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What to Do When Your Uncle Believes Coronavirus Conspiracies What to Do When Your Uncle Believes Coronavirus Conspiracies
(about 1 month later)
This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays.This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays.
It’s not unusual for my relatives or friends to talk about kooky ideas. But now others’ believing in hoaxes or bad information feels dangerous. This drug is a miracle cure! Blame this billionaire for the virus!It’s not unusual for my relatives or friends to talk about kooky ideas. But now others’ believing in hoaxes or bad information feels dangerous. This drug is a miracle cure! Blame this billionaire for the virus!
I tried to figure out what we can do when someone we love believes in coronavirus conspiracies they see online.I tried to figure out what we can do when someone we love believes in coronavirus conspiracies they see online.
What I learned is we need to have empathy for people who are afraid of a scary illness. We should be on the lookout for those who have reasons to talk up misinformation. And with trust in authority figures falling among many Americans, we can step in and spread good information to people who trust us and model good behavior.What I learned is we need to have empathy for people who are afraid of a scary illness. We should be on the lookout for those who have reasons to talk up misinformation. And with trust in authority figures falling among many Americans, we can step in and spread good information to people who trust us and model good behavior.
“Conspiracy theories seem especially likely to take hold during disasters and tragedies when people experience a loss of control and are trying to make sense of the world,” said Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College professor who studies misperceptions about politics and health care.“Conspiracy theories seem especially likely to take hold during disasters and tragedies when people experience a loss of control and are trying to make sense of the world,” said Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College professor who studies misperceptions about politics and health care.
Nyhan said the worst thing you can do is shame people in your social circle for what they believe. Don’t be too hard on your cousin who posts that cellphone towers contribute to coronavirus infections. Don’t be that lobbyist who typed “IDIOTS” about people protesting stay-at-home orders.Nyhan said the worst thing you can do is shame people in your social circle for what they believe. Don’t be too hard on your cousin who posts that cellphone towers contribute to coronavirus infections. Don’t be that lobbyist who typed “IDIOTS” about people protesting stay-at-home orders.
We’re fallible. Sometimes we worry about the wrong things. Reasonable people can disagree, particularly when knowledge about this virus keeps shifting.We’re fallible. Sometimes we worry about the wrong things. Reasonable people can disagree, particularly when knowledge about this virus keeps shifting.
We also need to train ourselves and our loved ones to look behind the curtain for people with a political message and others who have incentives to fan our fears in crises, said Renée DiResta, who researches disinformation at the Stanford Internet Observatory.We also need to train ourselves and our loved ones to look behind the curtain for people with a political message and others who have incentives to fan our fears in crises, said Renée DiResta, who researches disinformation at the Stanford Internet Observatory.
But Nyhan said it’s counterproductive to spend too much energy trying to refute people we disagree with, whether it’s friends, talking heads on television or politicians. If we put all our attention on misinformation, he said, “the communication becomes too focused on what’s not true rather than what is.”But Nyhan said it’s counterproductive to spend too much energy trying to refute people we disagree with, whether it’s friends, talking heads on television or politicians. If we put all our attention on misinformation, he said, “the communication becomes too focused on what’s not true rather than what is.”
Instead, he said it’s better to amplify accurate messages. Nyhan credited sports stars like Steph Curry, health care officials and entertainers who helped spread the message that the coronavirus was dangerous and that people could best protect themselves by staying home as much as possible and keeping their distance from people outside their households.Instead, he said it’s better to amplify accurate messages. Nyhan credited sports stars like Steph Curry, health care officials and entertainers who helped spread the message that the coronavirus was dangerous and that people could best protect themselves by staying home as much as possible and keeping their distance from people outside their households.
Like those celebrities, we can spread helpful information to people who believe what we say.Like those celebrities, we can spread helpful information to people who believe what we say.
Nyhan and DiResta, who has written extensively about misinformation about vaccines, said they were worried that fear-mongering or a lack of trust in government authorities will undermine a potential coronavirus vaccine. We might be able to help there, too.Nyhan and DiResta, who has written extensively about misinformation about vaccines, said they were worried that fear-mongering or a lack of trust in government authorities will undermine a potential coronavirus vaccine. We might be able to help there, too.
Maybe your brother doesn’t trust the C.D.C., Nyhan said, but he probably does trust you, his kid’s school principal and his church deacon. They should tout the importance of vaccines. Someone in our lives relies on us. And we can harness that trust to help keep ourselves informed and our communities safe.Maybe your brother doesn’t trust the C.D.C., Nyhan said, but he probably does trust you, his kid’s school principal and his church deacon. They should tout the importance of vaccines. Someone in our lives relies on us. And we can harness that trust to help keep ourselves informed and our communities safe.
