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| A Job Overseas, but Stranded by Coronavirus Travel Bans | A Job Overseas, but Stranded by Coronavirus Travel Bans |
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| HONG KONG — Jade Doringo arrived at Manila’s international airport more than five hours ahead of her scheduled departure to Hong Kong, where she worked as a software engineer. But instead of getting on her flight, she was asked to surrender her boarding pass. | HONG KONG — Jade Doringo arrived at Manila’s international airport more than five hours ahead of her scheduled departure to Hong Kong, where she worked as a software engineer. But instead of getting on her flight, she was asked to surrender her boarding pass. |
| That morning, on Feb. 2, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines had announced a temporary travel ban that barred flights arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. At the airport, officials told Ms. Doringo that the ban also applied to Filipino travelers going in the opposite direction. | That morning, on Feb. 2, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines had announced a temporary travel ban that barred flights arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. At the airport, officials told Ms. Doringo that the ban also applied to Filipino travelers going in the opposite direction. |
| As the new coronavirus has spread around the world, several countries have issued restrictions on travelers arriving from mainland China. The Philippines, which has reported one death from the virus, is unusual in imposing rules that prevent its citizens from traveling also to Hong Kong and Macau, semiautonomous Chinese territories. | As the new coronavirus has spread around the world, several countries have issued restrictions on travelers arriving from mainland China. The Philippines, which has reported one death from the virus, is unusual in imposing rules that prevent its citizens from traveling also to Hong Kong and Macau, semiautonomous Chinese territories. |
| Ms. Doringo is among hundreds of Filipinos whose lives have been upended as they find themselves unable to return to their jobs in the two cities. “Imagine the confusion we felt at that time, not knowing everything,” she said in a phone interview last week. | Ms. Doringo is among hundreds of Filipinos whose lives have been upended as they find themselves unable to return to their jobs in the two cities. “Imagine the confusion we felt at that time, not knowing everything,” she said in a phone interview last week. |
| Ms. Doringo had been sitting at the gate, watching as the crew waited for approval to board the flight and listening as airline employees repeated an announcement about the new travel ban. At 4 p.m., all Filipino passport holders were asked to go to immigration. Around her, domestic workers called their employers in Hong Kong, their voices rising in panic. | Ms. Doringo had been sitting at the gate, watching as the crew waited for approval to board the flight and listening as airline employees repeated an announcement about the new travel ban. At 4 p.m., all Filipino passport holders were asked to go to immigration. Around her, domestic workers called their employers in Hong Kong, their voices rising in panic. |
| Then her suitcase got lost. But there was little else she could do besides huddle together with the other grounded passengers. Most of them had not eaten since that morning. Rather than splurging at the airport’s restaurants, they snacked and skipped dinner. | Then her suitcase got lost. But there was little else she could do besides huddle together with the other grounded passengers. Most of them had not eaten since that morning. Rather than splurging at the airport’s restaurants, they snacked and skipped dinner. |
| At 11 p.m., Ms. Doringo left the terminal empty-handed. | At 11 p.m., Ms. Doringo left the terminal empty-handed. |
| She had moved to Hong Kong two years ago with dreams of creating a better life for her family. The job in Hong Kong paid a better salary than what she would have earned back home, and soon after starting she was able to buy a plot of land in her rural province. She began setting aside money every month to build a house for her family. | She had moved to Hong Kong two years ago with dreams of creating a better life for her family. The job in Hong Kong paid a better salary than what she would have earned back home, and soon after starting she was able to buy a plot of land in her rural province. She began setting aside money every month to build a house for her family. |
| She missed them constantly, particularly during the chaos of the past seven months when Hong Kong was rocked by antigovernment demonstrations. Her homesickness only intensified in late January as the coronavirus spread. | She missed them constantly, particularly during the chaos of the past seven months when Hong Kong was rocked by antigovernment demonstrations. Her homesickness only intensified in late January as the coronavirus spread. |
| “Protests, disease, the loneliness of living alone — all of this triggers the longing of going back home,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Jan. 25 before she returned to the Philippines for a nine-day vacation. “To your real home.” | “Protests, disease, the loneliness of living alone — all of this triggers the longing of going back home,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Jan. 25 before she returned to the Philippines for a nine-day vacation. “To your real home.” |
| That trip started out in Manila, where she took her siblings, their spouses and their children to eat lechón, a spit-roasted suckling pig, at a mall. | That trip started out in Manila, where she took her siblings, their spouses and their children to eat lechón, a spit-roasted suckling pig, at a mall. |
| Later, she returned to her hometown in the countryside and rode on a motorized tricycle with her father to a small creek near where she planned to build a house for them. Her mother cooked her nilagang baka, a steaming beef broth. She cried, feeling relieved to be under their roof. | Later, she returned to her hometown in the countryside and rode on a motorized tricycle with her father to a small creek near where she planned to build a house for them. Her mother cooked her nilagang baka, a steaming beef broth. She cried, feeling relieved to be under their roof. |
| Updated June 24, 2020 | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| “I get to eat in Hong Kong, but it’s different when you get to share the meals with your family,” she said. | “I get to eat in Hong Kong, but it’s different when you get to share the meals with your family,” she said. |
| When it came time for her to return to Hong Kong, her brother bought a box of masks for her and her parents nagged her to be careful. She ended up spending all day at the airport after her flight was canceled, then stayed at her brother’s home in Manila. Her lost luggage showed up two days later. | When it came time for her to return to Hong Kong, her brother bought a box of masks for her and her parents nagged her to be careful. She ended up spending all day at the airport after her flight was canceled, then stayed at her brother’s home in Manila. Her lost luggage showed up two days later. |
| Her supervisor had given her permission to work remotely, but she was worried about being absent for too long. | Her supervisor had given her permission to work remotely, but she was worried about being absent for too long. |
| “As overseas Filipino workers, none of us can afford to lose our jobs,” she said. | “As overseas Filipino workers, none of us can afford to lose our jobs,” she said. |
| Ms. Doringo still is not sure when she will be able to return to Hong Kong. But she has stocked up on masks, rubbing alcohol and snacks so that when she does, she will not have to venture outdoors. | Ms. Doringo still is not sure when she will be able to return to Hong Kong. But she has stocked up on masks, rubbing alcohol and snacks so that when she does, she will not have to venture outdoors. |
| “I am afraid to get sick. We all are, but it’s our decision to take the risk,” she said. “We know the consequences of going abroad.” | “I am afraid to get sick. We all are, but it’s our decision to take the risk,” she said. “We know the consequences of going abroad.” |
| Hannah Reyes Morales contributed reporting from Manila. | Hannah Reyes Morales contributed reporting from Manila. |