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Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today
(8 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 U.S. now has more coronavirus cases than any other country.The U.S. now has more coronavirus cases than any other country.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expected the $2 trillion stimulus bill to pass in the House “with strong bipartisan support.”Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expected the $2 trillion stimulus bill to pass in the House “with strong bipartisan support.”
Stocks rebounding from last week’s slump had their best three-day run since 1933, but unemployment claims set a bleak record.Stocks rebounding from last week’s slump had their best three-day run since 1933, but unemployment claims set a bleak record.
Get the latest updates here, plus maps and full coverage.Get the latest updates here, plus maps and full coverage.
At least 81,578 people in the U.S. are known to have been infected with the coronavirus, including more than 1,000 deaths. That’s more cases than any other country has recorded, according to data gathered by The New York Times.At least 81,578 people in the U.S. are known to have been infected with the coronavirus, including more than 1,000 deaths. That’s more cases than any other country has recorded, according to data gathered by The New York Times.
In New York, which has become the epicenter of the American outbreak, hospitals are beginning to face surges in Covid-19 cases like the ones that overwhelmed health care systems in China, Italy and other countries. More than 5,300 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in the state on Thursday, with hundreds more pouring in every day.In New York, which has become the epicenter of the American outbreak, hospitals are beginning to face surges in Covid-19 cases like the ones that overwhelmed health care systems in China, Italy and other countries. More than 5,300 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in the state on Thursday, with hundreds more pouring in every day.
New York City hospitals in particular are under siege — and none more so than Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, which has begun transferring other patients out to clear all its 545 beds for Covid-19 cases.New York City hospitals in particular are under siege — and none more so than Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, which has begun transferring other patients out to clear all its 545 beds for Covid-19 cases.
In a gripping video she made in Elmhurst’s emergency department, where she works, Dr. Colleen Smith says the hospital is straining desperately. Staff members are getting sick. Ventilators and supplies are scarce. So many patients are dying that the hospital had to rent a refrigerated truck to store the bodies.In a gripping video she made in Elmhurst’s emergency department, where she works, Dr. Colleen Smith says the hospital is straining desperately. Staff members are getting sick. Ventilators and supplies are scarce. So many patients are dying that the hospital had to rent a refrigerated truck to store the bodies.
“The anxiety of this situation is overwhelming,” Dr. Smith says.“The anxiety of this situation is overwhelming,” Dr. Smith says.
Our correspondent Sheri Fink spent a day at Brooklyn Hospital, where 40 percent of the inpatients have the virus and suspected new cases are screened in a tent outside. An emergency-room patient who was coughing so hard he could barely speak turned out to be Dr. Yijiao Fan, 31, a surgical resident with no known risk factors other than being a doctor.Our correspondent Sheri Fink spent a day at Brooklyn Hospital, where 40 percent of the inpatients have the virus and suspected new cases are screened in a tent outside. An emergency-room patient who was coughing so hard he could barely speak turned out to be Dr. Yijiao Fan, 31, a surgical resident with no known risk factors other than being a doctor.
The hospital staff “just take their courage in their hands,” Dr. Sylvie de Souza, the chair of emergency medicine, told Sheri. “They put on their garb and they show up. That’s what they do. Of course they have anxiety, of course they have fear, they’re human. None of us knows where this is taking us.”The hospital staff “just take their courage in their hands,” Dr. Sylvie de Souza, the chair of emergency medicine, told Sheri. “They put on their garb and they show up. That’s what they do. Of course they have anxiety, of course they have fear, they’re human. None of us knows where this is taking us.”
The New York Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.The New York Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.
Though India has reported only around 700 coronavirus cases, it has imposed a nationwide stay-home order, shuttering schools, offices, factories, parks, temples and railways for more than a billion people.Though India has reported only around 700 coronavirus cases, it has imposed a nationwide stay-home order, shuttering schools, offices, factories, parks, temples and railways for more than a billion people.
The restrictions, which took effect Wednesday, were meant to keep the country — which is very densely populated and has a weak health system — from spiraling into a disaster dwarfing what China, Italy and the U.S. have faced.The restrictions, which took effect Wednesday, were meant to keep the country — which is very densely populated and has a weak health system — from spiraling into a disaster dwarfing what China, Italy and the U.S. have faced.
But Jeffrey Gettleman, The Times’s New Delhi bureau chief, says that inadequate planning and confusion about the rules have led to chaos after just one day. Police officers attacked pharmacists who tried to go to work, one industry official said. Grocery stores stayed open, but panic buying emptied their shelves. Some states completely sealed their borders.But Jeffrey Gettleman, The Times’s New Delhi bureau chief, says that inadequate planning and confusion about the rules have led to chaos after just one day. Police officers attacked pharmacists who tried to go to work, one industry official said. Grocery stores stayed open, but panic buying emptied their shelves. Some states completely sealed their borders.
