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Is It OK to Take a Walk?	Is It OK to Take a Walk?
2020-03-18 16:58:22 UTC	2020-07-02 22:52:17 UTC (4 months later)
In a bygone era — last week, in other words — the best way to cut through New York City stress was, for many, a stroll to the nearest restaurant, bar or maybe (for the virtuous or vain) the gym.	In a bygone era — last week, in other words — the best way to cut through New York City stress was, for many, a stroll to the nearest restaurant, bar or maybe (for the virtuous or vain) the gym.
Not anymore. With Mayor de Blasio’s closure of the city’s restaurants (except for takeout), bars and gyms, which took effect this morning at 9 a.m., along with schools, movie theaters and any other place where people congregate, the stroll, it seems, is all that’s left.	Not anymore. With Mayor de Blasio’s closure of the city’s restaurants (except for takeout), bars and gyms, which took effect this morning at 9 a.m., along with schools, movie theaters and any other place where people congregate, the stroll, it seems, is all that’s left.
But that is hardly nothing. Both transportation and meditation, the leisurely New York walk, long celebrated in literature, has come to symbolize not only a crucial thread in the city’s social fabric, as we migrate our social and, in many cases, work lives online, but a thread to sanity itself.	But that is hardly nothing. Both transportation and meditation, the leisurely New York walk, long celebrated in literature, has come to symbolize not only a crucial thread in the city’s social fabric, as we migrate our social and, in many cases, work lives online, but a thread to sanity itself.
“When you walk, you’re utterly in touch with the drama of the city,” said the writer Vivian Gornick, whose 1987 memoir, “Fierce Attachments,” reissued last year, focused on long, illuminating strolls through the city with her mother. “You’re constantly overhearing conversations, and catching all kinds of snatches of people in odd expressions and conditions. No small city in the world can duplicate that experience.”	“When you walk, you’re utterly in touch with the drama of the city,” said the writer Vivian Gornick, whose 1987 memoir, “Fierce Attachments,” reissued last year, focused on long, illuminating strolls through the city with her mother. “You’re constantly overhearing conversations, and catching all kinds of snatches of people in odd expressions and conditions. No small city in the world can duplicate that experience.”
“When you’re out on the street,” she added, “it’s a continuous stream of momentary connection, and that has its own life, its own particular vividness, and it’s irreplaceable.”	“When you’re out on the street,” she added, “it’s a continuous stream of momentary connection, and that has its own life, its own particular vividness, and it’s irreplaceable.”
The same can be said of cycling or jogging, although those activities tend to be more focused and goal-oriented. But whatever your preferred means of locomotion, local governments are attuned to the social and psychological benefits of head-clearing, heart-stimulating jaunts, even in the age of self-quarantines and social distancing.	The same can be said of cycling or jogging, although those activities tend to be more focused and goal-oriented. But whatever your preferred means of locomotion, local governments are attuned to the social and psychological benefits of head-clearing, heart-stimulating jaunts, even in the age of self-quarantines and social distancing.
On Monday, seven counties around Silicon Valley announced a shelter-at-home order that would take effect on Tuesday. San Francisco’s mayor, London N. Breed, issued an order for city residents to stay at home except for “essential needs,” such as medicine or food, but made an exemption for “engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, or running provided that you maintain at least six feet of social distancing.”	On Monday, seven counties around Silicon Valley announced a shelter-at-home order that would take effect on Tuesday. San Francisco’s mayor, London N. Breed, issued an order for city residents to stay at home except for “essential needs,” such as medicine or food, but made an exemption for “engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, or running provided that you maintain at least six feet of social distancing.”
In Milan, where life in the coronavirus “red zone” amounts to virtual house arrest, residents are still free, if not encouraged, to enjoy a walk or jog “for the sake of outdoor physical activity,” as The Washington Post reported, as long as social distances are respected.	In Milan, where life in the coronavirus “red zone” amounts to virtual house arrest, residents are still free, if not encouraged, to enjoy a walk or jog “for the sake of outdoor physical activity,” as The Washington Post reported, as long as social distances are respected.
In New York, too, the mayor is weighing a shelter-in-place order, and it is uncertain how much exercise might be allowed under the plan.	In New York, too, the mayor is weighing a shelter-in-place order, and it is uncertain how much exercise might be allowed under the plan.
For now, however, New Yorkers are still relying on walks through the city as a form of mental cleansing.	For now, however, New Yorkers are still relying on walks through the city as a form of mental cleansing.
Another writer, Erin Khar, who recently published an addiction memoir called “Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me,” said that long meanderings through her increasingly empty neighborhood, Greenwich Village, or along Hudson River Park, may now come with plastic gloves and a pack of sanitizing wipes, but they seem crucial now that she has stopped taking the subway and hanging out with friends.	Another writer, Erin Khar, who recently published an addiction memoir called “Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me,” said that long meanderings through her increasingly empty neighborhood, Greenwich Village, or along Hudson River Park, may now come with plastic gloves and a pack of sanitizing wipes, but they seem crucial now that she has stopped taking the subway and hanging out with friends.
“As someone who struggled with years of depression, anxiety, and addiction, I am well acquainted with the feeling of needing to escape, wanting to jump out of my skin,” she wrote in an email. “When I feel that way, going for a long walk alleviates the pressure.”	“As someone who struggled with years of depression, anxiety, and addiction, I am well acquainted with the feeling of needing to escape, wanting to jump out of my skin,” she wrote in an email. “When I feel that way, going for a long walk alleviates the pressure.”
