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| Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today | Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. | This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. |
| More than 6 million Americans filed for unemployment. | More than 6 million Americans filed for unemployment. |
| The number of virus patients hospitalized in New York grew by its smallest number in weeks, but deaths reached another high. | The number of virus patients hospitalized in New York grew by its smallest number in weeks, but deaths reached another high. |
| European officials agreed on more than half a trillion euros in relief for economies ravaged by the virus outbreak. | European officials agreed on more than half a trillion euros in relief for economies ravaged by the virus outbreak. |
| Read the latest on the virus: World | U.S. | Business | New York | Read the latest on the virus: World | U.S. | Business | New York |
| The economic toll of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. is mounting even faster than the case counts: Another 6.6 million people filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week. That puts the total for the three weeks of widespread shutdowns above 16 million — almost twice the net job losses for the entire 2007-9 recession. | The economic toll of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. is mounting even faster than the case counts: Another 6.6 million people filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week. That puts the total for the three weeks of widespread shutdowns above 16 million — almost twice the net job losses for the entire 2007-9 recession. |
| It’s as if “the economy as a whole has fallen into some sudden black hole,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief U.S. financial economist at Oxford Economics. And there’s no telling yet when it will hit bottom. | It’s as if “the economy as a whole has fallen into some sudden black hole,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief U.S. financial economist at Oxford Economics. And there’s no telling yet when it will hit bottom. |
| Washington’s big stimulus measures have yet to deliver much relief on Main Street, where the pain is already acute, especially among the four in 10 Americans who were living check to check with little or no savings. | Washington’s big stimulus measures have yet to deliver much relief on Main Street, where the pain is already acute, especially among the four in 10 Americans who were living check to check with little or no savings. |
| To see the evidence, look at the nation’s food banks. | To see the evidence, look at the nation’s food banks. |
| Demand for food assistance is skyrocketing, just when the food banks are coming up short of both provisions and volunteers. Many of the restaurants and other organizations that typically donate food have shut down. Grocery stores have less unsold inventory to give because panic buying has stripped their shelves. | Demand for food assistance is skyrocketing, just when the food banks are coming up short of both provisions and volunteers. Many of the restaurants and other organizations that typically donate food have shut down. Grocery stores have less unsold inventory to give because panic buying has stripped their shelves. |
| As a result, many food banks are burning through their budgets to buy food that they used to get for nothing — and in some places, turning to the National Guard for help distributing it. | As a result, many food banks are burning through their budgets to buy food that they used to get for nothing — and in some places, turning to the National Guard for help distributing it. |
| Farm-to-compost: The pandemic is playing havoc with food producers, too, especially those who supplied restaurants, schools and resorts that have closed. Unsold crops are rotting in fields. Dairy farmers are having to dump milk. Meatpacking plants are shutting down because so many workers have gotten sick. | Farm-to-compost: The pandemic is playing havoc with food producers, too, especially those who supplied restaurants, schools and resorts that have closed. Unsold crops are rotting in fields. Dairy farmers are having to dump milk. Meatpacking plants are shutting down because so many workers have gotten sick. |
| The crisis has hammered the farm-to-table movement, which channels the produce of local farms directly to restaurants and consumers. Losses could run as high as $689 million, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. | The crisis has hammered the farm-to-table movement, which channels the produce of local farms directly to restaurants and consumers. Losses could run as high as $689 million, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. |
| The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription. | The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription. |
| Virus outbreaks in some hard-hit areas may now be passing their crests: Daily reports of new cases in Italy are way down, and the number of patients hospitalized in New York grew by just 1 percent on Thursday. | Virus outbreaks in some hard-hit areas may now be passing their crests: Daily reports of new cases in Italy are way down, and the number of patients hospitalized in New York grew by just 1 percent on Thursday. |
| But in other places, the epidemic is on the upsurge. | But in other places, the epidemic is on the upsurge. |
| The caseload in Pennsylvania has doubled in a week, to 16,000, with 300 deaths. Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday that Philadelphia had become “an area of particular concern.” | The caseload in Pennsylvania has doubled in a week, to 16,000, with 300 deaths. Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday that Philadelphia had become “an area of particular concern.” |
