'Rome Has Been Sacked, Conquered and Abandoned. Now It’s the Pandemic’s Turn.' diff viewer (2/3)

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Rome Has Been Sacked, Conquered and Abandoned. Now It’s the Pandemic’s Turn.	Rome Has Been Sacked, Conquered and Abandoned. Now It’s the Pandemic’s Turn.
2020-05-01 15:08:20 UTC	2020-06-06 03:46:28 UTC (about 1 month later)
ROME — Rome turned 2,773 last week.	ROME — Rome turned 2,773 last week.
To mark the legendary founding of the city and its past glory, there is usually a crowded birthday parade of re-enactors dressed up as gladiators and vestal virgins. The coronavirus took care of that, leaving eerily abandoned streets that evoked something closer to a disastrous sacking in the 6th century, when the population of Rome plunged toward zero.	To mark the legendary founding of the city and its past glory, there is usually a crowded birthday parade of re-enactors dressed up as gladiators and vestal virgins. The coronavirus took care of that, leaving eerily abandoned streets that evoked something closer to a disastrous sacking in the 6th century, when the population of Rome plunged toward zero.
The coronavirus has no marauding army breaching the walls, dumping bodies in the Tiber or burning down buildings. In some ways, the city has bloomed under the epidemic.	The coronavirus has no marauding army breaching the walls, dumping bodies in the Tiber or burning down buildings. In some ways, the city has bloomed under the epidemic.
With so few cars and people on the streets, the scent of wisteria, draping over ancient defensive walls and garden fences, floats further. At the quiet Ponte Sisto bridge, usually crowded with street artists, I watched five mallards, their necks flashing green, land in formation to skim on the Tiber.	With so few cars and people on the streets, the scent of wisteria, draping over ancient defensive walls and garden fences, floats further. At the quiet Ponte Sisto bridge, usually crowded with street artists, I watched five mallards, their necks flashing green, land in formation to skim on the Tiber.
Without car exhaust and onion-thick smoke billowing out of trattorias, the air has become so limpid that from my apartment on the Gianicolo Hill — the site of a French cannon-fire attack on the city during a 19th-century siege — I can count the windows on the usually hazy palaces of the city center.	Without car exhaust and onion-thick smoke billowing out of trattorias, the air has become so limpid that from my apartment on the Gianicolo Hill — the site of a French cannon-fire attack on the city during a 19th-century siege — I can count the windows on the usually hazy palaces of the city center.
Beyond the ochre city, the surrounding mountainsides are now sharply drawn. The far-off towns appear like white patches of snow.	Beyond the ochre city, the surrounding mountainsides are now sharply drawn. The far-off towns appear like white patches of snow.
Unlike conquests, fires and floods, the virus is clearly not a danger to Rome’s beauty. But what will it do to its spirit?	Unlike conquests, fires and floods, the virus is clearly not a danger to Rome’s beauty. But what will it do to its spirit?
Last week, days after Rome’s birthday, I went into the city center to get some supplies from the office. The state of the city was, as one would expect, weird.	Last week, days after Rome’s birthday, I went into the city center to get some supplies from the office. The state of the city was, as one would expect, weird.
Campo de’ Fiori, a square that is usually home to a bustling, touristy market, was pretty much empty except for a little girl riding her bicycle around the statue of Giordano Bruno. The philosopher and astronomer was burned alive at the spot in 1600, only decades after imperialist Spanish and German-speaking mercenaries ransacked the city in a gory 1527 sacking.	Campo de’ Fiori, a square that is usually home to a bustling, touristy market, was pretty much empty except for a little girl riding her bicycle around the statue of Giordano Bruno. The philosopher and astronomer was burned alive at the spot in 1600, only decades after imperialist Spanish and German-speaking mercenaries ransacked the city in a gory 1527 sacking.
A few masked figures moved around Hadrian’s Mausoleum, which popes had turned into a fortress that had provided protection from invaders for ages.	A few masked figures moved around Hadrian’s Mausoleum, which popes had turned into a fortress that had provided protection from invaders for ages.
In Rome’s old Jewish Ghetto, where Nazis dragged Italian Jews out of their homes during the German occupation, I walked to the normally swamped Portico d’Ottavia. Absent the cacophony of modern life, it recalled an 18th-century Piranesi engraving, the black-and-white Instagram travel posts of their day, which drew Europe’s interest to Rome after another downturn.	In Rome’s old Jewish Ghetto, where Nazis dragged Italian Jews out of their homes during the German occupation, I walked to the normally swamped Portico d’Ottavia. Absent the cacophony of modern life, it recalled an 18th-century Piranesi engraving, the black-and-white Instagram travel posts of their day, which drew Europe’s interest to Rome after another downturn.
But as I wandered around in a mask, I tried to imagine what the city must have felt like when all Romans abandoned it for about 40 days after the sixth-century sacking.	But as I wandered around in a mask, I tried to imagine what the city must have felt like when all Romans abandoned it for about 40 days after the sixth-century sacking.
