NEW ROCHELLE, NY – A year ago, a father of four in this New York suburb deteriorated in days, from a mild cough to feeling like he was drowning.
He was one of the first cases of coronavirus in New York. Soon Governor Andrew Cuomo imposed a containment zone in his city to contain its spread and called him “Patient Zero”. There was a demonstration of support for the man’s family while he was in an induced coma, as well as some assaults by people who blamed him for the outbreak.
Now Lawrence Garbuz says he feels deep gratitude for the joys of being alive – his family, his orthodox Jewish community and the beauty of a tree near his door that he barely noticed before he became ill.
At 51, he counseled other Covid-19 patients who called for advice, and his wife, Adina Lewis, consoled many spouses. Some were devastated by the loss of a disease that killed more than half a million Americans on Monday, including 38,557 in New York.
“If you are able to sit and talk to someone and listen, that in itself is very therapeutic,” said Garbuz in an interview. “I think we will overcome this whole pandemic, when we hear more than we speak. ”