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Why Are California and New York Different in the Virus Crisis? Why Are California and New York Different in the Virus Crisis?
(10 days later)
Good morning.Good morning.
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Two weeks ago, leaders in the Bay Area ordered residents to shelter in place and leave their homes only to buy food, get medicine or perform other “essential tasks,” making the region the first to venture into a life-altering experiment.Two weeks ago, leaders in the Bay Area ordered residents to shelter in place and leave their homes only to buy food, get medicine or perform other “essential tasks,” making the region the first to venture into a life-altering experiment.
The idea, they said, was to slow the spread of Covid-19, and prevent infected patients from overwhelming hospitals and health care systems.The idea, they said, was to slow the spread of Covid-19, and prevent infected patients from overwhelming hospitals and health care systems.
Days later, on March 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the directive to all of California, home to almost 40 million people.Days later, on March 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the directive to all of California, home to almost 40 million people.
[See which states and cities have told residents to stay home.][See which states and cities have told residents to stay home.]
It would be days more before Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York put the state “on pause,” a different label for a very similar order.It would be days more before Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York put the state “on pause,” a different label for a very similar order.
Now, New York City is the center of the pandemic. New York State had reported 965 deaths from the virus, compared with 130 in California, as of Sunday, according to The Times’s tracking.Now, New York City is the center of the pandemic. New York State had reported 965 deaths from the virus, compared with 130 in California, as of Sunday, according to The Times’s tracking.
It’s much too soon to say why New York has been hit harder — and whether early containment measures by California officials are paying off.It’s much too soon to say why New York has been hit harder — and whether early containment measures by California officials are paying off.
Testing has been significantly less available here than in New York, and public health officials have repeated that as testing becomes more widespread in California, it’s likely to reveal many more cases.Testing has been significantly less available here than in New York, and public health officials have repeated that as testing becomes more widespread in California, it’s likely to reveal many more cases.
But The Associated Press noted that California’s shortage of tests in the early weeks of the crisis doesn’t alone explain the differences between the states.But The Associated Press noted that California’s shortage of tests in the early weeks of the crisis doesn’t alone explain the differences between the states.
[Read more about debates over how much the public should know about the state’s coronavirus cases.][Read more about debates over how much the public should know about the state’s coronavirus cases.]
Certainly, as my colleagues have reported, New York City’s density hasn’t helped keep people apart. (Although, as my colleagues have also reported, density will also be a source of resilience in the difficult recovery.)Certainly, as my colleagues have reported, New York City’s density hasn’t helped keep people apart. (Although, as my colleagues have also reported, density will also be a source of resilience in the difficult recovery.)
And over the weekend, Mr. Newsom and other California officials got some tentative thumbs up from experts who said that California’s restrictions — provided that they continue and that residents adhere to them — may help the state’s biggest urban areas avoid the kind of devastating scenes playing out in New York City.And over the weekend, Mr. Newsom and other California officials got some tentative thumbs up from experts who said that California’s restrictions — provided that they continue and that residents adhere to them — may help the state’s biggest urban areas avoid the kind of devastating scenes playing out in New York City.
“When history is written,” California leaders including Mayor London Breed of San Francisco and Mr. Newsom, “should get credit for saving hundreds of lives,” Dr. Bob Wachter said on Twitter. He is a professor and chair of the University of California, San Francisco’s department of medicine.“When history is written,” California leaders including Mayor London Breed of San Francisco and Mr. Newsom, “should get credit for saving hundreds of lives,” Dr. Bob Wachter said on Twitter. He is a professor and chair of the University of California, San Francisco’s department of medicine.
Nevertheless, officials across the state are scrambling to meet demand for hospital beds and health care. And they’re still pleading with residents to stay home.Nevertheless, officials across the state are scrambling to meet demand for hospital beds and health care. And they’re still pleading with residents to stay home.
“Only time will tell us if that time you didn’t go out saved a life,” Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles said on Sunday as he laid out plans to add more hospital beds at the Los Angeles Convention Center. “We’re racing against time.”“Only time will tell us if that time you didn’t go out saved a life,” Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles said on Sunday as he laid out plans to add more hospital beds at the Los Angeles Convention Center. “We’re racing against time.”
