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| These 4 People Are Facing the Coronavirus Head-on | These 4 People Are Facing the Coronavirus Head-on |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Paramedics holed up in quarantine after being exposed to disease victims. | Paramedics holed up in quarantine after being exposed to disease victims. |
| Nurses in masks and coveralls trying to make small talk with ailing patients. | Nurses in masks and coveralls trying to make small talk with ailing patients. |
| Office cleaning crews working late into the night, scouring door handles, sanitizing elevator buttons and hanging up signs urging people to please, wash their hands. | Office cleaning crews working late into the night, scouring door handles, sanitizing elevator buttons and hanging up signs urging people to please, wash their hands. |
| As the coronavirus spreads, a growing number of Americans have found themselves face-to-face with the possibility of contamination just by going to work. Many have been thrust unexpectedly to the forefront of a national health crisis. Others have trained their whole lives for a moment like this. | As the coronavirus spreads, a growing number of Americans have found themselves face-to-face with the possibility of contamination just by going to work. Many have been thrust unexpectedly to the forefront of a national health crisis. Others have trained their whole lives for a moment like this. |
| We spoke to four people who are fighting the spread of the virus on the front lines. | We spoke to four people who are fighting the spread of the virus on the front lines. |
| Kirkland, Wash. | Kirkland, Wash. |
| In his nearly four decades as a firefighter in Kirkland, Wash., Chief Joe Sanford has missed his share of holidays and important family milestones while on duty. But with his 20th wedding anniversary coming up, he was determined to do something special. | In his nearly four decades as a firefighter in Kirkland, Wash., Chief Joe Sanford has missed his share of holidays and important family milestones while on duty. But with his 20th wedding anniversary coming up, he was determined to do something special. |
| “I was trying to figure out a way to take my bride and disappear for a day or two,” said Chief Sanford, who took off work on Feb. 28 to plan for the event in early March. “I spent the day online, trying to track down and see which romantic places were open, what I thought she would like, whether I needed to order flowers.” | “I was trying to figure out a way to take my bride and disappear for a day or two,” said Chief Sanford, who took off work on Feb. 28 to plan for the event in early March. “I spent the day online, trying to track down and see which romantic places were open, what I thought she would like, whether I needed to order flowers.” |
| That all changed around dinner time, when he got a disturbing phone call. There had been a spike in the number of 911 calls at Life Care Center, a nursing home in Kirkland where there were also reports of flulike symptoms. Could it be an outbreak of the coronavirus? | That all changed around dinner time, when he got a disturbing phone call. There had been a spike in the number of 911 calls at Life Care Center, a nursing home in Kirkland where there were also reports of flulike symptoms. Could it be an outbreak of the coronavirus? |
| While much of suburban Seattle headed home for the weekend, Chief Sanford put on his uniform, got in his Ford Explorer and drove to his office at City Hall. | While much of suburban Seattle headed home for the weekend, Chief Sanford put on his uniform, got in his Ford Explorer and drove to his office at City Hall. |
| There, he learned that a patient from the nursing home had died, then the first known death from the virus in the United States. | There, he learned that a patient from the nursing home had died, then the first known death from the virus in the United States. |
| The chief and others congregated in a concrete, windowless room in the basement of City Hall. Someone ordered pizza. They stayed up all night. In the coming days, the nursing home would become the central figure in a national public health crisis. Of more than 35 deaths from the virus in the United States, at least 22 have been linked to the nursing home. Dozens of other people connected to the facility have been sickened by the virus. About a third of the Kirkland Fire Department’s 95 firefighters have ended up in quarantine. | The chief and others congregated in a concrete, windowless room in the basement of City Hall. Someone ordered pizza. They stayed up all night. In the coming days, the nursing home would become the central figure in a national public health crisis. Of more than 35 deaths from the virus in the United States, at least 22 have been linked to the nursing home. Dozens of other people connected to the facility have been sickened by the virus. About a third of the Kirkland Fire Department’s 95 firefighters have ended up in quarantine. |
