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| Shutting Themselves Inside to Avoid Being a Burden to Others | Shutting Themselves Inside to Avoid Being a Burden to Others |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| When Lee Lee developed a raspy cough three weeks ago, there were only a handful of coronavirus cases in Australia. No one was talking yet of social distancing, but when Mrs. Lee’s doctor swabbed her for a coronavirus test, she and her husband got to thinking. | When Lee Lee developed a raspy cough three weeks ago, there were only a handful of coronavirus cases in Australia. No one was talking yet of social distancing, but when Mrs. Lee’s doctor swabbed her for a coronavirus test, she and her husband got to thinking. |
| If hospitals were to become overwhelmed and their grandchildren or great-grandchildren got sick, doctors would face a terrible choice. | If hospitals were to become overwhelmed and their grandchildren or great-grandchildren got sick, doctors would face a terrible choice. |
| “It occurred to us that if push came to shove, although we are certainly not tired of living, we’ve had a pretty good bite and we’d want the limited resources given to them rather than taking them ourselves,” Mrs. Lee said. | “It occurred to us that if push came to shove, although we are certainly not tired of living, we’ve had a pretty good bite and we’d want the limited resources given to them rather than taking them ourselves,” Mrs. Lee said. |
| So though her test came back negative, Mrs. Lee, 72, a former human resources consultant, and her husband, Colin Lee, 86, a former police officer, decided to self-isolate. No more volunteering or group lunches, nothing really, beyond the backyard of their home in Geelong, outside Melbourne, where socializing was reduced to a tree filled with rainbow lorikeets. | So though her test came back negative, Mrs. Lee, 72, a former human resources consultant, and her husband, Colin Lee, 86, a former police officer, decided to self-isolate. No more volunteering or group lunches, nothing really, beyond the backyard of their home in Geelong, outside Melbourne, where socializing was reduced to a tree filled with rainbow lorikeets. |
| Their decision came from knowing the splendor of a second chance. They met 16 years ago in the Fort Lauderdale airport after both of their spouses had died. A Jewish New Yorker, she was dropping off a friend. An Anglican Brit who lived in Australia, he could barely stand after 40 hours of travel weighted by grief. | Their decision came from knowing the splendor of a second chance. They met 16 years ago in the Fort Lauderdale airport after both of their spouses had died. A Jewish New Yorker, she was dropping off a friend. An Anglican Brit who lived in Australia, he could barely stand after 40 hours of travel weighted by grief. |
| “Are you all right?” she asked. | “Are you all right?” she asked. |
| “No, I’m not,” he said. | “No, I’m not,” he said. |
| Together, they traveled, moved back to Australia and married. Together, with the virus threatening, the last thing they wanted was to take away someone else’s serendipity, hospital bed or life. | Together, they traveled, moved back to Australia and married. Together, with the virus threatening, the last thing they wanted was to take away someone else’s serendipity, hospital bed or life. |
| “We all have to care about each other, because it’s no longer the kind of war where you can let your neighbor go to the devil and take care of yourself,” Mrs. Lee said. | “We all have to care about each other, because it’s no longer the kind of war where you can let your neighbor go to the devil and take care of yourself,” Mrs. Lee said. |
| Mr. Lee agreed: “We’ve just got to share what’s there, share sensibly.” | Mr. Lee agreed: “We’ve just got to share what’s there, share sensibly.” |
| Like many others, they were stunned by all the hoarding that’s gone on in Australia and elsewhere. Character and calm, in their view, should not be harder to find than toilet paper. | Like many others, they were stunned by all the hoarding that’s gone on in Australia and elsewhere. Character and calm, in their view, should not be harder to find than toilet paper. |
| Mr. Lee, white-haired and wearing a bright smile in family photos, said by phone last week that he began his days with the news. He often found echoes of World War II and the Great Depression: the anxiety and uncertainty spreading across continents; the soaring death tolls; the not knowing where to go, or when it will end. | Mr. Lee, white-haired and wearing a bright smile in family photos, said by phone last week that he began his days with the news. He often found echoes of World War II and the Great Depression: the anxiety and uncertainty spreading across continents; the soaring death tolls; the not knowing where to go, or when it will end. |
| “People everywhere are being shut up and scared to go outside,” he said. “It is dangerous, at least in our age group.” | “People everywhere are being shut up and scared to go outside,” he said. “It is dangerous, at least in our age group.” |
| He said he wasn’t frightened. Just contemplative. | He said he wasn’t frightened. Just contemplative. |
| Books were good company. Inside day after day, Mr. and Mrs. Lee became enthralled with “Burke and Wills,” Peter FitzSimons’s rollicking account of Australia’s most famous explorers. It’s not a short book. It fit their routines just fine. | Books were good company. Inside day after day, Mr. and Mrs. Lee became enthralled with “Burke and Wills,” Peter FitzSimons’s rollicking account of Australia’s most famous explorers. It’s not a short book. It fit their routines just fine. |
| 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. |
| “The best part of it is that life has slowed down a little bit,” Mrs. Lee said. “I don’t seem to be rushing around trying to accomplish as much. The worst part of it is that life has slowed down a bit and I don’t seem to be rushing around trying to accomplish as much.” | “The best part of it is that life has slowed down a little bit,” Mrs. Lee said. “I don’t seem to be rushing around trying to accomplish as much. The worst part of it is that life has slowed down a bit and I don’t seem to be rushing around trying to accomplish as much.” |
| But even in isolation, life is no less fragile. Late last week, Mr. Lee started complaining about feeling cold. Mrs. Lee put a warm jacket on him, a winter hat and gloves, and called the doctor. An ambulance arrived a few minutes later. | But even in isolation, life is no less fragile. Late last week, Mr. Lee started complaining about feeling cold. Mrs. Lee put a warm jacket on him, a winter hat and gloves, and called the doctor. An ambulance arrived a few minutes later. |
| In the emergency room, Mr. Lee was isolated. Mrs. Lee stayed with him in a mask and hospital gown. A chest X-ray revealed pneumonia, and he was swabbed for the coronavirus. | In the emergency room, Mr. Lee was isolated. Mrs. Lee stayed with him in a mask and hospital gown. A chest X-ray revealed pneumonia, and he was swabbed for the coronavirus. |
| On Saturday, the test came back negative. But his sickness did not subside, and he was placed on a ventilator to aid his breathing — Australia’s outbreak has not yet overwhelmed the health care system. | On Saturday, the test came back negative. But his sickness did not subside, and he was placed on a ventilator to aid his breathing — Australia’s outbreak has not yet overwhelmed the health care system. |
| On Tuesday at 4 a.m., he opened his eyes and seemed to look at something just above his wife. | On Tuesday at 4 a.m., he opened his eyes and seemed to look at something just above his wife. |
| “I kissed him and told him that he had run a good race, but that it was time to rest,” Mrs. Lee said. A few breaths later, he was gone. | “I kissed him and told him that he had run a good race, but that it was time to rest,” Mrs. Lee said. A few breaths later, he was gone. |
| On Wednesday, Mrs. Lee emailed the last photo taken of her husband while he was alive. All it showed was her hand holding his. The subject line: Heartbreak. | On Wednesday, Mrs. Lee emailed the last photo taken of her husband while he was alive. All it showed was her hand holding his. The subject line: Heartbreak. |
| “He was the best man that God ever made,” she said, “and I am completely undone.” | “He was the best man that God ever made,” she said, “and I am completely undone.” |