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| As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the United States, many influencers are using their platforms to educate their followers about symptoms and testing, and to encourage them to stay inside. | As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the United States, many influencers are using their platforms to educate their followers about symptoms and testing, and to encourage them to stay inside. |
| The TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, for instance, started a “distance dance” challenge to promote social distancing. In an effort to make the diagnostic process more transparent, the YouTuber Joe Vulpis and his girlfriend shared a video about testing positive for Covid-19. The parenting blogger Ilana Wiles, who is currently self-quarantining, posted on Saturday about the need for others who are symptomatic, or have been in contact with a symptomatic person, to do the same. Doctors and nurses on social media have also been working to debunk coronavirus myths and promote public health measures. | The TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, for instance, started a “distance dance” challenge to promote social distancing. In an effort to make the diagnostic process more transparent, the YouTuber Joe Vulpis and his girlfriend shared a video about testing positive for Covid-19. The parenting blogger Ilana Wiles, who is currently self-quarantining, posted on Saturday about the need for others who are symptomatic, or have been in contact with a symptomatic person, to do the same. Doctors and nurses on social media have also been working to debunk coronavirus myths and promote public health measures. |
| According to CreatorIQ, an influencer marketing platform, engagement on influencer posts about the coronavirus has surpassed 2.9 billion impressions. And as the U.S. population has become largely homebound, screen time is way up. | According to CreatorIQ, an influencer marketing platform, engagement on influencer posts about the coronavirus has surpassed 2.9 billion impressions. And as the U.S. population has become largely homebound, screen time is way up. |
| But some of the posts circulating on social media display behavior that defies current guidelines to cease nonessential travel. A few high-profile lifestyle influencers, for example, have posted about fleeing New York City to smaller towns and other states, potentially endangering local communities and inadvertently encouraging their followers to do the same. | But some of the posts circulating on social media display behavior that defies current guidelines to cease nonessential travel. A few high-profile lifestyle influencers, for example, have posted about fleeing New York City to smaller towns and other states, potentially endangering local communities and inadvertently encouraging their followers to do the same. |
| On March 26, just eight days after she tested positive for Covid-19, the fashion influencer Arielle Charnas alerted her 1.3 million followers that she would be leaving her Manhattan apartment with her husband and daughters and heading to a house in the Hamptons. The next day she posted a photo of herself and her daughter strolling around the neighborhood. When people got angry, she turned off the comments on her posts. | On March 26, just eight days after she tested positive for Covid-19, the fashion influencer Arielle Charnas alerted her 1.3 million followers that she would be leaving her Manhattan apartment with her husband and daughters and heading to a house in the Hamptons. The next day she posted a photo of herself and her daughter strolling around the neighborhood. When people got angry, she turned off the comments on her posts. |
| On Saturday, Naomi Davis, a New York City lifestyle blogger known online as Taza, shared that she and her family were also leaving the city and “heading west” in an RV. “My heart is breaking for what is happening in New York where I live and around the world right now,” she wrote in the post. “And after two full weeks in the apartment, we made the family decision to drive out west so we can have a little more space (namely some outdoor space for the kids) for a little while.” | On Saturday, Naomi Davis, a New York City lifestyle blogger known online as Taza, shared that she and her family were also leaving the city and “heading west” in an RV. “My heart is breaking for what is happening in New York where I live and around the world right now,” she wrote in the post. “And after two full weeks in the apartment, we made the family decision to drive out west so we can have a little more space (namely some outdoor space for the kids) for a little while.” |
| This week, the food blogger Ali Maffucci also left the New York metropolitan area for Florida with her family. She said that none of them are symptomatic, but she believes that people in her building may be sick. | This week, the food blogger Ali Maffucci also left the New York metropolitan area for Florida with her family. She said that none of them are symptomatic, but she believes that people in her building may be sick. |
