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| Bangkok Opens Up as Virus Caseloads Drop, and Pretty Pups Benefit | Bangkok Opens Up as Virus Caseloads Drop, and Pretty Pups Benefit |
| (1 day later) | |
| BANGKOK — When the coronavirus lockdown in Bangkok eased a bit after six weeks, the first appointment my family made was not for a medical checkup or a walk in a park. | BANGKOK — When the coronavirus lockdown in Bangkok eased a bit after six weeks, the first appointment my family made was not for a medical checkup or a walk in a park. |
| Instead, we called the pet salon. Caper, our 9-month-old miniature schnauzer, was desperate for a trim. | Instead, we called the pet salon. Caper, our 9-month-old miniature schnauzer, was desperate for a trim. |
| Thailand remains under a state of emergency through at least the end of May, with almost no international flights in or out. But because of the country’s low confirmed caseload of virus infections — about 3,000 cases and 56 deaths, as of Saturday — certain businesses have been allowed to reopen under strict social distancing and hygiene limits. | Thailand remains under a state of emergency through at least the end of May, with almost no international flights in or out. But because of the country’s low confirmed caseload of virus infections — about 3,000 cases and 56 deaths, as of Saturday — certain businesses have been allowed to reopen under strict social distancing and hygiene limits. |
| Businesses given the green light are most restaurants, cafes and street-food vendors; markets; dining-in sections of supermarkets and grocery stores; public parks and outdoor sporting complexes; hair salons and barbershops — and pet grooming salons. | Businesses given the green light are most restaurants, cafes and street-food vendors; markets; dining-in sections of supermarkets and grocery stores; public parks and outdoor sporting complexes; hair salons and barbershops — and pet grooming salons. |
| Yes, that’s right, pet salons are important enough an industry in Thailand to merit their own category, alongside parks and restaurants. | Yes, that’s right, pet salons are important enough an industry in Thailand to merit their own category, alongside parks and restaurants. |
| Bangkok is crazy for purebred dogs. All over town, you will see Labradors and Weimaraners, Pomeranians and pugs. There are too many Yorkshire terriers. Some wear nail polish, and many wear clothes. | Bangkok is crazy for purebred dogs. All over town, you will see Labradors and Weimaraners, Pomeranians and pugs. There are too many Yorkshire terriers. Some wear nail polish, and many wear clothes. |
| Thailand’s king favors poodles, in white. Occasionally, they gallivant through royal abodes in black booties. A previous pooch of his wore a uniform with epaulets but that’s because he held the military rank of air chief marshal, according to a leaked American diplomatic cable. | Thailand’s king favors poodles, in white. Occasionally, they gallivant through royal abodes in black booties. A previous pooch of his wore a uniform with epaulets but that’s because he held the military rank of air chief marshal, according to a leaked American diplomatic cable. |
| A puppy hair cut might seem frivolous but let me explain. It is the hot season in Thailand, when temperatures hover around 100 degrees. The schnauzer’s natural coat, thick and woolly, is more suited to the Black Forest of its native Germany than a tropical metropolis like Bangkok. | A puppy hair cut might seem frivolous but let me explain. It is the hot season in Thailand, when temperatures hover around 100 degrees. The schnauzer’s natural coat, thick and woolly, is more suited to the Black Forest of its native Germany than a tropical metropolis like Bangkok. |
| Caper was hot. We were hot just looking at Caper, whose coffee-brown eyes were disappearing underneath prodigious, professorial eyebrows. | Caper was hot. We were hot just looking at Caper, whose coffee-brown eyes were disappearing underneath prodigious, professorial eyebrows. |
| All her panting was, frankly, a little unnerving. I worried what people might hear during phone interviews. | All her panting was, frankly, a little unnerving. I worried what people might hear during phone interviews. |
| I tried trimming her, as my husband held her down, a project that went as well as you might expect when two journalists with zero expertise attempt animal topiary. (In my defense, I am left-handed and was using right-handed scissors.) | I tried trimming her, as my husband held her down, a project that went as well as you might expect when two journalists with zero expertise attempt animal topiary. (In my defense, I am left-handed and was using right-handed scissors.) |
| When I heard that the lockdown might be relaxed a bit, my husband quickly called the pet salon. We secured an appointment for 4 p.m. on Sunday, the very day certain businesses were allowed to resume operations under certain conditions. There are no walk-ins; the premises have to be cleaned every couple hours; and workers have to wear appropriate personal protective equipment. | When I heard that the lockdown might be relaxed a bit, my husband quickly called the pet salon. We secured an appointment for 4 p.m. on Sunday, the very day certain businesses were allowed to resume operations under certain conditions. There are no walk-ins; the premises have to be cleaned every couple hours; and workers have to wear appropriate personal protective equipment. |
