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| Bridge Was Their Passion. Then People Started to Die. | Bridge Was Their Passion. Then People Started to Die. |
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| DENVER — It had already been a grim day. The governor of Colorado had just announced the state’s first coronavirus death, an 83-year-old woman, when public health investigators discovered where she had spent some of her final days: a bridge club. | DENVER — It had already been a grim day. The governor of Colorado had just announced the state’s first coronavirus death, an 83-year-old woman, when public health investigators discovered where she had spent some of her final days: a bridge club. |
| Leon Kelly, the county coroner in Colorado Springs, felt his stomach drop. “It was full-throttle, worst-case scenario,” he said. | Leon Kelly, the county coroner in Colorado Springs, felt his stomach drop. “It was full-throttle, worst-case scenario,” he said. |
| For decades, the Colorado Springs Bridge Center had been a social hub for retirees immersed in the world of trumps, tricks and cutthroat bidding strategies. The players would spend afternoons inside their clubhouse with a view of Pikes Peak, snacking on popcorn and celery sticks and showing off photos of their grandchildren while playing hand after hand. | For decades, the Colorado Springs Bridge Center had been a social hub for retirees immersed in the world of trumps, tricks and cutthroat bidding strategies. The players would spend afternoons inside their clubhouse with a view of Pikes Peak, snacking on popcorn and celery sticks and showing off photos of their grandchildren while playing hand after hand. |
| Now, the club had become a new breeding ground for a virus that has carved through family funerals, church gatherings, nursing homes and choir practices across the country, striking groups of older, vulnerable people with cruel efficiency. | Now, the club had become a new breeding ground for a virus that has carved through family funerals, church gatherings, nursing homes and choir practices across the country, striking groups of older, vulnerable people with cruel efficiency. |
| That evening on March 13, Dr. Kelly hurriedly called an aunt and asked her: Tell me everything you can about bridge. How do players sit? How many cards do they touch? He could already picture the virus spreading as players moved from table to table, passing cards from hand to hand, seeding an invisible course of infection. | That evening on March 13, Dr. Kelly hurriedly called an aunt and asked her: Tell me everything you can about bridge. How do players sit? How many cards do they touch? He could already picture the virus spreading as players moved from table to table, passing cards from hand to hand, seeding an invisible course of infection. |
| Four of the bridge center’s members are now dead and at least 25 others have spent the past month fighting symptoms of the virus. The clubhouse is empty. And as members pass their quarantines playing online bridge and sharing updates about who is recovering and who is still in the hospital, some worry that the simple ritual of playing cards together will never feel safe again. | Four of the bridge center’s members are now dead and at least 25 others have spent the past month fighting symptoms of the virus. The clubhouse is empty. And as members pass their quarantines playing online bridge and sharing updates about who is recovering and who is still in the hospital, some worry that the simple ritual of playing cards together will never feel safe again. |
| “Bridge is a very social game,” said Jeff Rapp, a player who knew the first victim. “We speak to each other. We like to have snacks when we play. There are so many things connected with duplicate bridge that are now dangerous.” | “Bridge is a very social game,” said Jeff Rapp, a player who knew the first victim. “We speak to each other. We like to have snacks when we play. There are so many things connected with duplicate bridge that are now dangerous.” |
| In duplicate bridge, partners sit across from each other at a four-person table, and the cards are tucked into plastic trays that circulate from table to table. The game is infinitely complex, but the goal is simple: Make a smart bid, and play the best hand you can with the cards you are dealt. | In duplicate bridge, partners sit across from each other at a four-person table, and the cards are tucked into plastic trays that circulate from table to table. The game is infinitely complex, but the goal is simple: Make a smart bid, and play the best hand you can with the cards you are dealt. |
| Bridge was a passion for some. For others, it was a good excuse to get out of the house, keep their minds sharp and connect with friends and neighbors over a $5 game. | Bridge was a passion for some. For others, it was a good excuse to get out of the house, keep their minds sharp and connect with friends and neighbors over a $5 game. |
| “What are the senior citizens going to do for activities?” said John Dukellis, who helped coordinate games. “It’s cheaper than a movie. It’s their social group. It’s their lives. It hit us blindsided.” | “What are the senior citizens going to do for activities?” said John Dukellis, who helped coordinate games. “It’s cheaper than a movie. It’s their social group. It’s their lives. It hit us blindsided.” |
