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/2020/04/28/us/peace-corps-americorps-coronavirus-unemployment.html

The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Peace Corps Volunteers Can Get Unemployment Benefits, Officials Say Peace Corps Volunteers Can Get Unemployment Benefits, Officials Say
(2 days later)
Peace Corps volunteers and other national service participants who lost their positions during the coronavirus pandemic will now be eligible for unemployment benefits as part of the $2 trillion economic relief plan, according to guidance released by the Department of Labor this week.Peace Corps volunteers and other national service participants who lost their positions during the coronavirus pandemic will now be eligible for unemployment benefits as part of the $2 trillion economic relief plan, according to guidance released by the Department of Labor this week.
In previous years, people returning from serving with the Peace Corps were not eligible for regular unemployment benefits because the Department of Labor considered them volunteers who were not in a legal employee-employer relationship.In previous years, people returning from serving with the Peace Corps were not eligible for regular unemployment benefits because the Department of Labor considered them volunteers who were not in a legal employee-employer relationship.
But the pandemic has caused the Peace Corps to temporarily suspend its operations for the first time in its nearly 60-year history. The agency evacuated over 7,000 volunteers from posts in more than 60 countries. The evacuees described shock, confusion and heartbreak as they raced home, jobless in the middle of a pandemic and economic shutdown.But the pandemic has caused the Peace Corps to temporarily suspend its operations for the first time in its nearly 60-year history. The agency evacuated over 7,000 volunteers from posts in more than 60 countries. The evacuees described shock, confusion and heartbreak as they raced home, jobless in the middle of a pandemic and economic shutdown.
The relief plan, the largest stimulus measure in modern American history, was approved on March 25 and included an additional pandemic unemployment assistance program for people who were unemployed because of a coronavirus-related reason. It provides up to 39 weeks of benefits.The relief plan, the largest stimulus measure in modern American history, was approved on March 25 and included an additional pandemic unemployment assistance program for people who were unemployed because of a coronavirus-related reason. It provides up to 39 weeks of benefits.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, and Representative Dean Phillips, Democrat of Minnesota, wrote a bipartisan and bicameral letter, signed by 40 lawmakers, to Eugene Scalia, the secretary of labor, on April 2, asking for clarification on whether the assistance program covers Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and other national service participants.Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, and Representative Dean Phillips, Democrat of Minnesota, wrote a bipartisan and bicameral letter, signed by 40 lawmakers, to Eugene Scalia, the secretary of labor, on April 2, asking for clarification on whether the assistance program covers Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and other national service participants.
“For decades, Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers have served our country at home and abroad — promoting democracy, literacy, development and good will,” Senator Van Hollen said in a statement. “Today, these men and women — thousands of whom have been recalled — deserve the same safety net provided to others at this moment of need.”“For decades, Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers have served our country at home and abroad — promoting democracy, literacy, development and good will,” Senator Van Hollen said in a statement. “Today, these men and women — thousands of whom have been recalled — deserve the same safety net provided to others at this moment of need.”
On Monday, the Department of Labor released guidance that officially confirmed the eligibility of Peace Corps and AmeriCorps participants.On Monday, the Department of Labor released guidance that officially confirmed the eligibility of Peace Corps and AmeriCorps participants.
Peace Corps volunteers usually serve for two years, after three months of training. On their return to the United States amid the pandemic, they received some compensation: $4,500 for those who served less than a year and $9,000 for those who served less than two years, with two months of health coverage, the corps said. They also have preference for federal jobs, but many of the volunteers said they were still worried about how to make ends meet.Peace Corps volunteers usually serve for two years, after three months of training. On their return to the United States amid the pandemic, they received some compensation: $4,500 for those who served less than a year and $9,000 for those who served less than two years, with two months of health coverage, the corps said. They also have preference for federal jobs, but many of the volunteers said they were still worried about how to make ends meet.
QueenEsther Adu, 25, said her allowance from the Peace Corps was much lower than she expected. She said that she had been applying to jobs to get quick cash, including working at a warehouse, since she returned to Columbus, Ohio, from Senegal. She said she was overjoyed to hear the unexpected news from the Labor Department.QueenEsther Adu, 25, said her allowance from the Peace Corps was much lower than she expected. She said that she had been applying to jobs to get quick cash, including working at a warehouse, since she returned to Columbus, Ohio, from Senegal. She said she was overjoyed to hear the unexpected news from the Labor Department.
“I do think finding funds has been on the minds of a lot of volunteers,” Ms. Adu said. “I’m excited for this and will be looking into applying as soon as possible.”“I do think finding funds has been on the minds of a lot of volunteers,” Ms. Adu said. “I’m excited for this and will be looking into applying as soon as possible.”
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.
Elizabeth Burke, 54, said she sold or gave away most of her belongings before she left to volunteer in Morocco. Now, she was looking for a new apartment in the Chicago area with limited funds, but the unemployment benefits would greatly reduce her emotional and financial stress, she said.Elizabeth Burke, 54, said she sold or gave away most of her belongings before she left to volunteer in Morocco. Now, she was looking for a new apartment in the Chicago area with limited funds, but the unemployment benefits would greatly reduce her emotional and financial stress, she said.
Jeffrey Castanon, 31, a Peace Corps volunteer who was evacuated from Mexico, said he had been calling his congressman every day since he returned to his home in San Diego, trying to figure out if the federal relief package could help him.Jeffrey Castanon, 31, a Peace Corps volunteer who was evacuated from Mexico, said he had been calling his congressman every day since he returned to his home in San Diego, trying to figure out if the federal relief package could help him.
“It’s good to know that relief is on the way,” Mr. Castanon said.“It’s good to know that relief is on the way,” Mr. Castanon said.