Jeffrey spoke with our colleague Melina Delkic about what’s happening on the ground in India. (This is a condensed version of their conversation; read more here.)Jeffrey spoke with our colleague Melina Delkic about what’s happening on the ground in India. (This is a condensed version of their conversation; read more here.)
India’s caseload is still relatively low. What’s the biggest worry when it rises?India’s caseload is still relatively low. What’s the biggest worry when it rises?
The country spends very little on health care per capita. Public hospitals, the number of doctors, the number of beds, equipment they use, it’s all below the standards of most other parts of the world. Some of the best hospitals in the world are really struggling, so just imagine how a hospital that has much fewer resources would respond.The country spends very little on health care per capita. Public hospitals, the number of doctors, the number of beds, equipment they use, it’s all below the standards of most other parts of the world. Some of the best hospitals in the world are really struggling, so just imagine how a hospital that has much fewer resources would respond.
How are people supposed to access essential services?How are people supposed to access essential services?
The gist of it is that you can go to your closest pharmacy or food source, and because India is so densely populated, those places are everywhere. There’s been some confusion, and some pharmacies and food shops were made to shut. Some journalists have gotten beaten up because police officers said they weren’t allowed to travel.The gist of it is that you can go to your closest pharmacy or food source, and because India is so densely populated, those places are everywhere. There’s been some confusion, and some pharmacies and food shops were made to shut. Some journalists have gotten beaten up because police officers said they weren’t allowed to travel.
What warning signs are we watching for?What warning signs are we watching for?
If the disease begins to spread, person to person, from people who had no connection to the outside, then that’s really scary. These [New Delhi] neighborhoods are some of the most densely populated parts of the world — endless blocks of tenement apartments squeezed really close to each other, with narrow lanes between them.If the disease begins to spread, person to person, from people who had no connection to the outside, then that’s really scary. These [New Delhi] neighborhoods are some of the most densely populated parts of the world — endless blocks of tenement apartments squeezed really close to each other, with narrow lanes between them.
With social distancing and stay-home orders forcing businesses to shut down across the country, a staggering 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, more than quadruple the previous record set in 1982. And that is probably just the beginning: Economists think this week’s figure could surge to 4.7 million.With social distancing and stay-home orders forcing businesses to shut down across the country, a staggering 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, more than quadruple the previous record set in 1982. And that is probably just the beginning: Economists think this week’s figure could surge to 4.7 million.
We’ve never been here before — not even during the Great Depression, when millions of jobs disappeared more gradually over many months, not all at once.We’ve never been here before — not even during the Great Depression, when millions of jobs disappeared more gradually over many months, not all at once.
Updated June 24, 2020
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.
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 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.
To ease the sting, the $2 trillion stimulus bill being sped through Congress includes several provisions for expanded unemployment benefits:To ease the sting, the $2 trillion stimulus bill being sped through Congress includes several provisions for expanded unemployment benefits:
Each state sets its own benefit maximums, but wherever you live, the federal package would add an extra $600 a week.Each state sets its own benefit maximums, but wherever you live, the federal package would add an extra $600 a week.
Many people who don’t ordinarily qualify for benefits would now be eligible: the self-employed, including “gig” workers, freelancers and independent contractors; part-time workers; and partially unemployed workers.Many people who don’t ordinarily qualify for benefits would now be eligible: the self-employed, including “gig” workers, freelancers and independent contractors; part-time workers; and partially unemployed workers.
You could receive payments for up to 39 weeks — 13 weeks longer than the usual 26-week cutoff in many states.You could receive payments for up to 39 weeks — 13 weeks longer than the usual 26-week cutoff in many states.
You may qualify even if you quit your job, if you did it because of the virus — for example, if you were sick or showing symptoms, or if you had to care for a child whose day care center closed.You may qualify even if you quit your job, if you did it because of the virus — for example, if you were sick or showing symptoms, or if you had to care for a child whose day care center closed.
Louisiana, with about 1,800 cases, may have the fastest-growing outbreak in the world, particularly in New Orleans following Mardi Gras.Louisiana, with about 1,800 cases, may have the fastest-growing outbreak in the world, particularly in New Orleans following Mardi Gras.
The case count in Britain is now over 9,500. At some hospitals, as much as half the staff is out sick.The case count in Britain is now over 9,500. At some hospitals, as much as half the staff is out sick.
China said it would close its borders on Saturday night to almost all foreigners, even those with permits to reside in China, after a surge in cases linked to people who returned to China from abroad.China said it would close its borders on Saturday night to almost all foreigners, even those with permits to reside in China, after a surge in cases linked to people who returned to China from abroad.