Ms. Khar is experiencing panic attacks like she hasn’t in many years, she said. “I need these walks more than ever. They help significantly, by getting me out of my head and boosting the release of much-needed neurotransmitters.”	Ms. Khar is experiencing panic attacks like she hasn’t in many years, she said. “I need these walks more than ever. They help significantly, by getting me out of my head and boosting the release of much-needed neurotransmitters.”
Ms. Khar, 46, is hardly the first writer to discover the medicinal value of a New York walk.	Ms. Khar, 46, is hardly the first writer to discover the medicinal value of a New York walk.
Authors such as Walt Whitman, Hart Crane and Alfred Kazin have long celebrated walks in New York as a tonic against despair or anxiety, said Stephen Miller, the author of the 2014 book, “Walking New York: Reflections of American Writers From Walt Whitman to Teju Cole.”	Authors such as Walt Whitman, Hart Crane and Alfred Kazin have long celebrated walks in New York as a tonic against despair or anxiety, said Stephen Miller, the author of the 2014 book, “Walking New York: Reflections of American Writers From Walt Whitman to Teju Cole.”
As Whitman wrote in his 1882 collection, “Specimen Days and Collect,” a walk in New York, with its “daily contact and rapport with its myriad people,” was “the best, most effective medicine my soul has yet partaken.”	As Whitman wrote in his 1882 collection, “Specimen Days and Collect,” a walk in New York, with its “daily contact and rapport with its myriad people,” was “the best, most effective medicine my soul has yet partaken.”
In the current state of anxiety, even short walks make a giant difference.	In the current state of anxiety, even short walks make a giant difference.
This past Friday evening, as tension in the city began to crest, Taylor Davies, a 34-year-old copywriter who lives in the East Village, took a stroll from her apartment on Second Avenue through Alphabet City to the east.	This past Friday evening, as tension in the city began to crest, Taylor Davies, a 34-year-old copywriter who lives in the East Village, took a stroll from her apartment on Second Avenue through Alphabet City to the east.
“It was kind of incredible how quickly my mood rebounded from a sort of directionless despair — working from home and checking social media constantly — to somewhat hopeful and calm once I’d gone a few blocks,” Ms. Davies wrote in an email. “The cherry trees in Tompkins Square Park were in bloom, and brick buildings were bathed in glowy orange light. The more I walked, the better I felt.”	“It was kind of incredible how quickly my mood rebounded from a sort of directionless despair — working from home and checking social media constantly — to somewhat hopeful and calm once I’d gone a few blocks,” Ms. Davies wrote in an email. “The cherry trees in Tompkins Square Park were in bloom, and brick buildings were bathed in glowy orange light. The more I walked, the better I felt.”
“Just putting one foot in front of the other a few thousand times has proved to be kind of a great reminder to take things as they come right now, day by day,” she added.	“Just putting one foot in front of the other a few thousand times has proved to be kind of a great reminder to take things as they come right now, day by day,” she added.
Granted, lazy urban strolls are newly fraught in the current climate. You are less Baudelaire’s famous, sauntering flâneur than a cautious creature ready to swerve.	Granted, lazy urban strolls are newly fraught in the current climate. You are less Baudelaire’s famous, sauntering flâneur than a cautious creature ready to swerve.
Social distancing, as we all should be aware of by now, means “maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even in times of pandemic, that is easier said than done on Broadway at 5 p.m. on a Monday.	Social distancing, as we all should be aware of by now, means “maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even in times of pandemic, that is easier said than done on Broadway at 5 p.m. on a Monday.
People looking to get out of the house for a jaunt should at least take extra steps to maintain their personal space cushion, said Carolyn C. Cannuscio, a social epidemiologist at the Center for Public Health Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania.	People looking to get out of the house for a jaunt should at least take extra steps to maintain their personal space cushion, said Carolyn C. Cannuscio, a social epidemiologist at the Center for Public Health Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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 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.
“We’re trying to avoid face-to-face contact with other people, so all of our decisions should be made with that in mind,” Ms. Cannuscio said. “I would suggest that people walk at times that streets are less busy, walk in locations where there are fewer people and there’s an opportunity to spread out, and don’t stop and talk with all your neighbors.”	“We’re trying to avoid face-to-face contact with other people, so all of our decisions should be made with that in mind,” Ms. Cannuscio said. “I would suggest that people walk at times that streets are less busy, walk in locations where there are fewer people and there’s an opportunity to spread out, and don’t stop and talk with all your neighbors.”
Before each stroll, she said, “scout it out. Peek out the window and see if there are lots of people on the street. If there are, then wait until later. For people who need to pick up their medication at the pharmacy, or need to get food, if you get to the store and it’s crowded, turn around and go home, then go back later.”	Before each stroll, she said, “scout it out. Peek out the window and see if there are lots of people on the street. If there are, then wait until later. For people who need to pick up their medication at the pharmacy, or need to get food, if you get to the store and it’s crowded, turn around and go home, then go back later.”
Attempts to preserve a six-foot safety radius might seem comical if they weren’t so deadly serious.	Attempts to preserve a six-foot safety radius might seem comical if they weren’t so deadly serious.