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| Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today | Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today |
| (6 days later) | |
| This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. | This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. |
| The border between the U.S. and Canada will remain closed until July 21, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today. | The border between the U.S. and Canada will remain closed until July 21, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today. |
| U.S. retail sales rebounded in May as stores and restaurants reopened, rising 17.7 percent from the previous month. | U.S. retail sales rebounded in May as stores and restaurants reopened, rising 17.7 percent from the previous month. |
| The San Francisco Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, two of the top American opera companies, are canceling their fall seasons. | The San Francisco Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, two of the top American opera companies, are canceling their fall seasons. |
| Get the latest updates here, plus maps and a tracker for U.S. metro areas. | Get the latest updates here, plus maps and a tracker for U.S. metro areas. |
| Six months into the outbreak, we have what might be the best news yet on a treatment: Scientists in Britain say they have identified the first drug shown to reduce coronavirus-related deaths. | Six months into the outbreak, we have what might be the best news yet on a treatment: Scientists in Britain say they have identified the first drug shown to reduce coronavirus-related deaths. |
| The steroid dexamethasone, a decades-old anti-inflammatory drug, appears to help patients with dire cases of Covid-19. Experts believe the drug is effective in calming the overactive immune response known as a cytokine storm. | The steroid dexamethasone, a decades-old anti-inflammatory drug, appears to help patients with dire cases of Covid-19. Experts believe the drug is effective in calming the overactive immune response known as a cytokine storm. |
| For patients on ventilators, it reduced the death rate by a third, the scientists said; for those on oxygen, death rates dropped by a fifth. The drug showed no benefit for patients who did not need respiratory support. | For patients on ventilators, it reduced the death rate by a third, the scientists said; for those on oxygen, death rates dropped by a fifth. The drug showed no benefit for patients who did not need respiratory support. |
| Another benefit of the drug is that it’s very cheap — around $8 per treatment, according to one of the leaders of the trial. It’s also widely available and already sitting on pharmacy shelves around the world. | Another benefit of the drug is that it’s very cheap — around $8 per treatment, according to one of the leaders of the trial. It’s also widely available and already sitting on pharmacy shelves around the world. |
| Even so, some doctors are urging caution, noting that in the rush to find treatments some high-profile findings have later been retracted or walked back. | Even so, some doctors are urging caution, noting that in the rush to find treatments some high-profile findings have later been retracted or walked back. |
| When care isn’t cheap. Most coronavirus tests in the U.S. cost $100, but some providers have taken advantage of an unregulated health care system and insurers’ obligation to cover testing, charging thousands of dollars. | When care isn’t cheap. Most coronavirus tests in the U.S. cost $100, but some providers have taken advantage of an unregulated health care system and insurers’ obligation to cover testing, charging thousands of dollars. |
| The list of once-innocuous things that we now fear — hugs, handshakes, surfaces — just got longer. A new study found that flushing a toilet releases a plume of aerosols that can linger long enough to be inhaled by the next person, or land elsewhere in the bathroom. | The list of once-innocuous things that we now fear — hugs, handshakes, surfaces — just got longer. A new study found that flushing a toilet releases a plume of aerosols that can linger long enough to be inhaled by the next person, or land elsewhere in the bathroom. |
| Using simulations, the researchers showed that the clouds can send coronavirus particles up to three feet high. A single flush produces about 6,000 tiny droplets and even tinier aerosols. | Using simulations, the researchers showed that the clouds can send coronavirus particles up to three feet high. A single flush produces about 6,000 tiny droplets and even tinier aerosols. |
| Previous research has found viable particles in infected people’s feces, and while the virus prefers the lungs and respiratory tract, it has also been known to settle in the small intestine. The degree to which toilets contribute to transmission remains unknown, but you can take precautions: When possible, close the lid before you flush, and wear a mask in public or shared bathrooms. | Previous research has found viable particles in infected people’s feces, and while the virus prefers the lungs and respiratory tract, it has also been known to settle in the small intestine. The degree to which toilets contribute to transmission remains unknown, but you can take precautions: When possible, close the lid before you flush, and wear a mask in public or shared bathrooms. |
| Getting creative: To avoid the need for public restrooms, some people have turned to portable solutions. Makers of niche products like the Feminal, a urinal for women, have seen sales surge during the pandemic, NPR reports. | Getting creative: To avoid the need for public restrooms, some people have turned to portable solutions. Makers of niche products like the Feminal, a urinal for women, have seen sales surge during the pandemic, NPR reports. |
