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| Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today | Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today |
| (7 days later) | |
| This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. | This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. |
| Canceled: rallies, concerts, big games | Canceled: rallies, concerts, big games |
| Nursing homes say, stay away | Nursing homes say, stay away |
| Life under lockdown in Italy | Life under lockdown in Italy |
| Get the latest updates here, plus maps and full coverage | Get the latest updates here, plus maps and full coverage |
| Worries about the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. are prompting organizers to cancel sports and cultural events across the country. And they have intruded on the presidential race for the first time: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden each called off primary-night events scheduled for Tuesday. | Worries about the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. are prompting organizers to cancel sports and cultural events across the country. And they have intruded on the presidential race for the first time: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden each called off primary-night events scheduled for Tuesday. |
| The organizers of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival are in talks to postpone it until the fall. Austin, Texas, has called off its annual South by Southwest festival. The rock band Pearl Jam scrapped the first leg of an upcoming tour. | The organizers of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival are in talks to postpone it until the fall. Austin, Texas, has called off its annual South by Southwest festival. The rock band Pearl Jam scrapped the first leg of an upcoming tour. |
| “The whole live music industry is really being shaken and challenged by this,” says Ben Sisario, who covers music for The Times. “It’s a business model about a large amount of people coming together in a small space.” | “The whole live music industry is really being shaken and challenged by this,” says Ben Sisario, who covers music for The Times. “It’s a business model about a large amount of people coming together in a small space.” |
| The Tucson Festival of Books, which usually draws more than 100,000 people, is canceled. | The Tucson Festival of Books, which usually draws more than 100,000 people, is canceled. |
| Harvard, Ohio State and other universities are suspending in-person classes and moving to online teaching. | Harvard, Ohio State and other universities are suspending in-person classes and moving to online teaching. |
| Professional soccer in Spain and Portugal will be played in empty stadiums for at least two weeks. The N.C.A.A. is considering something similar for its basketball tournaments. | Professional soccer in Spain and Portugal will be played in empty stadiums for at least two weeks. The N.C.A.A. is considering something similar for its basketball tournaments. |
| St. Patrick’s Day parades were canceled in Boston and across Ireland, and the Nakameguro district of Tokyo canceled its Cherry Blossom Festival. | St. Patrick’s Day parades were canceled in Boston and across Ireland, and the Nakameguro district of Tokyo canceled its Cherry Blossom Festival. |
| See more canceled and postponed events here. | See more canceled and postponed events here. |
| Leaders of the nursing-home industry are calling for sweeping new precautions to protect residents, including an end to social visits by relatives and friends. | Leaders of the nursing-home industry are calling for sweeping new precautions to protect residents, including an end to social visits by relatives and friends. |
| Receptionists should screen everyone — staff members, family members, contractors and government workers — for signs of illness, and admit only those who are healthy and have essential business. | Receptionists should screen everyone — staff members, family members, contractors and government workers — for signs of illness, and admit only those who are healthy and have essential business. |
| The coronavirus has been most dangerous to older adults and patients with chronic health problems — the very people who reside in nursing homes. At least 18 residents of one hard-hit facility in Kirkland, Wash., have died, and four other facilities in the Seattle region have cases. | The coronavirus has been most dangerous to older adults and patients with chronic health problems — the very people who reside in nursing homes. At least 18 residents of one hard-hit facility in Kirkland, Wash., have died, and four other facilities in the Seattle region have cases. |
| Defenseless: Seasonal flu is also a menace to nursing homes, but the homes can fight back against the flu with vaccines and antiviral drugs used protectively. Nothing like that is yet available to check the coronavirus. | Defenseless: Seasonal flu is also a menace to nursing homes, but the homes can fight back against the flu with vaccines and antiviral drugs used protectively. Nothing like that is yet available to check the coronavirus. |