[Read more about the arrival of a 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship at the Port of Los Angeles.][Read more about the arrival of a 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship at the Port of Los Angeles.]
We often link to sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. We appreciate your reading Times coverage, but we also encourage you to support local news if you can.We often link to sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. We appreciate your reading Times coverage, but we also encourage you to support local news if you can.
Mr. Newsom on Friday announced a statewide halt of evictions until May 31 for those affected by the outbreak in a long-sought move that activists have said would at least temporarily help newly unemployed Californians stay in their homes. But that rent will have to be paid eventually, which is troubling for those who were already living paycheck to paycheck.Mr. Newsom on Friday announced a statewide halt of evictions until May 31 for those affected by the outbreak in a long-sought move that activists have said would at least temporarily help newly unemployed Californians stay in their homes. But that rent will have to be paid eventually, which is troubling for those who were already living paycheck to paycheck.
Read more about bills due this week and what that means for the economy. [The New York Times]Read more about bills due this week and what that means for the economy. [The New York Times]
The U.S. tried to build a new fleet of now desperately needed ventilators. Here’s how the mission failed. [The New York Times]The U.S. tried to build a new fleet of now desperately needed ventilators. Here’s how the mission failed. [The New York Times]
Also, Los Angeles got 170 broken ventilators from the federal government. So a Silicon Valley company is fixing them. [The Los Angeles Times]Also, Los Angeles got 170 broken ventilators from the federal government. So a Silicon Valley company is fixing them. [The Los Angeles Times]
A Lancaster teenager whose death has been linked to Covid-19 was turned away from urgent care because he didn’t have health insurance, the city’s mayor said. [Gizmodo]A Lancaster teenager whose death has been linked to Covid-19 was turned away from urgent care because he didn’t have health insurance, the city’s mayor said. [Gizmodo]
Instacart workers, who shop for and deliver groceries, are set to go on strike today, saying they haven’t been given adequate protection from infection at supermarkets. [The New York Times]Instacart workers, who shop for and deliver groceries, are set to go on strike today, saying they haven’t been given adequate protection from infection at supermarkets. [The New York Times]
Also, here’s what to know before you go to the grocery store. [The New York Times]Also, here’s what to know before you go to the grocery store. [The New York Times]
My colleague Emma Goldberg wondered about the impulse to make art to reflect troubled times. Here’s her dispatch on art in the coronavirus era:My colleague Emma Goldberg wondered about the impulse to make art to reflect troubled times. Here’s her dispatch on art in the coronavirus era:
Making art amid a pandemic can raise thorny questions. David Goodsell, a computational biologist by day and amateur painter by night, has spent years making watercolors of viruses — Ebola, Zika, H.I.V. — to show their cellular structures.Making art amid a pandemic can raise thorny questions. David Goodsell, a computational biologist by day and amateur painter by night, has spent years making watercolors of viruses — Ebola, Zika, H.I.V. — to show their cellular structures.
When he tweeted his image of the coronavirus, he was surprised by the outpouring of responses it provoked, some critical of his decision to glamorize something so deadly.When he tweeted his image of the coronavirus, he was surprised by the outpouring of responses it provoked, some critical of his decision to glamorize something so deadly.
“You have to admit, these viruses are so symmetrical that they’re beautiful,” said Mr. Goodsell, an associate professor at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. “Are bright colors and pretty stuff the right approach? The jury’s still out. I’m not trying to make these things look dangerous, I want people to understand how they’re built.”“You have to admit, these viruses are so symmetrical that they’re beautiful,” said Mr. Goodsell, an associate professor at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. “Are bright colors and pretty stuff the right approach? The jury’s still out. I’m not trying to make these things look dangerous, I want people to understand how they’re built.”
Seeing the infection count rise, Mr. Goodsell said he worried about the health of his aging parents in Los Angeles. But he hopes his painting can quell fears about the novel coronavirus by educating people on the virus’s workings: “I want people to think of viruses as being an entity that we can learn about and fight. They’re not nebulous nothings.”Seeing the infection count rise, Mr. Goodsell said he worried about the health of his aging parents in Los Angeles. But he hopes his painting can quell fears about the novel coronavirus by educating people on the virus’s workings: “I want people to think of viruses as being an entity that we can learn about and fight. They’re not nebulous nothings.”
