Dad hid coronavirus symptoms to visit his wife in the maternity ward. Now, she's sick too

[Mike 03]

USA Today

A man who had been exposed to the coronavirus and who was himself feeling sick hid his symptoms from staff at a New York hospital so he could join his expectant wife in the maternity center.

He confessed only when his wife began to show symptoms of COVID-19 shortly after giving birth at Strong Memorial Hospital.

The incident, which occurred in the last week, is a fresh example of the need for extreme caution — and honesty — when it comes to the highly communicable virus.

The incident helped motivate a UR Medicine announcement Monday that it would begin taking the temperatures of the relatively small number of visitors being allowed into Strong, Highland and three other affiliated hospitals with maternity services.

The change is the second announced Monday. UR Medicine, along with Rochester Regional Health, said it would require staff, patients and visitors to wear surgical masks in public, patient-care areas of their facilities.

The universal-masking new policy is not related to the incident at Strong.

From an honor system to temperature check

Like other hospital operators in New York, UR Medicine began blocking most visitors two weeks ago in hopes of preventing the spread of COVID-19 to highly vulnerable patients and to sorely needed hospital staff.

The exceptions are parents whose child is hospitalized; a person whose loved one is near the end of life, and one spouse, partner or doula to assist a woman giving birth and support her afterward.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/31/coronavirus-dad-hides-symptoms-gain-access-ny-maternity-ward/5093274002/

[beachbumbob]

1. don't want to sound harsh, but HE ENDANGERED others and should be charged

[still_one]

4. You aren't be harsh. He intentionally endangered people's lives and should be charged

[Arkansas Granny]

12. No, it's not harsh. He endangered the lives of others.

[Loki Liesmith]

2. If they come out of this OK

Someone needs to break a chair over his head.

[PJMcK]

9. Why wait? (n/t)

[Loki Liesmith]

16. Well if he loses his wife/kid

I kinda think he will have been punished more than enough.

[hlthe2b]

3. Unbelievable.

As sad as it is to think about delivering without SOMEONE there with you, idiots like this make it absolutely necessary especially as PPE shortages continue.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

5. Dumb ass!

[Docreed2003]

6. How unbelievably selfish

So selfish he couldn't even see that he was putting his own wife and child at risk, not to mention the rest of the hospital staff and patients. This is totally reprehensible and sick

[Igel]

13. He had a need.

He missed the bit on how to tell needs apart from wants.

[MineralMan]

7. It's a lot of stupid out there...

[Initech]

8. Unbelievable.

[lunasun]

10. Don't care about these selfish stupid parents, but what about the staff attending her and the

other patients and visitors in the maternity center? Too many people like this don’t have anyone but themselves in mind

[In_The_Wind]

11. Selfish son of a bitch.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. Was this deliberate? Did he have motive?

SVU wants to know.

[gibraltar72]

15. Son of a bitch.