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One Foot in Front of the Other: How a Daily Walk Helps Us Cope One Foot in Front of the Other: How a Daily Walk Helps Us Cope
(1 day later)
Many people in the United States are spending most of their time at home, whether by choice, by government order or for a lack of anywhere else to go. With the coronavirus sickening thousands more each day, a walk outside is one of the few options for escaping the drumbeat of bad news.Many people in the United States are spending most of their time at home, whether by choice, by government order or for a lack of anywhere else to go. With the coronavirus sickening thousands more each day, a walk outside is one of the few options for escaping the drumbeat of bad news.
We asked readers to tell us about the walks they are taking, what they see on their travels and how they feel as they cover old ground or explore new paths.We asked readers to tell us about the walks they are taking, what they see on their travels and how they feel as they cover old ground or explore new paths.
They wrote of stepping outside of their homes, outside of their deepening anxieties, outside of the sense that time is now measured against job losses, infections and death. They told us about waving to train conductors, like a child; about a flower’s flash of color and its scent on the breeze, filtered through the fabric of a mask; and about the realization “that there are some things that survive, and that those things can be counted on to bring peace.”They wrote of stepping outside of their homes, outside of their deepening anxieties, outside of the sense that time is now measured against job losses, infections and death. They told us about waving to train conductors, like a child; about a flower’s flash of color and its scent on the breeze, filtered through the fabric of a mask; and about the realization “that there are some things that survive, and that those things can be counted on to bring peace.”
Our photographers took walks of their own to translate these sentiments into images.Our photographers took walks of their own to translate these sentiments into images.
When I walk around my neighborhood, I see the bus stop I don’t go to anymore and the eyes of my neighbors, peeking out above face masks made of bandannas, T-shirts and, once, just lace.When I walk around my neighborhood, I see the bus stop I don’t go to anymore and the eyes of my neighbors, peeking out above face masks made of bandannas, T-shirts and, once, just lace.
I stroll my 1-year-old daughter in a loop around our neighborhood every day, at least once. We pass beautiful, varied houses on large lots with all different kinds of native Californian lawns.I stroll my 1-year-old daughter in a loop around our neighborhood every day, at least once. We pass beautiful, varied houses on large lots with all different kinds of native Californian lawns.
We see butterflies, cactuses, chickens, front-yard farms, small fields of tall grasses, benches covered in moss, little free libraries, mostly no fences and what I imagine are friendly faces under masks.We see butterflies, cactuses, chickens, front-yard farms, small fields of tall grasses, benches covered in moss, little free libraries, mostly no fences and what I imagine are friendly faces under masks.
I miss breathing in the air without a double layer of fabric between my nose and the jasmine and rose and orange blossoms.I miss breathing in the air without a double layer of fabric between my nose and the jasmine and rose and orange blossoms.
— Danya Shults, Los Angeles— Danya Shults, Los Angeles
Oh, let me tell you what I see! Every day I journey to my cove, a small beach nestled into the edge of the lake. I close my eyes and listen to the waves. Their steady rhythm reminds me that some aspects of my life are untouched by the virus.Oh, let me tell you what I see! Every day I journey to my cove, a small beach nestled into the edge of the lake. I close my eyes and listen to the waves. Their steady rhythm reminds me that some aspects of my life are untouched by the virus.
The Covid-19 pandemic has turned most of our worlds upside down. But my world had already been turned upside down just weeks before the virus took hold in our area, when my father died suddenly on Feb. 1 at age 65. He went for a hike alone in the woods on a Saturday afternoon, had a heart attack and never made it back to the trailhead.The Covid-19 pandemic has turned most of our worlds upside down. But my world had already been turned upside down just weeks before the virus took hold in our area, when my father died suddenly on Feb. 1 at age 65. He went for a hike alone in the woods on a Saturday afternoon, had a heart attack and never made it back to the trailhead.
Now, faced with the loneliness of grief compounded by the loneliness of a world in lockdown, I find myself drawn to those woods where my father spent his final hours.Now, faced with the loneliness of grief compounded by the loneliness of a world in lockdown, I find myself drawn to those woods where my father spent his final hours.
I am met with a sense of awe that as our world feels like it has come to a halt amidst a seemingly unfathomable amount of collective despair and worry, the natural world carries on oblivious to the current plight of its most influential inhabitants. And when I stop to rearrange the baskets of flowers I have left at the base of the broken tree where firefighters found my father’s cold body that February night, I remember that, despite how dark a time this seems to be, I have so much to be grateful for.I am met with a sense of awe that as our world feels like it has come to a halt amidst a seemingly unfathomable amount of collective despair and worry, the natural world carries on oblivious to the current plight of its most influential inhabitants. And when I stop to rearrange the baskets of flowers I have left at the base of the broken tree where firefighters found my father’s cold body that February night, I remember that, despite how dark a time this seems to be, I have so much to be grateful for.
Unlike so many now, my family was fortunate to be able to gather for a funeral for my father. Although my father died alone, he was not isolated in a hospital but in the company of the natural world that he so loved.Unlike so many now, my family was fortunate to be able to gather for a funeral for my father. Although my father died alone, he was not isolated in a hospital but in the company of the natural world that he so loved.
— Carolyn Duman, Guilford, Conn.— Carolyn Duman, Guilford, Conn.
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.
There’s the moment of stopping, standing still, taking a deep breath and listening to the wind’s movement through the branches and weathered grasses, the overlapping sounds of fluttering, scratching and birdsong, the feel and smell of the outdoor air. And then I notice they were always there — birds, insects, land animals, just doing what they do, these presents I get for being present, quiet and still.There’s the moment of stopping, standing still, taking a deep breath and listening to the wind’s movement through the branches and weathered grasses, the overlapping sounds of fluttering, scratching and birdsong, the feel and smell of the outdoor air. And then I notice they were always there — birds, insects, land animals, just doing what they do, these presents I get for being present, quiet and still.
— Yvette Conklin, Chicago— Yvette Conklin, Chicago