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‘Today’ Show Goes On, With a Homebound Savannah Guthrie ‘Today’ Show Goes On, With a Homebound Savannah Guthrie
(10 days later)
On Thursday at 7 a.m., Hoda Kotb welcomed viewers to NBC’s “Today” show, as she does every weekday morning. This time, however, she was alone at the desk, without her co-anchor.On Thursday at 7 a.m., Hoda Kotb welcomed viewers to NBC’s “Today” show, as she does every weekday morning. This time, however, she was alone at the desk, without her co-anchor.
“We are so happy you are with us this morning, and like a lot of you, we are all kind of adjusting to our temporary new normal,” she said. “I’m in Studio 1A. Savannah Guthrie, you are …?”“We are so happy you are with us this morning, and like a lot of you, we are all kind of adjusting to our temporary new normal,” she said. “I’m in Studio 1A. Savannah Guthrie, you are …?”
Ms. Guthrie appeared on half of the screen.Ms. Guthrie appeared on half of the screen.
“At home,” she said. “At home once again.”“At home,” she said. “At home once again.”
For a second straight day after reporting cold symptoms, Ms. Guthrie was broadcasting from a basement in upstate New York. The three-second delay separating Ms. Kotb’s question and Ms. Guthrie’s reply gave the impression that she could have been thousands of miles away.For a second straight day after reporting cold symptoms, Ms. Guthrie was broadcasting from a basement in upstate New York. The three-second delay separating Ms. Kotb’s question and Ms. Guthrie’s reply gave the impression that she could have been thousands of miles away.
Even in bad times, viewers depend on the feel-good presence of “Today,” “CBS This Morning” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.” But as New York City, where they are taped, became a hot spot for the coronavirus, the programs were challenged to keep up their usual good cheer and show-must-go-on spirit.Even in bad times, viewers depend on the feel-good presence of “Today,” “CBS This Morning” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.” But as New York City, where they are taped, became a hot spot for the coronavirus, the programs were challenged to keep up their usual good cheer and show-must-go-on spirit.
The 9 a.m. hour of “Today” has also been affected: The hosts Al Roker and Craig Melvin were sent home this week after a staff member tested positive. Since their departure, much of that hour has been replaced with previously recorded broadcasts.The 9 a.m. hour of “Today” has also been affected: The hosts Al Roker and Craig Melvin were sent home this week after a staff member tested positive. Since their departure, much of that hour has been replaced with previously recorded broadcasts.
“Good Morning America” continues to tape as normal from its Times Square studio, but with much of its staff working from home.“Good Morning America” continues to tape as normal from its Times Square studio, but with much of its staff working from home.
On Thursday, Gayle King greeted “CBS This Morning” viewers from an unlikely location.On Thursday, Gayle King greeted “CBS This Morning” viewers from an unlikely location.
“If this looks familiar to you, it’s because we’re in the home of Stephen Colbert,” Ms. King said, facing a sea of empty seats at the Ed Sullivan Theater.“If this looks familiar to you, it’s because we’re in the home of Stephen Colbert,” Ms. King said, facing a sea of empty seats at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
With her co-hosts, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil, Ms. King anchored the show from a makeshift desk set on the spot where Mr. Colbert has delivered nearly 900 monologues. The CBS late-night host has not broadcast from the theater since March 12.With her co-hosts, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil, Ms. King anchored the show from a makeshift desk set on the spot where Mr. Colbert has delivered nearly 900 monologues. The CBS late-night host has not broadcast from the theater since March 12.
The network’s news division decided to move “CBS This Morning” from its usual home, the CBS Broadcast Center. Last week, several staff members tested positive for the coronavirus.The network’s news division decided to move “CBS This Morning” from its usual home, the CBS Broadcast Center. Last week, several staff members tested positive for the coronavirus.
