USNS Comfort Will Treat Coronavirus Patients, Officials Say

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The USNS Comfort hospital ship docked in the Hudson River has accepted trauma patients who tested positive for coronavirus, military officials said during a Monday press conference.

The Comfort, which has treated 41 patients since docking at Midtown Manhattan's Pier 90 last week, will accept all patients that New York City EMS transports to the hospital ship, Joint Staff Surgeon Brigadier General Paul Friedrichs said Monday. Patients who test positive for the deadly virus are being treated in an isolated part of the ship to prevent the virus' spread to non-coronavirus patients.

"We are treating whatever patient is sent to us by the New York EMS there. The hospital ship is designed to take care of trauma patients, and that's what we originally offered. To serve as an overflow, if you will, for emergency rooms," Friedrichs said during a press briefing.

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The 2,500-bed facility at the Javits Center remains the military's preferred location for coronavirus patients transferred from New York City hospitals to the federal medical centers, Department of Defense Spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said during the briefing.

"The Comfort will continue to accept trauma, emergency and urgent patients irrespective of their COVID status. Our current preference, which could change at any time given the circumstances on the ground and the request by the Governor is to see Javits Center beds used by COVID patients before moving them to the Comfort," Hoffman said.

By Friday the Javits Center will have 1,700 operational beds, many of which Hoffman expects to be filled. The center has treated 44 patients as of Monday. Of the 41 patients treated at the USNS Comfort, 31 remain on board and 16 are being treated in the ship's intensive care unit, Hoffman said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during his Monday briefing that he plans to call President Donald Trump on Monday to request the USNS Comfort be used to treat coronavirus patients as local hospitals become inundated with virus patients.

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