| What you can do: If you have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility, research the facility — especially staffing and sanitation ratings — and ask about the plan for a potential outbreak. If you make the difficult decision to relocate your loved one, be sure to account for all their medical and logistical needs. | What you can do: If you have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility, research the facility — especially staffing and sanitation ratings — and ask about the plan for a potential outbreak. If you make the difficult decision to relocate your loved one, be sure to account for all their medical and logistical needs. |
| On the first day of nationwide restrictions on movement and public gatherings, Italians dutifully stayed away from the country’s streets, shops, churches and soccer fields, our Rome bureau chief, Jason Horowitz, reports. | On the first day of nationwide restrictions on movement and public gatherings, Italians dutifully stayed away from the country’s streets, shops, churches and soccer fields, our Rome bureau chief, Jason Horowitz, reports. |
| Some of the country’s busiest tourist spots are almost deserted. “In Rome, water cascaded out of the usually mobbed Trevi Fountain,” Jason wrote, “but there was no one around to see it.” | Some of the country’s busiest tourist spots are almost deserted. “In Rome, water cascaded out of the usually mobbed Trevi Fountain,” Jason wrote, “but there was no one around to see it.” |
| Matteo Renzi, a former prime minister, told The Times that sweeping measures like the government’s decree were necessary to protect the rest of the continent. | Matteo Renzi, a former prime minister, told The Times that sweeping measures like the government’s decree were necessary to protect the rest of the continent. |
| “Today, the red zone is Italy,” he said, but unless other countries also take drastic steps, soon “the red zone will be Europe.” | “Today, the red zone is Italy,” he said, but unless other countries also take drastic steps, soon “the red zone will be Europe.” |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | |
| 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. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| 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. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Living under lockdown: “In just two weeks, all the usual certainties have gone,” an Opinion contributor writes from Milan. “It’s been a spiritual exercise in letting go.” | Living under lockdown: “In just two weeks, all the usual certainties have gone,” an Opinion contributor writes from Milan. “It’s been a spiritual exercise in letting go.” |
| New York imposed a “containment area” around a portion of New Rochelle, the New York City suburb with more than half the state’s reported cases. Gathering places like schools, houses of worship and community centers will be shut for two weeks; National Guard troops will be sent in to scrub down the schools and deliver food to quarantined residents. | New York imposed a “containment area” around a portion of New Rochelle, the New York City suburb with more than half the state’s reported cases. Gathering places like schools, houses of worship and community centers will be shut for two weeks; National Guard troops will be sent in to scrub down the schools and deliver food to quarantined residents. |
| The first coronavirus death reported in the Northeast is a 69-year-old man in New Jersey. | The first coronavirus death reported in the Northeast is a 69-year-old man in New Jersey. |
| The number of cases in the United States passed 950 on Tuesday afternoon, up from just over 300 on Friday. | The number of cases in the United States passed 950 on Tuesday afternoon, up from just over 300 on Friday. |
| Spain suspended its parliament after a member tested positive. The country has more than 1,600 cases and 35 deaths so far — the second most in Europe, after Italy. | Spain suspended its parliament after a member tested positive. The country has more than 1,600 cases and 35 deaths so far — the second most in Europe, after Italy. |
| One of Cyprus’s first cases is a heart surgeon at the country’s largest medical center, Reuters reported, which halted all admissions, outpatient clinics, operations and visits. Every nation in the European Union has reported at least one case. | One of Cyprus’s first cases is a heart surgeon at the country’s largest medical center, Reuters reported, which halted all admissions, outpatient clinics, operations and visits. Every nation in the European Union has reported at least one case. |
| The Democratic Republic of Congo reported its first case. Seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa have now been hit by the virus. | The Democratic Republic of Congo reported its first case. Seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa have now been hit by the virus. |
| Steps to take against the coronavirus. This should sound familiar by now, but we’ll keep repeating it: Wash your hands; stay at least six feet away from others; and check in with people who are less able to prepare. | Steps to take against the coronavirus. This should sound familiar by now, but we’ll keep repeating it: Wash your hands; stay at least six feet away from others; and check in with people who are less able to prepare. |