| The club’s members had barbecues and lunch at one another’s homes and ran educational classes to interest young people in bridge (a tough sell). They posted celebratory photos on their Facebook page when Wayne became a bronze-level life master or when Chris and Susan “really brought it” one afternoon. | The club’s members had barbecues and lunch at one another’s homes and ran educational classes to interest young people in bridge (a tough sell). They posted celebratory photos on their Facebook page when Wayne became a bronze-level life master or when Chris and Susan “really brought it” one afternoon. |
| Members said the coronavirus still seemed like a faraway threat at the end of February, when they got together for some pairs games and a “299er” tournament for beginner and intermediate players over a five-day stretch. | Members said the coronavirus still seemed like a faraway threat at the end of February, when they got together for some pairs games and a “299er” tournament for beginner and intermediate players over a five-day stretch. |
| Some were worried enough about the grim news coming out of the Pacific Northwest that they decided to skip the tournament. As they sat down at the blue-topped card tables, people in a Seattle-area nursing home were being rushed to a hospital with fevers and coughs, and the nation’s death count from the coronavirus, still in the single digits, was ticking up. | Some were worried enough about the grim news coming out of the Pacific Northwest that they decided to skip the tournament. As they sat down at the blue-topped card tables, people in a Seattle-area nursing home were being rushed to a hospital with fevers and coughs, and the nation’s death count from the coronavirus, still in the single digits, was ticking up. |
| Colorado would not announce its first coronavirus cases until March 5, and like most states, it was not yet restricting businesses or social gatherings or ordering people to stay home. Mr. Rapp, 65, who ran some of the games, dug around in the clubhouse closet and set out hand sanitizer. | Colorado would not announce its first coronavirus cases until March 5, and like most states, it was not yet restricting businesses or social gatherings or ordering people to stay home. Mr. Rapp, 65, who ran some of the games, dug around in the clubhouse closet and set out hand sanitizer. |
| About 150 people showed up to play during those five days from Feb. 27 to March 3. During one hand, a woman shielded her face with cards when an opponent sighed heavily. | About 150 people showed up to play during those five days from Feb. 27 to March 3. During one hand, a woman shielded her face with cards when an opponent sighed heavily. |
| “We were aware of coronavirus cases popping up,” Mr. Rapp said. “The people who wanted to play came to play.” | “We were aware of coronavirus cases popping up,” Mr. Rapp said. “The people who wanted to play came to play.” |
| The virus came too. | The virus came too. |
| Public health officials in Colorado Springs say they believe that the 83-year-old woman was the first to bring the virus into the bridge club. She had not traveled recently, and officials said they did not know how she contracted it. | Public health officials in Colorado Springs say they believe that the 83-year-old woman was the first to bring the virus into the bridge club. She had not traveled recently, and officials said they did not know how she contracted it. |
| Club members described her as a beginner player who had recently started attending more games because she was excited about playing in the upcoming 299er tournament. Her friends and partners said she was excited to play, but public health officials said she began feeling sick as the tournament went on. | Club members described her as a beginner player who had recently started attending more games because she was excited about playing in the upcoming 299er tournament. Her friends and partners said she was excited to play, but public health officials said she began feeling sick as the tournament went on. |
| “She was just living her life with minor symptoms like we’ve all done before,” said Dr. Kelly, the coroner, who was also drafted to become deputy medical director for the El Paso County’s public health agency as the outbreak erupted. “This lady is just one more victim in the chain of events. Not the cause.” | “She was just living her life with minor symptoms like we’ve all done before,” said Dr. Kelly, the coroner, who was also drafted to become deputy medical director for the El Paso County’s public health agency as the outbreak erupted. “This lady is just one more victim in the chain of events. Not the cause.” |
| She died in a hospital on March 13, and her coronavirus test came back positive a couple of hours later. Some of her family was already getting sick. | She died in a hospital on March 13, and her coronavirus test came back positive a couple of hours later. Some of her family was already getting sick. |
| Public health officials raced to figure out who else might be walking around infected. The club provided a list of 100 bridge players, and the county set up a hotline for people who suspected they had been exposed. | Public health officials raced to figure out who else might be walking around infected. The club provided a list of 100 bridge players, and the county set up a hotline for people who suspected they had been exposed. |
| The circle kept growing. One bridge player had gone to a choir practice: Add another 150 names to the list. The county’s four-person epidemiology staff got so swamped that it drafted coroner’s investigators to start calling. | The circle kept growing. One bridge player had gone to a choir practice: Add another 150 names to the list. The county’s four-person epidemiology staff got so swamped that it drafted coroner’s investigators to start calling. |
