Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University say nearly half of all accounts tweeting about the coronavirus appear to be bot accounts. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University say nearly half of all accounts tweeting about the coronavirus appear to be bot accounts.
Updated at 7:55 p.m. ET
Nearly half of the Twitter accounts spreading messages on the social media platform about the coronavirus pandemic are likely bots, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University said Wednesday.
Researchers culled through more than 200 million tweets discussing the virus since January and found that about 45% were sent by accounts that behave more like computerized robots than humans.
It is too early to say conclusively which individuals or groups are behind the bot accounts, but researchers said the tweets appeared aimed at sowing division in America.
"We do know that it looks like it's a propaganda machine, and it definitely matches the Russian and Chinese playbooks, but it would take a tremendous amount of resources to substantiate that," said Kathleen Carley, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University who is conducting a study into bot-generated coronavirus activity on Twitter that has yet to be published.
Researchers identified more than 100 false narratives about COVID-19 that are proliferating on Twitter by accounts controlled by bots.
Among the misinformation disseminated by bot accounts: tweeted conspiracy theories about hospitals being filled with mannequins or tweets that connected the spread of the coronavirus to 5G wireless towers, a notion that is patently untrue.
Such bogus ideas on the Internet have caused real-world harm. In England, dozens of wireless towers have been set on fire in acts officials believe have been fueled by false conspiracy theories linking the rollout of 5G technology to the coronavirus.
"We're seeing up to two times as much bot activity as we'd predicted based on previous natural disasters, crises and elections," Carley said.
Using a so-called bot-hunter tool, researchers flagged accounts that tweet more than is humanly possible or claim to be in multiple countries within a few hours' period. Researchers say they examine a Twitter account's followers, frequency of tweeting and how often the user is mentioned on the platform in determining whether the tweeter is a bot account.
"When we see a whole bunch of tweets at the same time or back to back, it's like they're timed," Carley said. "We also look for use of the same exact hashtag, or messaging that appears to be copied and pasted from one bot to the next."
In response to the Carnegie Mellon findings, a Twitter spokesman pointed to the company's previous statements arguing that the term bot can be used to describe a wide range of behavior on the platform, not all of which is in violation of Twitter's rules.
"People often refer to bots when describing everything from automated account activity to individuals who would prefer to be anonymous for personal or safety reasons, or avoid a photo because they've got strong privacy concerns," the Twitter spokesman said, adding that describing an account as a bot can be deployed by "those in positions of political power to tarnish the views of people who may disagree with them or online public opinion that's not favorable."
Nonetheless, Twitter says it has removed thousands of tweets containing misleading or potentially harmful information about the coronavirus.
Twitter says its automated systems have "challenged" 1.5 million accounts that were targeting discussions about COVID-19 with malicious or manipulative behavior.
Last week, Twitter unveiled new labels that will accompany misleading, disputed or unverified tweets about the coronavirus, an effort that attempts to tamp down the rapid spread of tweets carrying harmful and false information about the global health crisis.
Where in the world most of the bot accounts are based is still being probed by researchers, though some reports have implicated Russian actors in the spread of misinformation in the U.S. amid the pandemic.
Reuters reported in March that Russian media have recently deployed a widespread disinformation campaign against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus to create panic and distrust.
Efforts to fight back against the spread of false information about COVID-19 come just as the federal government and election security experts keep a watchful eye on the November election.
American intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Experts believe Russian actors will try to influence the 2020 vote as well, including by using social media to amplify their messages.
Carley with Carnegie Mellon said countering bot accounts on Twitter is not a simple task. Blocked accounts can resurface, and the disinformation networks are sophisticated and difficult to completely root out.
She offers this advice, though: Look out for subtle typos, for tweets being sent out very quickly, or profile images and usernames that appear suspicious.
"Even if someone appears to be from your community, if you don't know them personally, take a closer look, and always go to authoritative or trusted sources for information," Carley said. "Just be very vigilant."
MinnPost photo by Gregg Aamot
Since the outbreak was declared a pandemic, the city of Duluth has laid off around 100 people.
But the shutdown of Minnesotas economy due to the novel coronavirus, and the health risks incurred by it, have put cities like Duluth and county governments across Minnesota in a bind: there is no tourism, there are effectively no sales, and several counties have delayed property taxes.