We talked in Wednesday’s newsletter about people’s mixed experiences shopping on Amazon in this pandemic. There’s evidence that many are shopping more than usual at places other than Amazon.We talked in Wednesday’s newsletter about people’s mixed experiences shopping on Amazon in this pandemic. There’s evidence that many are shopping more than usual at places other than Amazon.
After years of Americans devoting bigger chunks of our online spending to Amazon, we are shifting in the other direction for now.After years of Americans devoting bigger chunks of our online spending to Amazon, we are shifting in the other direction for now.
Out of every dollar that Americans spent shopping online in the week ending April 10, about 35.5 cents was on Amazon. Until then, Amazon was getting about 40 to 44 cents of each online spending dollar, according to the market research firm Rakuten Intelligence.Out of every dollar that Americans spent shopping online in the week ending April 10, about 35.5 cents was on Amazon. Until then, Amazon was getting about 40 to 44 cents of each online spending dollar, according to the market research firm Rakuten Intelligence.
Updated June 2, 2020
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
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.
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.
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.)
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
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.
It’s hard to know exactly why. Companies like Home Depot and especially Target, plus the groceries delivery service Instacart, are getting more of our online dollars than they typically do, Rakuten figures show. It may be because we’re buying more groceries, which people don’t tend to buy on Amazon. Or Amazon’s shortages and shipping delays may be turning some people off.It’s hard to know exactly why. Companies like Home Depot and especially Target, plus the groceries delivery service Instacart, are getting more of our online dollars than they typically do, Rakuten figures show. It may be because we’re buying more groceries, which people don’t tend to buy on Amazon. Or Amazon’s shortages and shipping delays may be turning some people off.
Amazon’s delivery times, which had been hovering around two days on average, went as high as four days in mid-March, Rakuten said. Delivery speeds have started to fall back down. Shipping times of other companies, which usually take longer to deliver than Amazon, also slowed down.Amazon’s delivery times, which had been hovering around two days on average, went as high as four days in mid-March, Rakuten said. Delivery speeds have started to fall back down. Shipping times of other companies, which usually take longer to deliver than Amazon, also slowed down.
Fun fact: Before this pandemic, about 85 percent of Americans’ retail spending still happened in physical stores. If this crisis makes us shop online more, Amazon will be a big winner. But more competition might make everyone try harder for our money.Fun fact: Before this pandemic, about 85 percent of Americans’ retail spending still happened in physical stores. If this crisis makes us shop online more, Amazon will be a big winner. But more competition might make everyone try harder for our money.
When the boss cares about the details again: After years of focusing on the big picture, Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, has dived back into day-to-day company management during the pandemic, my colleague Karen Weise reports. Bezos is participating in daily calls about product inventory, obsessing about coronavirus testing and is getting involved in Amazon’s response to public criticism.When the boss cares about the details again: After years of focusing on the big picture, Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, has dived back into day-to-day company management during the pandemic, my colleague Karen Weise reports. Bezos is participating in daily calls about product inventory, obsessing about coronavirus testing and is getting involved in Amazon’s response to public criticism.
Is Twitter good now? That’s what a trio of my smart and hilarious colleagues debated. Personally, if my options are: scroll Twitter, wash my endless pile of dishes or have an honest thought about my own fears … then TWITTER IT IS.Is Twitter good now? That’s what a trio of my smart and hilarious colleagues debated. Personally, if my options are: scroll Twitter, wash my endless pile of dishes or have an honest thought about my own fears … then TWITTER IT IS.
TikTok is influencing how musicians title their songs. To make sure people can search for their songs online, musicians are changing vague titles like “ily” to match the snippets of lyrics people hear on TikTok, Rolling Stone writes. Dance routines on the short-video app are where many people discover new music. Also: You gotta applaud the creativity of teenagers remaking prom on TikTok. Look at these girls!TikTok is influencing how musicians title their songs. To make sure people can search for their songs online, musicians are changing vague titles like “ily” to match the snippets of lyrics people hear on TikTok, Rolling Stone writes. Dance routines on the short-video app are where many people discover new music. Also: You gotta applaud the creativity of teenagers remaking prom on TikTok. Look at these girls!
Bob Ross petting a baby deer. That’s it. Just watch it. (And if you share my love for television’s prolific, dulcet-voiced landscape painter, you will enjoy this mystery of where all his artwork went.)Bob Ross petting a baby deer. That’s it. Just watch it. (And if you share my love for television’s prolific, dulcet-voiced landscape painter, you will enjoy this mystery of where all his artwork went.)
You can reach us at ontech@nytimes.com.You can reach us at ontech@nytimes.com.
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