Baruch Feldheim, a 43-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, has been arrested and charged with assault for coughing on an FBI agent, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Feldheim was being investigated for price-gouging medical supplies and storing them in his home.
Feldheim said that he worked for a company that sold the medical equipment and was never in custody of the items.
“When the agents were within four to five feet of him, Feldheim allegedly coughed in their direction without covering his mouth,” a report from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“The agents then told him that they were looking for certain PPE materials and that they had information that Feldheim was in possession of large quantities of such materials. At that point, Feldheim told the FBI agents that that he had the coronavirus.”
Along with the charge of assault, Feldheim was charged with making false statements to law enforcement.
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The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 3,000 deaths in the United States which surpasses the death toll of the September 11 terrorist in New York City — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.