An informed guide to the global outbreak, with the latest developments and expert advice about prevention and treatment. |
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 | | The New York Times |
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At the University of Alabama, more than 1,300 students and staff members have tested positive, prompting the mayor of Tuscaloosa, Ala., to close all bars in the city for two weeks in the hope of slowing the explosive outbreak. |
In the first week of classes, Iowa State University in Ames found 104 cases and the University of Iowa in Iowa City had 607 students test positive. The outbreaks prompted Gov. Kim Reynolds to close bars in six counties through most of September. Other college towns with the greatest rise in cases relative to population include Oxford, Miss. (University of Mississippi); Lawrence, Kan. (University of Kansas); Auburn, Ala. (Auburn University); Pullman, Wash. (Washington State University); Statesboro, Ga. (Georgia Southern University); and Grand Forks, N.D. (University of North Dakota) |
Meanwhile, colleges have become America’s laboratories for testing and tracking experimentation. They are trying out dozens of health-check apps, homegrown contact tracing technologies that record student movement and exposure risk, and even wastewater tests that look for the virus in sewage in dormitories and student apartment buildings. The motivation to get reopening right is profound: Colleges’ economic survival depends on people coming to campus safely. |
But it’s becoming clear that the real danger may be less to the students themselves and more to vulnerable people in their families and surrounding communities. |
“I think the colleges are the canary in the coal mine,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said recently. “I think what we’re seeing at colleges, we’re going to see at the K-12 setting when those schools start to reopen.” |
A gulf between the wealthy and everyone else |
Wealth and privilege have always opened doors, and during the early days of the pandemic, they yielded access to coronavirus tests in short supply and a way to escape hard-hit areas. |
Wait times for test results in New York can range from several days to more than two weeks, but wealthier people, as well as businesses like movie production companies, have found a way to jump the line. Some have signed up for concierge medical practices, where annual memberships can cost thousands of dollars a year, while others have sought out smaller labs or doctors’ offices with their own lab equipment. That can mean getting results in less than 24 hours — as long as you’re willing to pay $150 to $200 out of pocket. |
At the same time, an exodus of city dwellers has picked up steam, with home sales surging over the summer in the suburbs surrounding New York City. The demand has been driven by white-collar workers who are able to work remotely, including many families who are eager for yards and more square footage. |
Crowded open houses, multiple offers and bids above asking prices are the new normal in the suburban real estate scene. Some people in New Jersey have gotten unsolicited calls and even knocks on the door from brokers asking if they want to sell. |
Real estate agents and moving companies are still swamped, but when the dust settles, some fear that the exodus could stymie the city’s economic recovery. |
What else we’re following |
My husband and I are first-time “puppy raisers” for Guide Dogs of America. Our need (and, thankfully, ability) to work from home has given us the precious, unexpected “gift” of extra time to devote to training this beloved puppy. We sincerely hope we will soon be able to pay our gift forward by enabling a visually impaired person to have the “gifts” of sight, mobility without fear and the unwavering devotion of a guide dog. — Katie Wohn, Agoura, Calif. |
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