| Local officials are pleading with President Trump to cancel his campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday or move it outdoors, warning that the event — slated for a 20,000-person indoor arena — is likely to worsen an already troubling spike in coronavirus infections. | Local officials are pleading with President Trump to cancel his campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday or move it outdoors, warning that the event — slated for a 20,000-person indoor arena — is likely to worsen an already troubling spike in coronavirus infections. |
| Mr. Trump said that criticism was the result of the news media “trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies,” and his campaign said it would take body temperatures and distribute masks and hand sanitizer to attendees. Still, epidemiologists are envisioning a worst-case scenario for viral spread. | Mr. Trump said that criticism was the result of the news media “trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies,” and his campaign said it would take body temperatures and distribute masks and hand sanitizer to attendees. Still, epidemiologists are envisioning a worst-case scenario for viral spread. |
| “That virus, I guarantee you, will be present at the event — someone will bring it,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “The Covid virus knows no political affiliation. What it does love is large groups, indoors, close to each other for prolonged periods of time chanting and yelling.” | “That virus, I guarantee you, will be present at the event — someone will bring it,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “The Covid virus knows no political affiliation. What it does love is large groups, indoors, close to each other for prolonged periods of time chanting and yelling.” |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | |
| 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 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. | 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. |
| 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.) |
| 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. |
| Hong Kong will relax some social-distancing restrictions on Thursday, allowing wedding banquets and live music to resume. | Hong Kong will relax some social-distancing restrictions on Thursday, allowing wedding banquets and live music to resume. |
| In the United States, parts of the Midwest and Northeast continue to see a decrease in cases, leading many officials there to forge ahead with reopenings, including outdoor sports sites in New Jersey and bars in Chicago. | In the United States, parts of the Midwest and Northeast continue to see a decrease in cases, leading many officials there to forge ahead with reopenings, including outdoor sports sites in New Jersey and bars in Chicago. |
| In New York State, hospital visits will resume with restrictions, three months after being suspended. | In New York State, hospital visits will resume with restrictions, three months after being suspended. |
| Here’s a roundup of restrictions in all 50 states. | Here’s a roundup of restrictions in all 50 states. |
| In April, as meatpacking companies, saying U.S. supplies were dwindling, were lobbying to keep their doors open — despite outbreaks sickening thousands of workers — a record amount of pork was exported to China. | In April, as meatpacking companies, saying U.S. supplies were dwindling, were lobbying to keep their doors open — despite outbreaks sickening thousands of workers — a record amount of pork was exported to China. |
| The death toll from the virus in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in the U.S. has topped 50,000, The Wall Street Journal reports. | The death toll from the virus in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in the U.S. has topped 50,000, The Wall Street Journal reports. |
| Still, the five largest known coronavirus clusters in the United States are not in nursing homes or meat packing plants — they are all inside prisons and jails. | Still, the five largest known coronavirus clusters in the United States are not in nursing homes or meat packing plants — they are all inside prisons and jails. |
| A neighborhood in the Bronx helped keep New York City running during the height of the pandemic thanks to its high concentration of essential workers. | A neighborhood in the Bronx helped keep New York City running during the height of the pandemic thanks to its high concentration of essential workers. |
| The virus was slow to start in many African countries, but the number of confirmed cases on the continent is rising fast. | The virus was slow to start in many African countries, but the number of confirmed cases on the continent is rising fast. |
| Sixteen friends tested positive for Covid-19 after a night out at a bar in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., WJXT reports. Florida reported 2,783 new virus cases on Tuesday, another new daily high. | Sixteen friends tested positive for Covid-19 after a night out at a bar in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., WJXT reports. Florida reported 2,783 new virus cases on Tuesday, another new daily high. |
| Since hospitals and retirement homes are not allowing delivery of floral bouquets to patients and residents, I have joined a local effort by artists to paint floral bouquets. Each time I paint a bouquet, it makes me happy. I hope it will do the same for the recipients. | Since hospitals and retirement homes are not allowing delivery of floral bouquets to patients and residents, I have joined a local effort by artists to paint floral bouquets. Each time I paint a bouquet, it makes me happy. I hope it will do the same for the recipients. |
| — Melinda Silver, Santa Fe, N.M. | — Melinda Silver, Santa Fe, N.M. |
| Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. | Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. |
| Sign up here to get the briefing by email. | Sign up here to get the briefing by email. |
| Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter. | Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter. |