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| Harvey Weinstein Tests Positive for the Coronavirus | Harvey Weinstein Tests Positive for the Coronavirus |
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| Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced film producer who was convicted of two felony sex crimes in a case that helped start the #MeToo movement, has contracted the coronavirus, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. | Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced film producer who was convicted of two felony sex crimes in a case that helped start the #MeToo movement, has contracted the coronavirus, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. |
| Mr. Weinstein tested positive for the virus and was being held in isolation Monday at the Wende Correction Facility, east of Buffalo, according to the two people, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. | Mr. Weinstein tested positive for the virus and was being held in isolation Monday at the Wende Correction Facility, east of Buffalo, according to the two people, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. |
| One of the people said the producer did not have symptoms and was under close observation. It was not clear why he had been tested. | One of the people said the producer did not have symptoms and was under close observation. It was not clear why he had been tested. |
| Mr. Weinstein falls squarely within the category of infected people for whom experts say the disease could be dangerous. He is 68 and has had a series of health problems in recent months. | Mr. Weinstein falls squarely within the category of infected people for whom experts say the disease could be dangerous. He is 68 and has had a series of health problems in recent months. |
| He was hospitalized twice in the jail ward at Bellevue Hospital Center for high blood pressure, heart palpitations and chest pain — once after his conviction and once after his sentencing. During his first stay there, he had a procedure there to alleviate a blockage near his heart. | He was hospitalized twice in the jail ward at Bellevue Hospital Center for high blood pressure, heart palpitations and chest pain — once after his conviction and once after his sentencing. During his first stay there, he had a procedure there to alleviate a blockage near his heart. |
| Late on Sunday, Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, told Reuters that he learned the formerly powerful producer had tested positive for the virus. Mr. Powers did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. | Late on Sunday, Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, told Reuters that he learned the formerly powerful producer had tested positive for the virus. Mr. Powers did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. |
| Mr. Weinstein’s positive test was first reported by The Niagara Gazette, a newspaper in Niagara Falls, N.Y. | Mr. Weinstein’s positive test was first reported by The Niagara Gazette, a newspaper in Niagara Falls, N.Y. |
| Mr. Weinstein’s lead counsel, Donna Rotunno, declined to say on Monday whether Mr. Weinstein had tested positive. “We are going to protect Mr. Weinstein’s privacy,” she said in a statement. | Mr. Weinstein’s lead counsel, Donna Rotunno, declined to say on Monday whether Mr. Weinstein had tested positive. “We are going to protect Mr. Weinstein’s privacy,” she said in a statement. |
| Thomas Mailey, a spokesman for the state prison system, declined to comment on Mr. Weinstein’s health, citing privacy rules regarding medical records. | Thomas Mailey, a spokesman for the state prison system, declined to comment on Mr. Weinstein’s health, citing privacy rules regarding medical records. |
| In February, a jury of seven men and five women in Manhattan convicted Mr. Weinstein of rape and criminal sexual act, and earlier this month, a judge sentenced him to 23 years in prison, which his lawyers said would amount to a life sentence given his frail health. | In February, a jury of seven men and five women in Manhattan convicted Mr. Weinstein of rape and criminal sexual act, and earlier this month, a judge sentenced him to 23 years in prison, which his lawyers said would amount to a life sentence given his frail health. |
| The sentencing marked the latest chapter in the decline of one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, whose reported abuse of women ignited an international movement to confront sexual harassment and assault by powerful men in the workplace. | The sentencing marked the latest chapter in the decline of one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, whose reported abuse of women ignited an international movement to confront sexual harassment and assault by powerful men in the workplace. |
| Mr. Weinstein is one of two inmates who have tested positive for the virus at the Wende Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Erie County, state officials said. They were the first among 43,000 inmates in New York prisons to be found to have contracted the disease. | Mr. Weinstein is one of two inmates who have tested positive for the virus at the Wende Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Erie County, state officials said. They were the first among 43,000 inmates in New York prisons to be found to have contracted the disease. |
| Ten state corrections department staff members have tested positive, including correction officers at the Green Haven, Shawangunk, Sing Sing, Downstate and Fishkill prisons. | Ten state corrections department staff members have tested positive, including correction officers at the Green Haven, Shawangunk, Sing Sing, Downstate and Fishkill prisons. |
| Before he was sent to Wende, Mr. Weinstein had been held in an infirmary unit at the Rikers Island jail complex for several days before and after his sentencing. | Before he was sent to Wende, Mr. Weinstein had been held in an infirmary unit at the Rikers Island jail complex for several days before and after his sentencing. |
| He left Rikers just as the coronavirus began to spread through the city jails. As of Monday, 39 inmates, 21 corrections staff and six health workers in New York City jails had tested positive. | He left Rikers just as the coronavirus began to spread through the city jails. As of Monday, 39 inmates, 21 corrections staff and six health workers in New York City jails had tested positive. |
| Several inmates in the Rikers facility where Mr. Weinstein was housed last week have tested positive for the disease, according to a third person with knowledge of the city jails, who spoke anonymously for fear of retributions at work. | Several inmates in the Rikers facility where Mr. Weinstein was housed last week have tested positive for the disease, according to a third person with knowledge of the city jails, who spoke anonymously for fear of retributions at work. |
| 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. |
| It remained unclear if Mr. Weinstein’s illness would delay efforts by prosecutors in Los Angeles to extradite him to stand trial there on charges that he raped one woman and sexually assaulted another in February 2013. | It remained unclear if Mr. Weinstein’s illness would delay efforts by prosecutors in Los Angeles to extradite him to stand trial there on charges that he raped one woman and sexually assaulted another in February 2013. |
| On Monday, even as reports about Mr. Weinstein contracting the virus were published, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office made a official request to New York State for temporary custody of Mr. Weinstein to bring him to Los Angeles, a spokesman for the office, Greg Risling, said. | On Monday, even as reports about Mr. Weinstein contracting the virus were published, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office made a official request to New York State for temporary custody of Mr. Weinstein to bring him to Los Angeles, a spokesman for the office, Greg Risling, said. |
| “As for any concerns given the coronavirus pandemic, our office expects that each agency responsible for processing, transporting and housing defendant Weinstein will follow its protocols and public health guidelines,” Mr. Risling said. | “As for any concerns given the coronavirus pandemic, our office expects that each agency responsible for processing, transporting and housing defendant Weinstein will follow its protocols and public health guidelines,” Mr. Risling said. |
| On Feb. 25, Mr. Weinstein was found guilty of raping Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress, in a Midtown Manhattan hotel in 2013, and of forcibly performing oral sex on Miriam Haley, a production assistant, in his apartment in 2006. | On Feb. 25, Mr. Weinstein was found guilty of raping Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress, in a Midtown Manhattan hotel in 2013, and of forcibly performing oral sex on Miriam Haley, a production assistant, in his apartment in 2006. |
| The jury acquitted Mr. Weinstein on the most serious charges against him: one count of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault. | The jury acquitted Mr. Weinstein on the most serious charges against him: one count of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault. |
| Alan Feuer contributed reporting. | Alan Feuer contributed reporting. |