Only a century and a half earlier, Rome had close to a million inhabitants, but then “for the first time in its existence,” as Matthew Kneale writes in his book “Rome, A History in Seven Sackings,” it was deserted.	Only a century and a half earlier, Rome had close to a million inhabitants, but then “for the first time in its existence,” as Matthew Kneale writes in his book “Rome, A History in Seven Sackings,” it was deserted.
Things, I thought looking around at no one, can change fast.	Things, I thought looking around at no one, can change fast.
The Ostrogoth leader Totila led that sixth-century assault. But few here really remember Totila. Or for that matter the Gauls, the Visigoths and the Normans, or the cruel nobles or reactionary popes who governed the city so badly, or the plagues, measles, typhus, malaria and syphilis that brought Rome low at various points.	The Ostrogoth leader Totila led that sixth-century assault. But few here really remember Totila. Or for that matter the Gauls, the Visigoths and the Normans, or the cruel nobles or reactionary popes who governed the city so badly, or the plagues, measles, typhus, malaria and syphilis that brought Rome low at various points.
Last century’s fascists and Nazi occupiers are fresher but fading memories, an erasure accelerated by the virus’s decimation of older Italians.	Last century’s fascists and Nazi occupiers are fresher but fading memories, an erasure accelerated by the virus’s decimation of older Italians.
I wondered if these months — maybe years — of quarantine or living with the virus would irrevocably change Romans or become another in a long line of hardships that have shaped a Roman character known for irreverence, anti-authoritarianism and more than a drop of cynicism.	I wondered if these months — maybe years — of quarantine or living with the virus would irrevocably change Romans or become another in a long line of hardships that have shaped a Roman character known for irreverence, anti-authoritarianism and more than a drop of cynicism.
The government will begin loosening Europe’s longest lockdown on Monday. Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday that people could soon start seeing their “congiunti,” a word that loosely means relations, and that he later clarified, with his typical vagueness, to mean those with whom one has “stable emotional relations.”	The government will begin loosening Europe’s longest lockdown on Monday. Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday that people could soon start seeing their “congiunti,” a word that loosely means relations, and that he later clarified, with his typical vagueness, to mean those with whom one has “stable emotional relations.”
Romans immediately began offering broad interpretations.	Romans immediately began offering broad interpretations.
“Sweethearts are relatives too,” the Roman daily, Il Messaggero, asserted in a headline. “Seeking Congiunto, Near the Beach,” read one of the memes Romans shared.	“Sweethearts are relatives too,” the Roman daily, Il Messaggero, asserted in a headline. “Seeking Congiunto, Near the Beach,” read one of the memes Romans shared.
Romans have a reputation for getting around the rules — in traffic, in line, in life. Fans call it endearing creativity; critics, insupportable incivility. Will living with the virus enhance or expunge that?	Romans have a reputation for getting around the rules — in traffic, in line, in life. Fans call it endearing creativity; critics, insupportable incivility. Will living with the virus enhance or expunge that?
The virus demands a brutal efficiency to life: Stay home, work, go to the supermarket. But the lifeblood of Rome is languid; it doesn’t rush, it meanders, gets caught in eddies and occasionally pools, sometimes for a century, sometimes for an afternoon at the wine bar.	The virus demands a brutal efficiency to life: Stay home, work, go to the supermarket. But the lifeblood of Rome is languid; it doesn’t rush, it meanders, gets caught in eddies and occasionally pools, sometimes for a century, sometimes for an afternoon at the wine bar.
Old men stroll slowly with their hands interlaced behind their backs. Students lean against cars and spend the entire night talking about what they will do that night. There is a pleasant idleness, a sense of “dolce far niente,” or sweetness of doing nothing, that is raised to a public art form. The result is a perpetual outdoor theater. The streets reverberate with comments from the peanut gallery.	Old men stroll slowly with their hands interlaced behind their backs. Students lean against cars and spend the entire night talking about what they will do that night. There is a pleasant idleness, a sense of “dolce far niente,” or sweetness of doing nothing, that is raised to a public art form. The result is a perpetual outdoor theater. The streets reverberate with comments from the peanut gallery.
That sensibility is out of step with the current crisis. With Romans forced inside, their iconoclasm and ennui is stashed away; the feeling is one of public service and patriotic mission. It’s admirable and saving lives. But it makes for a different Rome.	That sensibility is out of step with the current crisis. With Romans forced inside, their iconoclasm and ennui is stashed away; the feeling is one of public service and patriotic mission. It’s admirable and saving lives. But it makes for a different Rome.
	Updated June 5, 2020
	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.
	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.)
	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.
Outside, there are still some echoes of the pre-virus city.	Outside, there are still some echoes of the pre-virus city.
Under my apartment the other day, a bus, carrying no one and essentially cruising the city, hit a scooter, the only other vehicle on the road. They both wanted to go first. Around the corner, city workers painted fresh white crosswalk stripes around a parked Smart car, leaving what will be a faded dark spot when the car moves.	Under my apartment the other day, a bus, carrying no one and essentially cruising the city, hit a scooter, the only other vehicle on the road. They both wanted to go first. Around the corner, city workers painted fresh white crosswalk stripes around a parked Smart car, leaving what will be a faded dark spot when the car moves.