| Updated June 16, 2020 | |
| 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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.) |
| 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. | 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. | 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’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. | 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. |
| Pete Coggeshall, 80, was one name on the list. He sat beside the 83-year-old woman on March 3. Days later, he started to feel a strange cold coming on. Coca-Cola, which he loved, tasted strange. He avoided the common communion cup during Sunday services at the Rock of Ages Lutheran Church, and then felt worse after he got home. He ended up in a hospital for three days. “It was like somebody hit me with a brick,” he said. | Pete Coggeshall, 80, was one name on the list. He sat beside the 83-year-old woman on March 3. Days later, he started to feel a strange cold coming on. Coca-Cola, which he loved, tasted strange. He avoided the common communion cup during Sunday services at the Rock of Ages Lutheran Church, and then felt worse after he got home. He ended up in a hospital for three days. “It was like somebody hit me with a brick,” he said. |
| Mr. Coggeshall and other members have puzzled over how the infection circulated through the games — The plastic boards holding the cards? An invisible mist in the air? The snack table stocked with supermarket cold cuts? — but they said there was no way of knowing for sure. | Mr. Coggeshall and other members have puzzled over how the infection circulated through the games — The plastic boards holding the cards? An invisible mist in the air? The snack table stocked with supermarket cold cuts? — but they said there was no way of knowing for sure. |
| The club started its own list. A group that was meticulous about tallying scores and the “master points” that players earned over a lifetime now had other wins and losses to chart. They tracked who was waiting on a coronavirus test. Who was on a ventilator. Who was fading. | The club started its own list. A group that was meticulous about tallying scores and the “master points” that players earned over a lifetime now had other wins and losses to chart. They tracked who was waiting on a coronavirus test. Who was on a ventilator. Who was fading. |
| Critical but stable condition, some improvements, still in ICU. | Critical but stable condition, some improvements, still in ICU. |
| All day in ER. Not lucid, couldn’t answer her age, what day it was, etc. | All day in ER. Not lucid, couldn’t answer her age, what day it was, etc. |
| Profoundly weak, needs help eating. Has lost 20 pounds. | Profoundly weak, needs help eating. Has lost 20 pounds. |
| The updates for a 67-year-old player simply said: | The updates for a 67-year-old player simply said: |
| March 15 In hospital | March 15 In hospital |
| March 19 Died | March 19 Died |
| March 25 Obituary in Gazette. | March 25 Obituary in Gazette. |
| The players’ death notices make no mention of the virus, obliquely citing a “sudden illness” and noting that memorials and funerals would be sometime in the future. Their families declined to talk, saying that their loved ones were private people or that the grief was still too raw. | The players’ death notices make no mention of the virus, obliquely citing a “sudden illness” and noting that memorials and funerals would be sometime in the future. Their families declined to talk, saying that their loved ones were private people or that the grief was still too raw. |
| Other players are starting to heal. Dave Luk said his 80-year-old father, Joe, was rushed to the intensive-care unit at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs after he began struggling to breathe at home, where he lives alone, often playing bridge online for hours after getting home from the club. After two weeks in the hospital, he is off the ventilator and can talk again, with difficulty, Dave Luk said. | Other players are starting to heal. Dave Luk said his 80-year-old father, Joe, was rushed to the intensive-care unit at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs after he began struggling to breathe at home, where he lives alone, often playing bridge online for hours after getting home from the club. After two weeks in the hospital, he is off the ventilator and can talk again, with difficulty, Dave Luk said. |
| The club has been closed since news broke of the first death, and members say nobody knows when it may reopen. Some are optimistic they will be able to reunite and grieve their friends and play together. Mr. Rapp, who helped run some games, is less certain. | The club has been closed since news broke of the first death, and members say nobody knows when it may reopen. Some are optimistic they will be able to reunite and grieve their friends and play together. Mr. Rapp, who helped run some games, is less certain. |
| “It became ground zero,” he said. “There’s no telling how long this is going to go on.” | “It became ground zero,” he said. “There’s no telling how long this is going to go on.” |
| For now, one task awaits. Mr. Rapp said he planned to collect the cards and burn them. | For now, one task awaits. Mr. Rapp said he planned to collect the cards and burn them. |