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Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today - The New York Times

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This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email.

The U.S. recorded more than 35,000 new cases yesterday — the highest daily total since the outbreak first peaked in late April. More than half of all states saw increasing new cases, and governors across political lines moved to delay or reverse reopenings.

But some governors have declined to crack down on the virus, despite their states’ accelerating rates of infection. Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia said that six outbreaks had been linked to churches in the state, but said he had no plans to close houses of worship. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has asked health officials to tell residents to wear masks and maintain social distancing, but he has not signaled a rollback for his reopening plans. In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster said Monday that he would not mandate face coverings.

Meanwhile, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — which had severe outbreaks early in the pandemic but have since gotten them under control — will require visitors from states with high positive test rates to quarantine for two weeks.

As the U.S. continues its roller-coaster trajectory, state officials may soon be looking to countries in Asia and Europe that are taking novel, localized approaches to managing new waves of the virus. While each country differs, their post-peak strategies generally include flexibility for local governments to tighten or ease restrictions, intensive testing and strict border management.

In South Korea, where the national strategy is referred to as “everyday life quarantine,” the government has advised citizens to carry two types of masks — a surgical mask, as well as a heavy-duty one for crowded situations. China has moved to test restaurant workers and delivery drivers block by block. And in Germany, regions and municipalities that reach a threshold of new infections must impose school closings and quarantines.

After a surge in cases, hospitals in Houston are facing a distressing new reality: They could run out of space in a matter of days. The city’s intensive care units are now at 97 percent capacity, the mayor said, and about a quarter of all patients in intensive care have tested positive for the virus.

Even though Houston has a large concentration of medical schools and research hospitals, some experts believe the area will run out of I.C.U. beds within two weeks if the city doesn’t quickly begin to bend its curve. On Tuesday, Texas reported a daily record — 5,000 new infections — and on Wednesday the governor said the state had another 5,000 cases, along with 4,000 hospitalizations. Experts say that because hospitalizations are rising, the spike in cases is not just the result of an increase in testing.

Video from the inside. The Times Opinion section spent several months with the staff of a rural hospital in Sweetwater, Texas (population 10,000). The hospital has been bracing for an outbreak — it would be overwhelmed by even six critically ill patients — while also trying to stave off financial ruin. Watch the short video here.

The Coronavirus Outbreak

  • Frequently Asked Questions and Advice

    Updated June 24, 2020

    • Is it harder to exercise while wearing a mask?

      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.

    • I’ve heard about a treatment called dexamethasone. Does it work?

      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.

    • What is pandemic paid 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.

    • Does asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 happen?

      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.

    • What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?

      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.

    • How does blood type influence coronavirus?

      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.

    • How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?

      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.

    • What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

      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.

    • How can I protect myself while flying?

      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.)

    • What should I do if I feel sick?

      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.

Here’s a roundup of restrictions in all 50 states.

Months of Covid-19 life have resulted in a fatigue of binge-watching Netflix. We are embarrassed by the trail of crumbs to and from the refrigerator and the empty wine bottles in the recycling bin. For the newest chapter, my husband and I decided to take salsa lessons from YouTube. We moved the furniture back, cranked up the volume and are enjoying intimate laughter at ourselves amid a new love of Latin music!

— Valerie VanOstenbridge, Pensacola, Fla.

Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter.

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