| Our Sunday was much like the previous 42 days under lockdown. We played board games with our children, and we ate no-knead bread. But at 3:50 p.m., my husband grabbed his mask and a very fuzzy dog. He hopped on the back of a motorcycle taxi, Caper’s beard billowing in the breeze. | Our Sunday was much like the previous 42 days under lockdown. We played board games with our children, and we ate no-knead bread. But at 3:50 p.m., my husband grabbed his mask and a very fuzzy dog. He hopped on the back of a motorcycle taxi, Caper’s beard billowing in the breeze. |
| When they arrived at the Tender Loving Care Pet Wellness Center, there was a cancan line of chow chows awaiting their treatments. A bulldog idled, too. | When they arrived at the Tender Loving Care Pet Wellness Center, there was a cancan line of chow chows awaiting their treatments. A bulldog idled, too. |
| An employee was hosing off the driveway. My husband had his temperature taken and filled in a health form. Caper, after six weeks spent only with my family, was overwhelmed by the bustle and promptly urinated on the floor. | An employee was hosing off the driveway. My husband had his temperature taken and filled in a health form. Caper, after six weeks spent only with my family, was overwhelmed by the bustle and promptly urinated on the floor. |
| The salon has a swimming pool, to blunt the heat for the wintry breeds that are unaccountably popular in Bangkok — all those huskies and malamutes and Samoyeds. A paddle in the pool, with a life jacket and personalized trainer, followed by a bath and blow-dry, costs $10 for a toy breed and $25 for a heftier one. | The salon has a swimming pool, to blunt the heat for the wintry breeds that are unaccountably popular in Bangkok — all those huskies and malamutes and Samoyeds. A paddle in the pool, with a life jacket and personalized trainer, followed by a bath and blow-dry, costs $10 for a toy breed and $25 for a heftier one. |
| A grooming session with hypoallergenic shampoo, brushing, blow-dry, cut and nail clipping goes for just over $20 for a Caper-sized dog. Cat grooming, inexplicably, costs less. | A grooming session with hypoallergenic shampoo, brushing, blow-dry, cut and nail clipping goes for just over $20 for a Caper-sized dog. Cat grooming, inexplicably, costs less. |
| The groomer went to the Starwood Arts of Dog Grooming School, which one of the salon’s owners, Patcharapan Ngamukos, assured me was the best in the country. | The groomer went to the Starwood Arts of Dog Grooming School, which one of the salon’s owners, Patcharapan Ngamukos, assured me was the best in the country. |
| Updated June 5, 2020 | Updated June 5, 2020 |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.) |
| 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. | 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. | 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’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. |
| The price of $20 may not seem like a lot by the standards of New York or London, but it is roughly equivalent to the average daily wage in Thailand, which has one of the widest wealth gaps among the world’s major economies. | The price of $20 may not seem like a lot by the standards of New York or London, but it is roughly equivalent to the average daily wage in Thailand, which has one of the widest wealth gaps among the world’s major economies. |
| In the two weeks after the Thai government unveiled a coronavirus relief fund for workers in the informal economy, more than 27 million people in a country of about 70 million applied online. Tourism, an economic mainstay, has been hit hard. Most unemployed workers have not received their relief checks. | In the two weeks after the Thai government unveiled a coronavirus relief fund for workers in the informal economy, more than 27 million people in a country of about 70 million applied online. Tourism, an economic mainstay, has been hit hard. Most unemployed workers have not received their relief checks. |
| The Soi Dog Foundation, which tries to find homes for the large number of strays roaming Thai streets, has begun an emergency appeal because the international flight ban has disrupted overseas adoptions. | The Soi Dog Foundation, which tries to find homes for the large number of strays roaming Thai streets, has begun an emergency appeal because the international flight ban has disrupted overseas adoptions. |
| With unemployment rates climbing and more mass layoffs expected, some Thais are shedding their purebred pets, with their expensive haircuts and taste for imported kibble. There are also worries — unfounded, scientists say — that pets can transmit the coronavirus to their owners. | With unemployment rates climbing and more mass layoffs expected, some Thais are shedding their purebred pets, with their expensive haircuts and taste for imported kibble. There are also worries — unfounded, scientists say — that pets can transmit the coronavirus to their owners. |
| Since reopening, though, the salon has been booked solid. There are Shih-Tzus who can barely see because their bangs have grown too long and Dobermans who need their teeth brushed. | Since reopening, though, the salon has been booked solid. There are Shih-Tzus who can barely see because their bangs have grown too long and Dobermans who need their teeth brushed. |
| “We’re really busy because a lot happened to the dogs during those six weeks,” Ms. Patcharapan said. | “We’re really busy because a lot happened to the dogs during those six weeks,” Ms. Patcharapan said. |
| “Well, I mean, not a lot happened,” she added. “But their hair grew way too long.” | “Well, I mean, not a lot happened,” she added. “But their hair grew way too long.” |
| Caper, with her new cool cut, would likely agree. | Caper, with her new cool cut, would likely agree. |