twitter Tuesday, saying "I just hope I didn't give it to the kids and Cristina. That would make me feel worse than this illness!"

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