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| A Reporter’s Challenge: Maintaining Distance in a Close Community | A Reporter’s Challenge: Maintaining Distance in a Close Community |
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| Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. | Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. |
| In 25 years as a journalist, including a decade spent in Eastern Europe, one of my more challenging tasks came this month: reporting on the novel coronavirus — not from inside a besieged New York medical center, but from bucolic Amish country in Ohio. | In 25 years as a journalist, including a decade spent in Eastern Europe, one of my more challenging tasks came this month: reporting on the novel coronavirus — not from inside a besieged New York medical center, but from bucolic Amish country in Ohio. |
| Working (and healthy) journalists are exempt from restrictions on travel that apply to most Americans. But our work has necessarily become more solitary, as we protect ourselves and the people we meet. In a field that relies on human contact, we stand six feet away, hiding ourselves behind masks, goggles and gloves, refusing opportunities to interact that we would normally prize. | Working (and healthy) journalists are exempt from restrictions on travel that apply to most Americans. But our work has necessarily become more solitary, as we protect ourselves and the people we meet. In a field that relies on human contact, we stand six feet away, hiding ourselves behind masks, goggles and gloves, refusing opportunities to interact that we would normally prize. |
| Reporting on the coronavirus has made me think more deeply than I have in years about the nature of risk. In this case, it’s physically microscopic yet as potentially dangerous as risks encountered in conflict zones. Technological and physical barriers have reminded me of the vulnerability reporters share with the people who are our subjects, and reinforced the importance of human connectedness to reporting. It’s easy to discount the value of a facial expression, a tone of voice or a firm handshake in establishing rapport until such things are obscured behind a mask or prohibited by social-distancing rules. | Reporting on the coronavirus has made me think more deeply than I have in years about the nature of risk. In this case, it’s physically microscopic yet as potentially dangerous as risks encountered in conflict zones. Technological and physical barriers have reminded me of the vulnerability reporters share with the people who are our subjects, and reinforced the importance of human connectedness to reporting. It’s easy to discount the value of a facial expression, a tone of voice or a firm handshake in establishing rapport until such things are obscured behind a mask or prohibited by social-distancing rules. |
| This month I traveled to Holmes County, in central Ohio, to report on how Amish workers, idled by social-distancing guidelines, had pivoted to make face masks, surgical gowns and protective gear for the Cleveland Clinic and other hospitals across the country. The Amish, whose life centers on communal work and worship, were struggling with the dictates of social distancing in a county that at the time had only one confirmed case of the coronavirus. | This month I traveled to Holmes County, in central Ohio, to report on how Amish workers, idled by social-distancing guidelines, had pivoted to make face masks, surgical gowns and protective gear for the Cleveland Clinic and other hospitals across the country. The Amish, whose life centers on communal work and worship, were struggling with the dictates of social distancing in a county that at the time had only one confirmed case of the coronavirus. |
| So were we. | So were we. |
| I had imagined the close-knit Amish would be happy to distance themselves from outsiders. Instead, my colleague, the Times photographer Erin Schaff, and I spent our trip backing off and begging off, refusing invitations from people keen to tell their stories, compelled by faith and temperament to welcome us. | I had imagined the close-knit Amish would be happy to distance themselves from outsiders. Instead, my colleague, the Times photographer Erin Schaff, and I spent our trip backing off and begging off, refusing invitations from people keen to tell their stories, compelled by faith and temperament to welcome us. |
| My guide to the community was David Kline, an Amish bishop in his 70s and the author of several books about Amish farming life. Home-based telephones and computers are forbidden, so I passed word through Mr. Kline’s non-Amish daughter-in-law, Martha Kline, who runs his publication, Farming Magazine. Mr. Kline called late one night, and after a long conversation, he said, “Of course you’ll stay at our place,” meaning Larksong, the family’s farm near Fredericksburg, Ohio. Staying there, I could learn more than in a week’s worth of interviews. Miserably, I refused, telling him that it could put the farm’s three generations of Klines at risk. Mr. Kline laughed. “We’ll talk about it when you get here,” he said, hanging up. I booked a hotel. | My guide to the community was David Kline, an Amish bishop in his 70s and the author of several books about Amish farming life. Home-based telephones and computers are forbidden, so I passed word through Mr. Kline’s non-Amish daughter-in-law, Martha Kline, who runs his publication, Farming Magazine. Mr. Kline called late one night, and after a long conversation, he said, “Of course you’ll stay at our place,” meaning Larksong, the family’s farm near Fredericksburg, Ohio. Staying there, I could learn more than in a week’s worth of interviews. Miserably, I refused, telling him that it could put the farm’s three generations of Klines at risk. Mr. Kline laughed. “We’ll talk about it when you get here,” he said, hanging up. I booked a hotel. |
