The first confirmed coronavirus patient in New Jersey has spoken out about his experience of contracting the virus.
James Cai, a 32-year-old physician’s assistant, who was the first patient to test positive for the virus in the state, spoke to CBS2’s Hazel Sanchez about how rapidly he had fallen ill after contracting Covid-19.
“Every day is getting worse,” he said in a video from the hospital.
“It happened so quick,” he told the local station.
CBSNewYork reported that the man, who works in both Manhattan and Fort Lee, New Jersey, became sick after attending a medical conference at a Times Square hotel last weekend.
In the report CBSNewYork noted Mr Cai said he was not a smoker and had no underlying health conditions before contracting the virus.
They said he wanted to warn others to take the threat seriously.
“A lot of people say it’s OK, don’t wear masks, I don’t believe that.”
UPDATE: We now have two more presumptive positive cases of #COVID19. One individual, a male in his 30s, is hospitalized at @HackensackUMC. The other individual, a male in his 70s, is hospitalized at @sjh_nj in Paterson.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 8, 2020