Across the country, artists, sellers and buyers are wrestling with the ethics of crafting virus-themed works. Earlier this month, Etsy removed all products mentioning Covid-19, which affected hundreds of items, including “I Survived Coronavirus 2020” T-shirts and crochet models of the virus.Across the country, artists, sellers and buyers are wrestling with the ethics of crafting virus-themed works. Earlier this month, Etsy removed all products mentioning Covid-19, which affected hundreds of items, including “I Survived Coronavirus 2020” T-shirts and crochet models of the virus.
An Etsy spokesperson said that its ban aimed to ensure no one would “exploit the developing coronavirus situation.”An Etsy spokesperson said that its ban aimed to ensure no one would “exploit the developing coronavirus situation.”
The decision rankled some artists who, like Mr. Goodsell, view their works as educational. One Etsy seller, Sydni Rubio, who had posted Covid-19 stickers for $4 a piece, wrote a petition protesting the ban; she said virus art “brings awareness to the epidemic.”The decision rankled some artists who, like Mr. Goodsell, view their works as educational. One Etsy seller, Sydni Rubio, who had posted Covid-19 stickers for $4 a piece, wrote a petition protesting the ban; she said virus art “brings awareness to the epidemic.”
Updated May 28, 2020
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.
There is an uptick in people reporting symptoms of chilblains, which are painful red or purple lesions that typically appear in the winter on fingers or toes. The lesions are emerging as yet another symptom of infection with the new coronavirus. Chilblains are caused by inflammation in small blood vessels in reaction to cold or damp conditions, but they are usually common in the coldest winter months. Federal health officials do not include toe lesions in the list of coronavirus symptoms, but some dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing.
Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.
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.
Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.
But for some creatives, Covid-19 works are more personal. In early March, Duyi Han, a designer in Los Angeles, was messaging daily with his grandparents quarantined in their Wuhan home, two miles from the seafood market where the outbreak began. He thought mournfully of the city he visited as a child, whose cherry blossom-lined streets had been deserted.But for some creatives, Covid-19 works are more personal. In early March, Duyi Han, a designer in Los Angeles, was messaging daily with his grandparents quarantined in their Wuhan home, two miles from the seafood market where the outbreak began. He thought mournfully of the city he visited as a child, whose cherry blossom-lined streets had been deserted.
So Mr. Han created an oil painting and mural design, called “The Saints Wear White,” that depicts a chapel in Hubei province filled with coronavirus medical workers in decontamination suits.So Mr. Han created an oil painting and mural design, called “The Saints Wear White,” that depicts a chapel in Hubei province filled with coronavirus medical workers in decontamination suits.
“When I work on it, it’s kind of a spiritual experience,” Mr. Han said. “When I paint those figures I really put my faith in them.” More than 3,000 Chinese health care workers have been infected from the outbreak.“When I work on it, it’s kind of a spiritual experience,” Mr. Han said. “When I paint those figures I really put my faith in them.” More than 3,000 Chinese health care workers have been infected from the outbreak.
To Mr. Han, seeking beauty from crisis is a timeworn tradition, one he’s thought about since studying Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica.” He comforted his family in Wuhan by sending them photos of his art; in return, they sent pictures of food and masks to assure him they were safe.To Mr. Han, seeking beauty from crisis is a timeworn tradition, one he’s thought about since studying Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica.” He comforted his family in Wuhan by sending them photos of his art; in return, they sent pictures of food and masks to assure him they were safe.
California Today goes live at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com. Were you forwarded this email? Sign up for California Today here and read every edition online here.California Today goes live at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com. Were you forwarded this email? Sign up for California Today here and read every edition online here.
Jill Cowan grew up in Orange County, graduated from U.C. Berkeley and has reported all over the state, including the Bay Area, Bakersfield and Los Angeles — but she always wants to see more. Follow along here or on Twitter, @jillcowan.Jill Cowan grew up in Orange County, graduated from U.C. Berkeley and has reported all over the state, including the Bay Area, Bakersfield and Los Angeles — but she always wants to see more. Follow along here or on Twitter, @jillcowan.
California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.