There are reports claiming that people are collapsing on the streets of New York City, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. Video footage of an individual lying on the ground has started circulating on social media.
A Twitter user has shared video footage of what appears to be a man lying on his back on the ground as emergency personnel and NYPD officers surround the individual and a huge crowd of curious onlookers gathers around to see what's happening.
Video of man collapsing in NYC
"BODIES ARE STARTING TO DROP HERE LIKE CHINA AND IRAN," the user captioned the clip. "Look familiar?," he asked before pointing out that the footage is not from China but from New York City.
In January, similar footage of infected men and women dropping on the streets "like flies" had emerged out of Wuhan, before the deadly COVID-19 virus spread rampantly around the world and evolved into a global pandemic that has infected more than 3.6 million people and claimed over 257,000 lives around the world.
It is not yet clear whether the individual collapsed due to a coronavirus infection or when exactly the video was shot but given that New York City is currently under lockdown and its citizens under strict stay-at-home orders, it's possible that the video may have been recorded earlier this year. Also, the people in the video do not appear to be practising social distancing or wearing masks, which is mandatory for all New Yorkers.
Homeless men found dead on subway
The video comes days after reports of homeless men found dead on subway trains in the city. According to the New York Daily News, employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) discovered the bodies of two homeless men on separate subway trains last week.
Both men are believed to have died of natural causes, according to law enforcement, adding that no foul play is expected but a medical examiner will determine the cause of death and whether it was brought on by coronavirus.
New York City death toll crosses 19,000
New York City has been the hardest hit as the deadly virus spreads rampantly across America. The city's death toll has surpassed 19,100 while the total number of confirmed cases stand at 171,000, as on Tuesday, according to the Health Department.
The coronavirus death toll has overwhelmed health care workers, morgues, funeral homes, crematories and cemeteries. Body bags have started to pile up across the city, with some being stored inside parked trucks as funeral homes are unable to keep with the rising death toll. This has also led authorities to dig up mass graves on New York City's Hart Island to bury the dead, as previously reported.
