Lockdowns were lifted in nearly a dozen states, and the first day back was fraught.
An informed guide to the global outbreak, with the latest developments and expert advice about prevention and treatment. |
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A tricky return for millions of Americans |
But, like so much else in this crisis, the first day back was fraught with political battles, tensions between urban and rural areas and unease among businesses and the public. |
In Iowa, the governor loosened restrictions in 77 of the 99 counties, but not in the state's most populous areas. In Clinton, 40 miles from the locked-down city of Davenport, Stout's Irish Pub and Grill was full by early afternoon. Only one restriction was apparent: a sign on the door that said those with a fever should not enter. |
Sarah Kyllonen, a hair stylist in Lewiston, Maine, had agonized over whether to return to her salon. She is scared of the virus, but her unemployment benefits haven't kicked in and she's worried about paying rent. After a sleepless night on Thursday, she decided to go back to work. |
"I'm worried we are doing this — I hate to say it — too soon," she said. "There's a lot of things we have to do and it's scary." |
The risk of reopening: Public health experts warned that allowing people to gather again would most likely lead to a new spike in cases, though we will not know the scale of the outbreak for weeks. |
"It's clearly a life-or-death sort of level decision," said Dr. Larry Chang, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University. "If you get this wrong, many more people will die." |
The Wild West of antibody sales |
One company, Cantor BioConnect, has priced its samples — sold by the milliliter — from $350 to $40,000 each, with higher levels of antibodies commanding premium rates. The blood is being offered to laboratories and manufacturers developing antibody tests, which will most likely play a key role in ending lockdowns. |
The companies contacted by The Times denied profiteering, but medical professionals condemned their markups as unethical. "It's money being made from people's suffering," the medical director of one test manufacturer said. |
Dermatologists have noticed an uptick in a type of skin sore known as chilblains — painful red or purple lesions that typically emerge on fingers or toes, and usually in very cold temperatures — in patients with Covid-19. |
The lesions are showing up mostly in children, teenagers and young adults with mild or even asymptomatic cases. Some experts believe it to be a healthy immune response and a sign that a body is fighting the infection. While federal health officials do not include toe lesions on the list of coronavirus symptoms, dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing. |
If you or a family member develops these symptoms, health officials say to consult your primary care doctor or dermatologist, but not to visit the emergency room, where you could be exposed to the coronavirus, or expose others. |
The coronavirus is now virtually everywhere. So rather than highlight new hot spots, we're going to use this part of the newsletter to update you on which states and countries are beginning to restart public life. |
- In Texas, which is lifting restrictions earlier than recommended by some experts, all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls can reopen, with limited capacity.
- Alabama transitioned to a "safer at home" model, which encourages people to stay home but allows all retail stores to open at 50 percent capacity.
- Idaho put in place Stage 1 of its four-stage reopening plan, allowing houses of worship, day care centers and youth camps to reopen.
- In New York State, schools will remain shuttered through the end of the academic year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
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Feel together, apart. For couples physically separated by the coronavirus, here are a few strategies to make your newly long-distance relationship feel a little bit closer. |
Train your pandemic puppy. Consider a virtual training class to address your dog's behavioral issues, and to make sure it has truly found its forever home. |
What else we're following |
| I am getting into bird-watching in a big way. I've added suet and a thistle sock to my bird feeder, along with fresh fruit. The benefits are beautiful goldfinches, a Downy woodpecker, cardinals, house finches and, I hope, a bluebird or oriole soon. |
| — Deborah Rosene, Whitehall, Pa. |
Let us know how you're dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. |
| Tom Wright-Piersanti contributed to this newsletter. |
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