Susan Zirinsky, the president of CBS News, said it came “down to the wire” to mount “CBS This Morning” at the Ed Sullivan Theater in time for the Thursday broadcast. The program is being put together by staff members from CBS News and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”Susan Zirinsky, the president of CBS News, said it came “down to the wire” to mount “CBS This Morning” at the Ed Sullivan Theater in time for the Thursday broadcast. The program is being put together by staff members from CBS News and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
“General Patton might have not been up to this task — but in 24 hours the effort, coordination and hard work is unparalleled,” Ms. Zirinsky wrote in a memo to the staff on Wednesday. “THANK YOU.”“General Patton might have not been up to this task — but in 24 hours the effort, coordination and hard work is unparalleled,” Ms. Zirinsky wrote in a memo to the staff on Wednesday. “THANK YOU.”
With the move, the Ed Sullivan Theater can claim another piece of show business history.With the move, the Ed Sullivan Theater can claim another piece of show business history.
The nearly century-old theater has been home to Broadway musicals, radio shows, “The Ed Sullivan Show,” game shows, a Sammy Davis Jr. telethon, the 1980s sitcom “Kate & Allie,” “The Late Show With David Letterman” and now CBS’s morning news program.The nearly century-old theater has been home to Broadway musicals, radio shows, “The Ed Sullivan Show,” game shows, a Sammy Davis Jr. telethon, the 1980s sitcom “Kate & Allie,” “The Late Show With David Letterman” and now CBS’s morning news program.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
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.
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.
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 promise to be good houseguests and leave the place the way we found it,” Mr. Mason, the “CBS This Morning” co-host, said from the stage on Thursday morning.“We promise to be good houseguests and leave the place the way we found it,” Mr. Mason, the “CBS This Morning” co-host, said from the stage on Thursday morning.
Ms. King suggested that he tinkle the piano belonging to Mr. Colbert’s bandleader, Jon Batiste.Ms. King suggested that he tinkle the piano belonging to Mr. Colbert’s bandleader, Jon Batiste.
How long the show will remain in the theater is an open question. “The Late Show” had announced that it would go dark through at least March 30. This week, Mr. Colbert taped monologues from his backyard, porch and bathtub.How long the show will remain in the theater is an open question. “The Late Show” had announced that it would go dark through at least March 30. This week, Mr. Colbert taped monologues from his backyard, porch and bathtub.
Conan O’Brien, the TBS late-night host, announced on Wednesday that he would return to TV March 30, with “Conan” episodes shot on an iPhone and celebrity guests appearing via Skype. “This will not be pretty, but feel free to laugh at our attempt,” Mr. O’Brien said on Wednesday.Conan O’Brien, the TBS late-night host, announced on Wednesday that he would return to TV March 30, with “Conan” episodes shot on an iPhone and celebrity guests appearing via Skype. “This will not be pretty, but feel free to laugh at our attempt,” Mr. O’Brien said on Wednesday.
With more people stuck at home, ratings have soared for the three network morning shows. To guard against losing viewers, NBC had made preparations for its anchors to broadcast remotely, sending tech teams to jury-rig Ms. Kotb’s and Ms. Guthrie’s homes.With more people stuck at home, ratings have soared for the three network morning shows. To guard against losing viewers, NBC had made preparations for its anchors to broadcast remotely, sending tech teams to jury-rig Ms. Kotb’s and Ms. Guthrie’s homes.
By Tuesday, as Ms. Guthrie started to experience symptoms, the backup plan kicked in.By Tuesday, as Ms. Guthrie started to experience symptoms, the backup plan kicked in.
“My husband is helping me get the signal up and has duct-taped the doors so the kids don’t run in,” Ms. Guthrie said from her basement on Wednesday.“My husband is helping me get the signal up and has duct-taped the doors so the kids don’t run in,” Ms. Guthrie said from her basement on Wednesday.
“You’re kidding,” Ms. Kotb said.“You’re kidding,” Ms. Kotb said.
“No, I’m not,” Ms. Guthrie replied. “These are strange times.”“No, I’m not,” Ms. Guthrie replied. “These are strange times.”