| The virus is tearing across the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the U.S., killing 20 people there so far — compared with 16 in all of New Mexico, with 13 times the population. | The virus is tearing across the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the U.S., killing 20 people there so far — compared with 16 in all of New Mexico, with 13 times the population. |
| The virus is also taking hold in countries where poverty is more widespread than in the European and Asian nations where it struck first. Across Africa, more than 50 countries have now reported a total of 11,424 coronavirus cases and 572 deaths. | The virus is also taking hold in countries where poverty is more widespread than in the European and Asian nations where it struck first. Across Africa, more than 50 countries have now reported a total of 11,424 coronavirus cases and 572 deaths. |
| Officially, Ecuador has had 272 virus-related deaths through Thursday, but that may be an undercount. An official in Guayaquil said the government had been overwhelmed by the number of people dying there: 1,350 bodies collected from homes since late March, some left on doorsteps wrapped in plastic. | Officially, Ecuador has had 272 virus-related deaths through Thursday, but that may be an undercount. An official in Guayaquil said the government had been overwhelmed by the number of people dying there: 1,350 bodies collected from homes since late March, some left on doorsteps wrapped in plastic. |
| Manufacturers of test kits say they cannot fill orders from Africa or Latin America because the U.S. and Europe are taking almost all they can make. | Manufacturers of test kits say they cannot fill orders from Africa or Latin America because the U.S. and Europe are taking almost all they can make. |
| By profoundly disrupting modern life, the coronavirus is making itself felt in some novel ways. | By profoundly disrupting modern life, the coronavirus is making itself felt in some novel ways. |
| The seismometers that geologists use to detect earthquakes also pick up the vibrations of human activity — vehicle traffic, construction equipment, heavy machinery and the like. But with billions of people now staying home, the “thumping pulse of civilization is now barely detectable,” Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist, writes. | The seismometers that geologists use to detect earthquakes also pick up the vibrations of human activity — vehicle traffic, construction equipment, heavy machinery and the like. But with billions of people now staying home, the “thumping pulse of civilization is now barely detectable,” Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist, writes. |
| A University of Chicago professor who developed a way to track electricity use as a measure of economic stability says he has seen a sharp falloff in recent weeks, suggesting an economic decline on a par with the 2007-9 recession, and possibly the Great Depression. | A University of Chicago professor who developed a way to track electricity use as a measure of economic stability says he has seen a sharp falloff in recent weeks, suggesting an economic decline on a par with the 2007-9 recession, and possibly the Great Depression. |
| On the other hand, there has been a huge surge in plain old-fashioned phone calls. Voice calling had been dwindling for years, but Verizon says it is now handling twice as many calls on an average weekday as it usually gets on Mother’s Day. | On the other hand, there has been a huge surge in plain old-fashioned phone calls. Voice calling had been dwindling for years, but Verizon says it is now handling twice as many calls on an average weekday as it usually gets on Mother’s Day. |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | |
| 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. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| 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. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| A seven-square-mile patch of Queens has emerged as the “epicenter of the epicenter.” The area, home to many immigrants, has more than 7,200 cases; Manhattan, with nearly three times as many people, has about 10,800 cases. | A seven-square-mile patch of Queens has emerged as the “epicenter of the epicenter.” The area, home to many immigrants, has more than 7,200 cases; Manhattan, with nearly three times as many people, has about 10,800 cases. |
| At least four U.S. aircraft carriers and France’s carrier now have confirmed or suspected cases among their crews. On the hardest hit so far, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, at least 286 sailors have tested positive, and one went into intensive care Thursday. | At least four U.S. aircraft carriers and France’s carrier now have confirmed or suspected cases among their crews. On the hardest hit so far, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, at least 286 sailors have tested positive, and one went into intensive care Thursday. |
| India has 178 deaths and around 6,000 confirmed cases as of Thursday. That’s not very many in a nation of more than one billion people, many of whom live in dense slums; experts warn that a wider outbreak there could be calamitous. | India has 178 deaths and around 6,000 confirmed cases as of Thursday. That’s not very many in a nation of more than one billion people, many of whom live in dense slums; experts warn that a wider outbreak there could be calamitous. |
| Get some sleep. Rest can boost your immune system and is one of the most effective ways to prepare your body to fight infection. We have some advice for how to sleep better. | Get some sleep. Rest can boost your immune system and is one of the most effective ways to prepare your body to fight infection. We have some advice for how to sleep better. |