| “All of our folks are stepping up and doing a great job,” said Chief Sanford, who slept at a hotel three blocks from City Hall for more than a week so he could work more effectively. “I’m just proud as heck of all of them.” | “All of our folks are stepping up and doing a great job,” said Chief Sanford, who slept at a hotel three blocks from City Hall for more than a week so he could work more effectively. “I’m just proud as heck of all of them.” |
| As for his anniversary, Chief Sanford said he managed to video chat with his wife from his hotel room, but a gift would have to wait. | As for his anniversary, Chief Sanford said he managed to video chat with his wife from his hotel room, but a gift would have to wait. |
| “We actually had talked about a cruise,” he said. | “We actually had talked about a cruise,” he said. |
| Omaha, Neb. | Omaha, Neb. |
| Shahnaz Benner was at home giving her children a bath when she got the message: Another nurse had called in sick, and she would be needed the next morning to help care for patients being treated for the coronavirus. | Shahnaz Benner was at home giving her children a bath when she got the message: Another nurse had called in sick, and she would be needed the next morning to help care for patients being treated for the coronavirus. |
| Ms. Benner had been prepared for the possibility since early in February, when 15 Americans who had been exposed to the coronavirus on a cruise ship that docked in Japan were transferred to Nebraska Medicine, the hospital where she works in Omaha, Neb. The hospital campus includes a 10-bed biocontainment unit for serious treatment, as well as a 20-bed quarantine unit, the only federal quarantine unit in the country. | Ms. Benner had been prepared for the possibility since early in February, when 15 Americans who had been exposed to the coronavirus on a cruise ship that docked in Japan were transferred to Nebraska Medicine, the hospital where she works in Omaha, Neb. The hospital campus includes a 10-bed biocontainment unit for serious treatment, as well as a 20-bed quarantine unit, the only federal quarantine unit in the country. |
| As a nurse and clinical program coordinator, Ms. Benner regularly practices how to treat infectious diseases. Still, she could not help but wonder, “Am I ready for this?” | As a nurse and clinical program coordinator, Ms. Benner regularly practices how to treat infectious diseases. Still, she could not help but wonder, “Am I ready for this?” |
| Her mind flashed to her 1-year-old and 2-year-old children, wondering if there was a chance that she could put them at risk. Then she thought of her many years of training. | Her mind flashed to her 1-year-old and 2-year-old children, wondering if there was a chance that she could put them at risk. Then she thought of her many years of training. |
| She arrived at work at 6:30 a.m. the next day, and slid on her purple scrubs. | She arrived at work at 6:30 a.m. the next day, and slid on her purple scrubs. |
| “I walked in there, I took a deep breath, and I said, ‘We’re doing this today,’” said Ms. Benner, who treated two patients with the coronavirus on Feb. 26. “This is my time to make sure I apply everything that I’ve been teaching to protect myself, my family and everybody within the community.” | “I walked in there, I took a deep breath, and I said, ‘We’re doing this today,’” said Ms. Benner, who treated two patients with the coronavirus on Feb. 26. “This is my time to make sure I apply everything that I’ve been teaching to protect myself, my family and everybody within the community.” |
| Two patients who had tested positive were being treated that day in the biocontainment unit with mild symptoms, including a cough, she said. Wearing coveralls, boots and a full respirator mask, she dosed out medicine, served lunch and helped pass the time through conversation. | Two patients who had tested positive were being treated that day in the biocontainment unit with mild symptoms, including a cough, she said. Wearing coveralls, boots and a full respirator mask, she dosed out medicine, served lunch and helped pass the time through conversation. |
| “We just talked about family, where we’re all from, if they would ever go on another cruise again,” she recalled. | “We just talked about family, where we’re all from, if they would ever go on another cruise again,” she recalled. |
| When she got home, she took a shower and greeted her children, grateful that her training had paid off. “It was a very rewarding experience,” she said. | When she got home, she took a shower and greeted her children, grateful that her training had paid off. “It was a very rewarding experience,” she said. |
| Kent, Wash. | Kent, Wash. |
| Ever since the coronavirus began infiltrating the Seattle area, John Hybridge’s job has gotten a lot harder. | Ever since the coronavirus began infiltrating the Seattle area, John Hybridge’s job has gotten a lot harder. |
| 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. |