| In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, Ms. Maffucci wrote of living in “a high-rise building with hundreds of people” and fearing that every time she and her family leave to run errands, “we’re at risk of contracting Covid-19.” They can’t breathe fresh air without “worrying,” she wrote in the post, and “after I saw a woman collapse in our lobby, I couldn’t stay there anymore.” | In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, Ms. Maffucci wrote of living in “a high-rise building with hundreds of people” and fearing that every time she and her family leave to run errands, “we’re at risk of contracting Covid-19.” They can’t breathe fresh air without “worrying,” she wrote in the post, and “after I saw a woman collapse in our lobby, I couldn’t stay there anymore.” |
| All three women stressed that, upon reaching their destinations, they would take precautions to avoid the spread of disease. Ms. Charnas said in a statement through her publicist that she is following “doctor’s recommendations to a tee” and taking “every precaution to ensure we did not and will not come into contact, six feet apart or otherwise, with any other individual for the foreseeable future.” | All three women stressed that, upon reaching their destinations, they would take precautions to avoid the spread of disease. Ms. Charnas said in a statement through her publicist that she is following “doctor’s recommendations to a tee” and taking “every precaution to ensure we did not and will not come into contact, six feet apart or otherwise, with any other individual for the foreseeable future.” |
| Ms. Maffucci said her family would quarantine for two weeks upon their arrival in Florida. She also packed food for the road to eliminate unnecessary stops. Ms. Davis posted that she decided to rent an RV in order to avoid hotels and also packed meals so as to limit outside human interaction. | Ms. Maffucci said her family would quarantine for two weeks upon their arrival in Florida. She also packed food for the road to eliminate unnecessary stops. Ms. Davis posted that she decided to rent an RV in order to avoid hotels and also packed meals so as to limit outside human interaction. |
| Followers and medical experts, however, were not satisfied with these measures. | Followers and medical experts, however, were not satisfied with these measures. |
| “I think it’s really dangerous and personally idiotic,” said Dr. Darien Sutton, an emergency room physician who has been using social media to educate the public about the coronavirus. “When I see these influencers travel around, I think they’re setting a really poor example of how to appropriately act during a pandemic. You have to hold yourself accountable for the possibility of transmitting this virus to people who are more vulnerable, and there’s no way to be 100 percent sure you don’t have the virus.” | “I think it’s really dangerous and personally idiotic,” said Dr. Darien Sutton, an emergency room physician who has been using social media to educate the public about the coronavirus. “When I see these influencers travel around, I think they’re setting a really poor example of how to appropriately act during a pandemic. You have to hold yourself accountable for the possibility of transmitting this virus to people who are more vulnerable, and there’s no way to be 100 percent sure you don’t have the virus.” |
| Followers of all three influencers were outraged. “I can’t understand Arielle Charnas testing positive, sharing it with everybody, then neglecting self-isolation,” the podcast host and influencer Kate Kennedy said Monday in an Instagram Story. “If I was watching her experience and that was my depiction of Coronavirus what would I think? That it’s unserious.” She criticized Ms. Charnas for “perceiving C.D.C. guidelines as optional.” | Followers of all three influencers were outraged. “I can’t understand Arielle Charnas testing positive, sharing it with everybody, then neglecting self-isolation,” the podcast host and influencer Kate Kennedy said Monday in an Instagram Story. “If I was watching her experience and that was my depiction of Coronavirus what would I think? That it’s unserious.” She criticized Ms. Charnas for “perceiving C.D.C. guidelines as optional.” |
| “You are literally an influencer, and this will influence people to make similar (irresponsible and selfish) choices,” a commenter wrote on Ms. Maffucci’s post. Ms. Davis did not respond to a request for comment. | “You are literally an influencer, and this will influence people to make similar (irresponsible and selfish) choices,” a commenter wrote on Ms. Maffucci’s post. Ms. Davis did not respond to a request for comment. |
| “We all make mistakes,” Ms. Charnas said in an email statement, “including me, especially when a crisis such as this is developing so quickly. My family and I apologize to those we have offended for not appearing to be taking this crisis seriously, but I am absolutely committed to making informed, responsible decisions for my family and community.” | “We all make mistakes,” Ms. Charnas said in an email statement, “including me, especially when a crisis such as this is developing so quickly. My family and I apologize to those we have offended for not appearing to be taking this crisis seriously, but I am absolutely committed to making informed, responsible decisions for my family and community.” |
