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| Iran Seeks Unconditional Talks on Prisoner Swap | Iran Seeks Unconditional Talks on Prisoner Swap |
| (25 days later) | |
| Iran says it is ready for unconditional talks with the United States on a prisoner swap because of fears that the coronavirus is endangering inmates, the Iranian news media reported Sunday. | Iran says it is ready for unconditional talks with the United States on a prisoner swap because of fears that the coronavirus is endangering inmates, the Iranian news media reported Sunday. |
| An Iranian news website, Khabaronline.ir, quoted the cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei as saying there is a “readiness for all prisoners” to be discussed without any conditions. | An Iranian news website, Khabaronline.ir, quoted the cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei as saying there is a “readiness for all prisoners” to be discussed without any conditions. |
| “But the U.S. has refused to answer, so far,” Mr. Rabiei said. “We hope that as the outbreak of the Covid-19 disease threatens the lives of Iranian citizens in the U.S. prisons, the U.S. government eventually will prefer lives to politics.” | “But the U.S. has refused to answer, so far,” Mr. Rabiei said. “We hope that as the outbreak of the Covid-19 disease threatens the lives of Iranian citizens in the U.S. prisons, the U.S. government eventually will prefer lives to politics.” |
| A senior American official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “There has been no offer, and no offer of direct talks.” | A senior American official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “There has been no offer, and no offer of direct talks.” |
| Mr. Rabiei said Iran considered the United States government responsible for the health of Iranian prisoners, adding that “it seems that the U.S. has more readiness to bring the situation to an end.” He did not elaborate, but the Iranian news media have said in recent months that several Iranians are in American custody, including Sirous Asgari, a 60-year-old professor. | Mr. Rabiei said Iran considered the United States government responsible for the health of Iranian prisoners, adding that “it seems that the U.S. has more readiness to bring the situation to an end.” He did not elaborate, but the Iranian news media have said in recent months that several Iranians are in American custody, including Sirous Asgari, a 60-year-old professor. |
| Last week, United States officials said they were making progress in efforts to secure the release of a Navy veteran detained by Iran. But they were also pushing back on Iranian suggestions that a swap was in the works for the imprisoned Iranian professor. American officials have been trying to deport Mr. Asgari since last year. | Last week, United States officials said they were making progress in efforts to secure the release of a Navy veteran detained by Iran. But they were also pushing back on Iranian suggestions that a swap was in the works for the imprisoned Iranian professor. American officials have been trying to deport Mr. Asgari since last year. |
| Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the acting deputy Homeland Security secretary, said Wednesday that Mr. Asgari’s case had never been connected to that of the United States Navy veteran, Michael R. White. He expressed frustration with recent comments from Iranian officials that there may be a link between the two and complained that Iran had been slow to accept Mr. Asgari’s return. | Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the acting deputy Homeland Security secretary, said Wednesday that Mr. Asgari’s case had never been connected to that of the United States Navy veteran, Michael R. White. He expressed frustration with recent comments from Iranian officials that there may be a link between the two and complained that Iran had been slow to accept Mr. Asgari’s return. |
| Mr. White, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was detained in July 2018 while visiting a girlfriend in Iran. He was convicted of insulting Iran’s supreme leader and posting private information online. | Mr. White, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was detained in July 2018 while visiting a girlfriend in Iran. He was convicted of insulting Iran’s supreme leader and posting private information online. |
| He was released from prison in March on a medical furlough that required him to remain in Iran. Mr. White is among tens of thousands of prisoners granted medical furloughs by Iran, which was one of the first countries to be hit hard as the coronavirus pandemic spread. | He was released from prison in March on a medical furlough that required him to remain in Iran. Mr. White is among tens of thousands of prisoners granted medical furloughs by Iran, which was one of the first countries to be hit hard as the coronavirus pandemic spread. |
| 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. | |
| Trump administration officials have repeatedly said they consider the release of American hostages and detainees to be a high priority. | Trump administration officials have repeatedly said they consider the release of American hostages and detainees to be a high priority. |
| In December, Iran released a Princeton scholar held for three years on widely disputed espionage charges in exchange for the release of a detained Iranian scientist. | In December, Iran released a Princeton scholar held for three years on widely disputed espionage charges in exchange for the release of a detained Iranian scientist. |
| In March, the family of Robert A. Levinson, a retired F.B.I. agent who vanished in Iran in 2007, said they had been informed by American officials that they had determined that Mr. Levinson was probably dead. Officials have not said how they reached that conclusion. | In March, the family of Robert A. Levinson, a retired F.B.I. agent who vanished in Iran in 2007, said they had been informed by American officials that they had determined that Mr. Levinson was probably dead. Officials have not said how they reached that conclusion. |