The Latest: Keep calm and listen to Fauci
Dear Reader,
Health experts leading the country’s coronavirus response shared insights with a Senate committee yesterday. The takeaway is that scientists are working at record speeds to develop vaccines and drugs for the virus, but relaxing stay-at-home measures too soon could mean a dangerous flare-up of disease.
If you’re feeling really fatigued by quarantine, you’re not alone. As Gabe Zichermann writes in Elemental, humans crave touch and social contact, and people don’t like unknown durations, risks, and consequences.
Some people are combating fatigue with wild fitness goals. You don’t need to be that guy who ran a marathon in his driveway, but experts say having something to work toward can bring hope and a sense of strength (if you have the time, of course).
What’s New:
- Senate hears from top health leaders on Covid-19: Experts from the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared insights and warned that the U.S. is not “out of the woods” and should not reopen too quickly. Here are eight takeaways from the hearing.
- Wuhan to test the entire city: As new cases arise, Wuhan plans to test 11 million people for Covid-19. (Read more.)
Follow our Medium Coronavirus Blog for regular updates, and read some of the essential stories we’ve curated below.
Be well,
Alexandra Sifferlin
Editor, Medium Coronavirus Blog
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A Quick Q&A:
When can I visit my grandma again?
Figuring out when the time is right to visit a grandparent depends in large part on how well you have been following precautions. Have you been sheltering at home? Wearing a mask? Using hand sanitizer freely? Obeying the six-feet-apart rule? “If you haven’t, it’s not time to visit grandma,” says William Schaffner, MD, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “If you have, then you might see how you can do it carefully.” Schaffer recommends keeping a six-foot distance, wearing a mask during the visit, and keeping the visit brief.
New on the Blog
8 Takeaways From the Covid-19 Senate Hearing
Read Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Testimony on Vaccines and Drugs for Covid-19
What’s Happening to the Navajo Nation
What Does ‘Eliminating’ Covid-19 Mean, Anyway?
Essential Explainers
How Sunlight, the Immune System, and Covid-19 Interact
All of the Known Coronavirus Cases in Trump’s Orbit
Here’s Who’s Dying From Covid-19 in the United States
Quarantine Fatigue is Overtaking Us. We Could Have Done Better.
An Update to Your Fitbit Could Detect a Covid-19 Symptom
Why Do Men With Covid-19 Fare Worse Than Women?
Smart Reads
The Guy Who Ran a Marathon in His Driveway Is on to Something
Quarantined Scientists Are Turning the Internet Into Their Laboratory
How Governments Are Using Tech to Spread Misinformation About Covid-19
The Navajo Nation Is Being Decimated by This Virus
The Risks — Know Them — Avoid Them (blog from Erin Bromage, an infectious disease researcher)
Virus Survivors Could Suffer Severe Health Effects for Years (Bloomberg)