| How to boost your immune system: There’s no magic pill or miracle food, but you can manage your stress (through meditation, for example), improve your sleep habits, check your vitamin D levels, avoid excess alcohol and eat a healthy diet. | How to boost your immune system: There’s no magic pill or miracle food, but you can manage your stress (through meditation, for example), improve your sleep habits, check your vitamin D levels, avoid excess alcohol and eat a healthy diet. |
| Do you have an upcoming cruise? You can expect increased health screenings and temperature checks before boarding. And if you’re looking for a way out, you may be in luck: Some companies are loosening their typically strict cancellation policies. | Do you have an upcoming cruise? You can expect increased health screenings and temperature checks before boarding. And if you’re looking for a way out, you may be in luck: Some companies are loosening their typically strict cancellation policies. |
| You kid’s school is closed — now what? Education may be disrupted, but that doesn’t mean your children have to lose out, starting with predictable, consistent routines at home that provide a sense of security. | You kid’s school is closed — now what? Education may be disrupted, but that doesn’t mean your children have to lose out, starting with predictable, consistent routines at home that provide a sense of security. |
| President Xi Jinping of China toured Wuhan, the starting point for the epidemic, for the first time since the outbreak began. The visit was meant to signal that the worst of the crisis there may have passed. | President Xi Jinping of China toured Wuhan, the starting point for the epidemic, for the first time since the outbreak began. The visit was meant to signal that the worst of the crisis there may have passed. |
| Some members of Congress are trying to pass a bill that would guarantee paid sick leave for American workers, including 14 days that could be used immediately in a public health emergency. | Some members of Congress are trying to pass a bill that would guarantee paid sick leave for American workers, including 14 days that could be used immediately in a public health emergency. |
| See what remote learning looks like: A photographer for The Times captured a Seattle suburb that has moved all school classes online. | See what remote learning looks like: A photographer for The Times captured a Seattle suburb that has moved all school classes online. |
| “Contagion,” Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film about a global outbreak, is “proving to be an instructive worst-case scenario of our current freak-out,” writes Wesley Morris, a Times critic-at-large. Just how close to reality is the movie? NPR fact-checked it. | “Contagion,” Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film about a global outbreak, is “proving to be an instructive worst-case scenario of our current freak-out,” writes Wesley Morris, a Times critic-at-large. Just how close to reality is the movie? NPR fact-checked it. |
| Some Tinder users are setting their location to Wuhan to bypass Chinese government censors and chat with locals about what life is really like there, BuzzFeed reports. | Some Tinder users are setting their location to Wuhan to bypass Chinese government censors and chat with locals about what life is really like there, BuzzFeed reports. |
| The Food and Drug Administration said that it would stop routine inspections of food, drugs and medical devices overseas through April, citing the spread of the coronavirus. | The Food and Drug Administration said that it would stop routine inspections of food, drugs and medical devices overseas through April, citing the spread of the coronavirus. |
| Cheap flights are everywhere, Vox reports, because many people are now unwilling to fly. We’ve answered your top travel questions. | Cheap flights are everywhere, Vox reports, because many people are now unwilling to fly. We’ve answered your top travel questions. |
| The Wall Street Journal offers another reason to dislike your company’s open floor plan: Sneezes and coughs circulate unimpeded. | The Wall Street Journal offers another reason to dislike your company’s open floor plan: Sneezes and coughs circulate unimpeded. |
| Cellphones are germ vehicles and hard to clean. When we go outside, we place cellphones in a plastic Ziploc bag: The touch screen still works. When we’re back home, we take them out of the bag. | Cellphones are germ vehicles and hard to clean. When we go outside, we place cellphones in a plastic Ziploc bag: The touch screen still works. When we’re back home, we take them out of the bag. |
| — Sue Stephenson, Southern California | — Sue Stephenson, Southern California |
| Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. | Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. |
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| Melina Delkic, Adam Pasick, Lara Takenaga, Jonathan Wolfe and Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter. | Melina Delkic, Adam Pasick, Lara Takenaga, Jonathan Wolfe and Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter. |