| Don’t intentionally infect yourself. Seriously. In light of rumblings about “coronavirus parties” where people try to catch the virus on purpose, hoping to become immune, an epidemiologist explains why that is a terrible idea. | Don’t intentionally infect yourself. Seriously. In light of rumblings about “coronavirus parties” where people try to catch the virus on purpose, hoping to become immune, an epidemiologist explains why that is a terrible idea. |
| Stop smoking and vaping. Tobacco and marijuana products damage lungs, where the virus does its harm. Here are lots of helpful resources for those ready to quit. | Stop smoking and vaping. Tobacco and marijuana products damage lungs, where the virus does its harm. Here are lots of helpful resources for those ready to quit. |
| Make a plan for the kids. What will happen if parents of young children catch the virus? Here’s how to ensure that everyone stays safe and cared for. | Make a plan for the kids. What will happen if parents of young children catch the virus? Here’s how to ensure that everyone stays safe and cared for. |
| ‘The America We Need’ | ‘The America We Need’ |
| The Times’s Opinion desk, which operates independently from our newsroom, has started a new series exploring how the United States can emerge from the pandemic stronger, fairer and more free. | The Times’s Opinion desk, which operates independently from our newsroom, has started a new series exploring how the United States can emerge from the pandemic stronger, fairer and more free. |
| “The crucible of a crisis provides the opportunity to forge a better society, but the crisis itself does not do the work,” the Editorial Board writes in an introductory essay. “Crises expose problems, but they do not supply alternatives, let alone political will. Change requires ideas and leadership.” | “The crucible of a crisis provides the opportunity to forge a better society, but the crisis itself does not do the work,” the Editorial Board writes in an introductory essay. “Crises expose problems, but they do not supply alternatives, let alone political will. Change requires ideas and leadership.” |
| While U.S. policy was focused on warding off contagion from China, the virus was quietly reaching New York mainly from Europe, geneticists say. | While U.S. policy was focused on warding off contagion from China, the virus was quietly reaching New York mainly from Europe, geneticists say. |
| Public health officials are worried about what the virus may do to the American South, where people tend to be poorer and in worse health than the national average and have less access to insurance and health care — and where many governors have been slow to respond to the pandemic. | Public health officials are worried about what the virus may do to the American South, where people tend to be poorer and in worse health than the national average and have less access to insurance and health care — and where many governors have been slow to respond to the pandemic. |
| The police in Elizabeth, N.J., have deployed drones to enforce social distancing: They hover over people standing too close together and play a scolding message recorded by the mayor. | The police in Elizabeth, N.J., have deployed drones to enforce social distancing: They hover over people standing too close together and play a scolding message recorded by the mayor. |
| “I keep having people say, ‘Gee, it’s like we’re living in a Stephen King story,’” says Stephen King. “And my only response to that is, ‘I’m sorry.’” | “I keep having people say, ‘Gee, it’s like we’re living in a Stephen King story,’” says Stephen King. “And my only response to that is, ‘I’m sorry.’” |
| Hundreds of idled Amish seamstresses and craftsmen in Ohio pivoted overnight to making thousands of face masks, shields and protective garments for local hospitals. | Hundreds of idled Amish seamstresses and craftsmen in Ohio pivoted overnight to making thousands of face masks, shields and protective garments for local hospitals. |
| All those old-fashioned things your parents knew how to do but you never learned — sewing, baking, fixing a faucet, cutting hair — suddenly look like handy skills for sheltering at home, The Associated Press notes. | All those old-fashioned things your parents knew how to do but you never learned — sewing, baking, fixing a faucet, cutting hair — suddenly look like handy skills for sheltering at home, The Associated Press notes. |
| My daughter, her husband and my 5-year-old granddaughter live 600 miles away. My daughter is trying to work from home, but the kid is bored. I emailed her a “scavenger hunt” that my granddaughter can do, including things like, “something round, something yucky, something shaped like a star, something that starts with a ‘P.’” It encourages her to read and to be creative, and gives Mom a few uninterrupted minutes. | My daughter, her husband and my 5-year-old granddaughter live 600 miles away. My daughter is trying to work from home, but the kid is bored. I emailed her a “scavenger hunt” that my granddaughter can do, including things like, “something round, something yucky, something shaped like a star, something that starts with a ‘P.’” It encourages her to read and to be creative, and gives Mom a few uninterrupted minutes. |
| — Kathleen Chapman, Powder Springs, Ga. | — Kathleen Chapman, Powder Springs, Ga. |
| Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. | Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. |
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| Jonathan Wolfe and Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter. | Jonathan Wolfe and Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter. |