| Ms. Maffucci said that the decision to leave her apartment was not one that she took lightly. She was prepared for the backlash, but she ultimately felt that her family would be safer in Florida. | Ms. Maffucci said that the decision to leave her apartment was not one that she took lightly. She was prepared for the backlash, but she ultimately felt that her family would be safer in Florida. |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. |
| 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. |
| “When people say, ‘Why do you think you can go and just spread it around?’ I don’t think they understand that if I stay home in Jersey City I risk interacting with and infecting more people than staying in a private home in Florida where I’m self-quarantining for 14 days and able to see nobody but my family,” she said. | “When people say, ‘Why do you think you can go and just spread it around?’ I don’t think they understand that if I stay home in Jersey City I risk interacting with and infecting more people than staying in a private home in Florida where I’m self-quarantining for 14 days and able to see nobody but my family,” she said. |
| “I think that the public health officials, of course, say shelter in place, but what they’re not taking into consideration are all those situations like mine,” she added. “I think we do have a responsibility as influencers to go along with what public health officials are saying. But also, we’re scared. This is the decision we made and we tried to make it safely.” | “I think that the public health officials, of course, say shelter in place, but what they’re not taking into consideration are all those situations like mine,” she added. “I think we do have a responsibility as influencers to go along with what public health officials are saying. But also, we’re scared. This is the decision we made and we tried to make it safely.” |
| Mordechai Sacks, a physician assistant and primary care provider at Larchmont Family Medicine, said that the idea that any of these people are safer in smaller communities or other states is a flawed one. Many vacation towns have fewer medical resources to deal with a sudden onslaught of sick and contagious out-of-towners, and Florida is full of older citizens, who are at higher risk of becoming critically ill with the virus, he said. “New York City is by far better equipped to deal with this,” Mr. Sacks said. “We have a bunch of top hospitals, we have leadership who are doing the right thing, and top clinicians.” | Mordechai Sacks, a physician assistant and primary care provider at Larchmont Family Medicine, said that the idea that any of these people are safer in smaller communities or other states is a flawed one. Many vacation towns have fewer medical resources to deal with a sudden onslaught of sick and contagious out-of-towners, and Florida is full of older citizens, who are at higher risk of becoming critically ill with the virus, he said. “New York City is by far better equipped to deal with this,” Mr. Sacks said. “We have a bunch of top hospitals, we have leadership who are doing the right thing, and top clinicians.” |
| “The Hamptons is an example of a community that’s not used to having this volume,” said Dara Kass, associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. “The townships are very nervous, because their local hospitals and facilities are not built for people living there full time, they’re not staffed up right now. A lot of these vacation communities people flee to are at capacity.” Traveling also endangers at-risk people these influencers or their families may come into contact with on the way. | “The Hamptons is an example of a community that’s not used to having this volume,” said Dara Kass, associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. “The townships are very nervous, because their local hospitals and facilities are not built for people living there full time, they’re not staffed up right now. A lot of these vacation communities people flee to are at capacity.” Traveling also endangers at-risk people these influencers or their families may come into contact with on the way. |
| The primary issue many medical experts take issue with, however, is not the influencers’ decision to leave the city against public health guidelines, but that they’re promoting this message to potentially millions of people. | The primary issue many medical experts take issue with, however, is not the influencers’ decision to leave the city against public health guidelines, but that they’re promoting this message to potentially millions of people. |
| “Some of these social media influencers would be a lot better off using their platform to amplify public health officials,” Dr. Kass said, but at minimum, they should “acknowledge what public health officials are telling people.” | “Some of these social media influencers would be a lot better off using their platform to amplify public health officials,” Dr. Kass said, but at minimum, they should “acknowledge what public health officials are telling people.” |
| “If you’re going to do something that counters public health messaging,” she added, “don’t put it on social media.” | “If you’re going to do something that counters public health messaging,” she added, “don’t put it on social media.” |