| As the owner of a janitorial firm in Kent, Wash., Mr. Hybridge oversees a team of about 15 workers who clean retail shops and office buildings in the area. Though he said none of the sites his company cleans have had a documented case of the virus, he has had to make significant changes to his work, at the request of clients who want to make sure that every nook and cranny is disinfected. | As the owner of a janitorial firm in Kent, Wash., Mr. Hybridge oversees a team of about 15 workers who clean retail shops and office buildings in the area. Though he said none of the sites his company cleans have had a documented case of the virus, he has had to make significant changes to his work, at the request of clients who want to make sure that every nook and cranny is disinfected. |
| “It’s in our checklist now to touch up the doorknobs, which we used to hit once a week,” he said. “Now we’ve got to do it every day.” | “It’s in our checklist now to touch up the doorknobs, which we used to hit once a week,” he said. “Now we’ve got to do it every day.” |
| Elevator buttons have been added to the checklist, too. Sink handles and hand dryer buttons are getting special attention. And antibacterial soap, normally reserved for the restrooms, is now being applied across the board, he said. | Elevator buttons have been added to the checklist, too. Sink handles and hand dryer buttons are getting special attention. And antibacterial soap, normally reserved for the restrooms, is now being applied across the board, he said. |
| Mr. Hybridge said he had noticed a change in his workers, too: Latex gloves, once an item many workers were happy to ignore, have skyrocketed in popularity. | Mr. Hybridge said he had noticed a change in his workers, too: Latex gloves, once an item many workers were happy to ignore, have skyrocketed in popularity. |
| “It used to be only the restroom workers wore gloves — and sometimes I had to force them,” he said. “Now you don’t have to force anybody.” | “It used to be only the restroom workers wore gloves — and sometimes I had to force them,” he said. “Now you don’t have to force anybody.” |
| MILL CREEK, Wash. | MILL CREEK, Wash. |
| It was the end of a routine workweek at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Wash., and the school nurse, Joan Sanders, was spending Friday night the way she normally does: practicing yoga in her basement. | It was the end of a routine workweek at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Wash., and the school nurse, Joan Sanders, was spending Friday night the way she normally does: practicing yoga in her basement. |
| Then her phone started buzzing. | Then her phone started buzzing. |
| A student at her high school, who had been on campus earlier that day, was sick with the coronavirus. | A student at her high school, who had been on campus earlier that day, was sick with the coronavirus. |
| The jarring news sent employees across the school district scrambling. Officials sent out a letter to families, and cleaning crews worked through the weekend scrubbing surfaces across the 247,000-square-foot high school. By Monday morning, while the school was still closed for cleaning, Ms. Sanders and her supervisor were huddled in a conference room for a phone call with local health officials. | The jarring news sent employees across the school district scrambling. Officials sent out a letter to families, and cleaning crews worked through the weekend scrubbing surfaces across the 247,000-square-foot high school. By Monday morning, while the school was still closed for cleaning, Ms. Sanders and her supervisor were huddled in a conference room for a phone call with local health officials. |
| Ms. Sanders spent the rest of the day calling families. In addition to the student who had been infected, she said, four other students who had brief contact with the student were being isolated. | Ms. Sanders spent the rest of the day calling families. In addition to the student who had been infected, she said, four other students who had brief contact with the student were being isolated. |
| “It was a little nerve-racking,” said Ms. Sanders, whose job often entails putting together reports and preparing for school field trips. She said she was on the phone with each family for as long as an hour, answering questions about how the quarantine would affect everything from schoolwork to sports tryouts. | “It was a little nerve-racking,” said Ms. Sanders, whose job often entails putting together reports and preparing for school field trips. She said she was on the phone with each family for as long as an hour, answering questions about how the quarantine would affect everything from schoolwork to sports tryouts. |
| “It was just letting them tell their story,” she said, “and offering support.” | “It was just letting them tell their story,” she said, “and offering support.” |
| By the next morning, most of the student body had returned to school, under guidelines to limit physical contact. Teachers and staff members spilled out into the hallways to greet students, welcoming them back with air fist bumps and pretend high-fives. | By the next morning, most of the student body had returned to school, under guidelines to limit physical contact. Teachers and staff members spilled out into the hallways to greet students, welcoming them back with air fist bumps and pretend high-fives. |