This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/us/politics/coronavirus-max-rose-new-york.html

The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Congressman Max Rose Deploys With National Guard for Coronavirus Relief Congressman Max Rose Deploys With National Guard for Coronavirus Relief
(about 20 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Representative Max Rose, a freshman Democrat from New York, announced on Tuesday that he would deploy with the National Guard on Wednesday to assist the hard-hit city’s coronavirus response efforts, making him the first member of Congress to do so.WASHINGTON — Representative Max Rose, a freshman Democrat from New York, announced on Tuesday that he would deploy with the National Guard on Wednesday to assist the hard-hit city’s coronavirus response efforts, making him the first member of Congress to do so.
Mr. Rose, a captain in the Army National Guard and decorated combat veteran in Afghanistan who represents Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, said he chose to deploy to “do my small part” to combat the pandemic, and would help set up field hospitals in Staten Island and other parts of New York.Mr. Rose, a captain in the Army National Guard and decorated combat veteran in Afghanistan who represents Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, said he chose to deploy to “do my small part” to combat the pandemic, and would help set up field hospitals in Staten Island and other parts of New York.
With Congress in recess and members working remotely from their districts, Mr. Rose said he believed the severity of the situation in New York required him to take a more a hands-on role rather than attending to the seemingly endless string of conference calls, including town halls, and other socially distanced activities that now fill lawmakers’ days.With Congress in recess and members working remotely from their districts, Mr. Rose said he believed the severity of the situation in New York required him to take a more a hands-on role rather than attending to the seemingly endless string of conference calls, including town halls, and other socially distanced activities that now fill lawmakers’ days.
“I do see this as an opportunity to serve New York City and my community, and to serve on the ground from an operational perspective,” Mr. Rose said in an interview on Tuesday. “This is about working day-to-day to make sure we can withstand and weather this surge.”“I do see this as an opportunity to serve New York City and my community, and to serve on the ground from an operational perspective,” Mr. Rose said in an interview on Tuesday. “This is about working day-to-day to make sure we can withstand and weather this surge.”
Known in the halls of the Capitol as a swaggering (and sometimes profane) straight shooter, Mr. Rose ousted a Republican incumbent in 2018 in a district President Trump won by nearly 10 points, after a campaign built on his knack for retail politics and fund-raising prowess. His military background — he earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star after he suffered injuries when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2013 — was a crucial piece of his biography that helped power his bid.Known in the halls of the Capitol as a swaggering (and sometimes profane) straight shooter, Mr. Rose ousted a Republican incumbent in 2018 in a district President Trump won by nearly 10 points, after a campaign built on his knack for retail politics and fund-raising prowess. His military background — he earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star after he suffered injuries when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2013 — was a crucial piece of his biography that helped power his bid.
Mr. Rose rallied his colleagues to call on President Trump earlier this month to send the Navy hospital ship U.S.N.S. Comfort to New York to help relieve New York’s overwhelmed hospitals. Now, he has decided to become more personally involved in the response effort to a virus that has taken a grim toll on his district and others throughout the state.Mr. Rose rallied his colleagues to call on President Trump earlier this month to send the Navy hospital ship U.S.N.S. Comfort to New York to help relieve New York’s overwhelmed hospitals. Now, he has decided to become more personally involved in the response effort to a virus that has taken a grim toll on his district and others throughout the state.
In the interview, Mr. Rose cited a recent trip to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, which the National Guard helped turn into a makeshift hospital, as an example of the key role the reserve force can play in the crisis.In the interview, Mr. Rose cited a recent trip to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, which the National Guard helped turn into a makeshift hospital, as an example of the key role the reserve force can play in the crisis.
The National Guard in New York has activated over 2,000 personnel to help mitigate the spread of the virus, dispatching medics and technicians to establish and administer testing sites and troops to set up field hospitals.The National Guard in New York has activated over 2,000 personnel to help mitigate the spread of the virus, dispatching medics and technicians to establish and administer testing sites and troops to set up field hospitals.
Members of Congress are currently working from home and are not expected to return to Washington before April 20. Mr. Rose said on Tuesday that he would be able to return to the House and vote on legislation if needed, and noted that staff aides in his office would continue to assist his constituents and take on their casework.Members of Congress are currently working from home and are not expected to return to Washington before April 20. Mr. Rose said on Tuesday that he would be able to return to the House and vote on legislation if needed, and noted that staff aides in his office would continue to assist his constituents and take on their casework.
“People are living in fear each and every day,” he said. “There is a fierce sense of urgency around this crisis. It is a fight that will define this generation.”“People are living in fear each and every day,” he said. “There is a fierce sense of urgency around this crisis. It is a fight that will define this generation.”
Updated June 30, 2020
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.
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.
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.
Nearly half a dozen other members of the House still serve in the National Guard. Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois, was activated last year for a two-week deployment conducting aerial surveillance over the southern border.Nearly half a dozen other members of the House still serve in the National Guard. Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois, was activated last year for a two-week deployment conducting aerial surveillance over the southern border.
“It literally does pale in comparison to what our medical professions do every day,” Mr. Rose said. “I am just trying to do my duty and my small part.”“It literally does pale in comparison to what our medical professions do every day,” Mr. Rose said. “I am just trying to do my duty and my small part.”