Spain, with more than 56,000 cases and 4,000 deaths, said it was returning thousands of substandard test kits to China, where they were made.Spain, with more than 56,000 cases and 4,000 deaths, said it was returning thousands of substandard test kits to China, where they were made.
Our colleague Tara Parker-Pope has put together a guide to keeping yourself safe as the virus spreads. The advice covers everything from first preparations to caring for a sick family member. Tara boils it down to four big themes:Our colleague Tara Parker-Pope has put together a guide to keeping yourself safe as the virus spreads. The advice covers everything from first preparations to caring for a sick family member. Tara boils it down to four big themes:
Prevent infection. One person can have an exponential impact in spreading the virus — or in tamping it down. Learning to wash your hands and cover your cough properly is essential.Prevent infection. One person can have an exponential impact in spreading the virus — or in tamping it down. Learning to wash your hands and cover your cough properly is essential.
Prepare. You can stock up on food and supplies without contributing to shortages. Just pick up a few extra frozen or long-lasting refrigerated foods and some boxed or canned pantry staples.Prepare. You can stock up on food and supplies without contributing to shortages. Just pick up a few extra frozen or long-lasting refrigerated foods and some boxed or canned pantry staples.
Stay home. Many of us will be home for weeks, or even months. It helps to keep your day structured. Don’t neglect fitness — use your former commuting time to exercise.Stay home. Many of us will be home for weeks, or even months. It helps to keep your day structured. Don’t neglect fitness — use your former commuting time to exercise.
Recover. Most people who catch the virus will have only mild to moderate symptoms. If you think you might have symptoms, don’t just show up at your doctor’s office — call first.Recover. Most people who catch the virus will have only mild to moderate symptoms. If you think you might have symptoms, don’t just show up at your doctor’s office — call first.
Experts worry that the virus could ravage the tens of millions of people living around the world in refugee camps, where conditions are cramped and doctors are scarce.Experts worry that the virus could ravage the tens of millions of people living around the world in refugee camps, where conditions are cramped and doctors are scarce.
Medicare, which already covers much of what enrollees might need if they contract the virus and become seriously ill, has expanded some services and loosened some rules. If you’re on Medicare, here’s what you can expect.Medicare, which already covers much of what enrollees might need if they contract the virus and become seriously ill, has expanded some services and loosened some rules. If you’re on Medicare, here’s what you can expect.
If you’re stuck at home with little mouths to feed, dietitians want you to know: Yes, it’s OK if they refuse to eat anything other than mac and cheese.If you’re stuck at home with little mouths to feed, dietitians want you to know: Yes, it’s OK if they refuse to eat anything other than mac and cheese.
Did this newsletter take a while to reach you? With so many people now doing everything from working to educating to entertaining themselves online, all that traffic is slowing down the internet.Did this newsletter take a while to reach you? With so many people now doing everything from working to educating to entertaining themselves online, all that traffic is slowing down the internet.
This was supposed to be opening day for Major League Baseball. In its absence, the Times writer Dan Barry dreamed up his perfect game.This was supposed to be opening day for Major League Baseball. In its absence, the Times writer Dan Barry dreamed up his perfect game.
Fanatics, a company that makes big-league baseball uniforms, has temporarily converted its factory to produce protective masks and gowns for medical professionals. The first prototypes bear the distinctive pinstripes of the Yankees and the Phillies.Fanatics, a company that makes big-league baseball uniforms, has temporarily converted its factory to produce protective masks and gowns for medical professionals. The first prototypes bear the distinctive pinstripes of the Yankees and the Phillies.
A mother of four in Israel, Shiri Kenigsberg Levi, has risen to internet fame for her rant about online learning, which hit home for many parents doubling as teachers. We caught up with her.A mother of four in Israel, Shiri Kenigsberg Levi, has risen to internet fame for her rant about online learning, which hit home for many parents doubling as teachers. We caught up with her.
I’m tackling a job I’ve put off for decades: sorting through boxes of photos. Yet, because I have “all the time in the world,” it is a blast and not a “chore.” Another bonus — because my husband and teenager are cooped up, too, they don’t even mind when I walk down the hall, photo in hand, to share (another) story.I’m tackling a job I’ve put off for decades: sorting through boxes of photos. Yet, because I have “all the time in the world,” it is a blast and not a “chore.” Another bonus — because my husband and teenager are cooped up, too, they don’t even mind when I walk down the hall, photo in hand, to share (another) story.
— Dayna Kennedy, St. Paul, Minn.— Dayna Kennedy, St. Paul, Minn.
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.
Melina Delkic, Lara Takenaga and Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter.Melina Delkic, Lara Takenaga and Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to today’s newsletter.