美国新泽西州埃塞克斯县贝尔维尔市市长迈克尔·梅尔哈姆日前表示，他的新冠病毒抗体检测结果呈阳性，他相信自己是去年11月感染新冠病毒的。
据美国北泽西网站近日报道，梅尔哈姆在一份新闻稿中说，他去年11月下旬到大西洋城参加市长联盟会议返回后发病，症状包括发冷、出现幻觉和体温急剧上升，“感觉就像我是一个正在戒除毒瘾的人……从未觉得我会病得这么厉害”。
梅尔哈姆说，当时医生诊断他得了流感。经过休息和补液后，他的身体状况好转。梅尔哈姆没有接受流感测试，没有出国旅行史。
梅尔哈姆说，这是他成年以后病得最重的一次。4月下旬，他进行了新冠病毒抗体检测，4月29日得知检测结果呈阳性。他认为自己可能属于早期未被发现的新冠病毒感染病例，不太可能是后来被感染的无症状者。
今年1月美国报告首例新冠确诊病例。毗邻纽约的新泽西州是美国疫情第二严重的州。新泽西州3月4日报告首例新冠确诊病例。
美国公共卫生专家认为，新冠病毒可能今年头两个月已在美国悄然传播，但当时检测量很少，并且检测条件严苛。另据美国疾控中心估计，约四分之一新冠病毒感染者从未出现症状。
In a phone interview, Melham conceded he does not know he had the coronavirus.
“Nobody can be sure,” he said.
“But I am nearly certain, for two reasons: I have never been that gravely ill in my adult life, and the antibodies that I have are the longer-term ones, not the most recent ones,” he said.
His test result showed the IgG antibody, which according to Science News lasts longer than the IgM antibody that typically is produced about a week after infection.
Melham said he has done no traveling in recent months, other than a late-January trip to Puerto Rico. He lives alone.
He said his flu diagnosis in November was done over the phone, rather than via a test.
“They told me it was the flu, and to ride it out, and that’s what I did,” he said, adding that he never got the flu shot.
The issue came up during his annual physical.
“My doctor only had 10 of these blood tests at his disposal and was willing to give me one because of my daily work with the public,” he said.
He said he did not have to pay for the test, but is not sure if his insurance was charged.
Melham drew notice in September upon installing a billboard with his portrait overlooking Route 21, with a message calling on the state to provide water filters to Belleville residents as the city confronted lead issues related to the problems in neighboring Newark.
A registered independent, Melham said he is skeptical of the official U.S. timeline on the coronavirus.
“I have never believed this just came in January. I know many people like me who were gravely ill from November into December,” he said.
He said he is urging others to get tested for COVID-19 antibodies, and is hopeful that their plasma may someday help with live-saving treatment.
“It is my hope that this antibody testing becomes more readily available. More and more testing is needed, so that more and more plasma can be gleaned to hopefully save many lives,” he said.
As of Thursday, there were at least 118,652 coronavirus cases in New Jersey, and 7,228 deaths.