| Erin and I drove separate cars to Ohio. In mine, I carried hand sanitizer and germicidal wipes made for cleaning emergency-room floors and crime scenes. I arrived at the Klines’ pristine farm on a clear afternoon, the braying of Arthur, their neighbors’ burro, audible on the stiff breeze. Times guidelines recommend doing interviews outdoors, and we chatted with Mr. Kline and his wife, Elsie, from the far side of a round wooden table outside their back door. Touring the farm, meeting their daughter and three grandchildren, we crab-walked sideways through barn aisles, ducking and social distancing as the children rigged up their pony cart, showed off their baby rabbits and laughed at our weird maneuvers. | Erin and I drove separate cars to Ohio. In mine, I carried hand sanitizer and germicidal wipes made for cleaning emergency-room floors and crime scenes. I arrived at the Klines’ pristine farm on a clear afternoon, the braying of Arthur, their neighbors’ burro, audible on the stiff breeze. Times guidelines recommend doing interviews outdoors, and we chatted with Mr. Kline and his wife, Elsie, from the far side of a round wooden table outside their back door. Touring the farm, meeting their daughter and three grandchildren, we crab-walked sideways through barn aisles, ducking and social distancing as the children rigged up their pony cart, showed off their baby rabbits and laughed at our weird maneuvers. |
| “I tend to play the odds,” Mr. Kline said at one point. “In the flu of 1918 nobody died in my family, and not in Elsie’s family, either.” | “I tend to play the odds,” Mr. Kline said at one point. “In the flu of 1918 nobody died in my family, and not in Elsie’s family, either.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. |
| As I was leaving, I urged Mr. Kline to wash his hands. He was too polite to roll his eyes, but said, “I think we have soap.” | As I was leaving, I urged Mr. Kline to wash his hands. He was too polite to roll his eyes, but said, “I think we have soap.” |
| The next day began at Keim, a lumber and home goods business leading the effort on personal protective equipment. Kelsey Hochstetler, Keim’s communications chief and our guide that day, gave us fluid-resistant, Amish-made masks. She carried a tote bag with a big bottle of hand sanitizer and snacks (most places to eat were closed). My mask pushed my nose to one side, plugging it. Afraid to use anyone’s restroom that day, I sprinted to my hotel room en route to another stop, then stopped drinking water. | The next day began at Keim, a lumber and home goods business leading the effort on personal protective equipment. Kelsey Hochstetler, Keim’s communications chief and our guide that day, gave us fluid-resistant, Amish-made masks. She carried a tote bag with a big bottle of hand sanitizer and snacks (most places to eat were closed). My mask pushed my nose to one side, plugging it. Afraid to use anyone’s restroom that day, I sprinted to my hotel room en route to another stop, then stopped drinking water. |
| In Keim’s parking lot, I placed my iPhone on a concrete wall to record an interview, then stepped several feet away. Abe Troyer and Leroy Yoder, Amish leaders in Holmes County, spoke movingly about coronavirus’s impact on incomes and gatherings. | In Keim’s parking lot, I placed my iPhone on a concrete wall to record an interview, then stepped several feet away. Abe Troyer and Leroy Yoder, Amish leaders in Holmes County, spoke movingly about coronavirus’s impact on incomes and gatherings. |
| Retrieving my phone, I logged in to save the recording. But the cold had made the phone seize. As I watched numbly, it went dead, the two men’s words gone. Even around my mask, Ms. Hochstetler saw my pain. “It happens!” she said, except that it never — ever — had to me. “I can bring them back!” Hours later we met again, and I confessed that modern technology and social distancing had gotten the better of me. If I were Amish, I told the men standing across the room, maybe I would have relied on handwritten notes. | Retrieving my phone, I logged in to save the recording. But the cold had made the phone seize. As I watched numbly, it went dead, the two men’s words gone. Even around my mask, Ms. Hochstetler saw my pain. “It happens!” she said, except that it never — ever — had to me. “I can bring them back!” Hours later we met again, and I confessed that modern technology and social distancing had gotten the better of me. If I were Amish, I told the men standing across the room, maybe I would have relied on handwritten notes. |
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