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson
The hope from city, state, and county officials like Larson is that Congress will allocate additional assistance. Minnesota received more than $2 billion from the CARES Act, federal legislation passed in response to COVID-19. But only three government bodies qualified for direct aid: the state, Ramsey County, which contains St. Paul; and Hennepin County, which contains Minneapolis. Government bodies that support less than 500,000 people didnt qualify for funding, meaning even the four largest cities in Minnesota Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, and Duluth received nothing.
While Gov. Tim Walz has vowed to distribute some of the state funding from the CARES Act to cities, Minnesotas elected officials at all levels have acknowledged they have nowhere near enough money to keep services fully running and ready for a post-shutdown world. As of now, a large number of them say the only hope is another round of substantial federal funding, which as of last week, doesnt seem to be anywhere close to happening.
A few hours south of Duluth down I-35, Rochester is struggling too.
Mayor Kim Norton
Were really disappointed in that the response only funded money to counties of 500,000. That sort of left out Olmsted County, said Norton, who represents a city of just over 100,000 people. Norton also previously represented District 25B, the northern portion of Rochester, as a DFLer in the Legislature. Were applying for everything we can, but when the money is coming directly to your state, we need to be able to get our hands on it, Norton said, adding: Im very frustrated.
Before the state effectively shut down, Rochester was also home to temporary visitors from all around the country receiving medical care from the Mayo Clinic. But when the virus prompted statewide closures and reduced travel, so went the industry that surrounded the Mayo Clinic: the Rochester hotels, the Rochester restaurants, and the Rochester shops. So all the employees that worked in the hospitality industry really surrounding the Mayo Clinic suddenly were unemployed, Norton said.
CC/Flickr/-Tripp-
Before the state effectively shut down, Rochester was also home to temporary visitors from all around the country receiving medical care from the Mayo Clinic.
[Congress] need[s] to get a bill that they can all agree to and sent out to cities and counties throughout the state, Norton said. They need to do it quickly, because we dont have the coffers to be able to continue to provide. Were not providing enough support [as it is]. Were providing some.
Of over $2 billion sent to Minnesota from the CARES Act, $96 million went to Ramsey County. But even with it, Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter described the situation as pretty dire.
Carter said shes grateful that Ramsey County, like Hennepin County, could receive some money directly appropriated by Congress. We know that the first needs that will come out of the $96 million provided to Ramsey County will go toward assistance to individuals and families who are struggling right now to maintain homes or food on the table, said Carter.
Carter sees not only a need to address these immediate problems using the money from the federal government, but to be prepared to help stimulate the economy and help rebuild Ramsey Countys infrastructure when it comes time. And thats going to require more money from Congress.
Housing problems exist all the time, she said. You know, this is nothing new that people are homeless and need assistance. Of course its aggravated and its gaining attention. But this problem was with us before COVID and it will be with us after as well.
As a member of the National Association of Counties, Carter is cognizant of the issues that face not just Ramsey County, but counties around the state as well. Counties above 500,000 have received this initial assistance and theyll need more, she said. Other counties with populations under 500,000 have not received anything to address these needs.
And even with the initial CARES Act funding, Commissioner Carter is worried about the revenue that keeps services functioning in Ramsey County. The county has been unable to collect on property taxes that were due on the 15th of May and the shortfall is compounded by the fact that while money from the CARES Act can generally be spent on coronavirus-related expenses incurred between March and the end of 2020, it cant be spent to replace revenue lost from the COVID recession.
What we anticipate needing through the end of the year is not just the $96 million that we were appropriated directly, but resources far beyond, Carter said. I cannot calculate, you know, what will be required to get us through this.
When the CARES Act was passed, Congress suggested that 45 percent of states shares of the money go to local governments. But it did not require it. Earlier this month, the Legislature tried to pass legislation directing Walz to distribute that percentage $667 million to cities and counties. A proposal from the Senate GOP bill would have forced Hennepin and Ramsey to share their money with their cities. And a bill from the House DFL would distribute the money using a per capita formula. Neither bill was signed into law, leaving the Walz administration with all of the power to decide how the money is distriburted.
Walz said he plans to distribute some of the money to cities, but prefers to distribute the funds on a per capita basis and to maintain a reserve fund to target hotspots and emergent needs via grants.
In addition to the state CARES Act funding, various state and local entities health services, transit, public health, public school and colleges received another $900 million from the CARES Act. And Minnesotas tribal governments are currently in the process of determining how much funding they will get, after a lengthy delay.
But even with the CARES Act funding at the state level, Walz said his administration has begun to cut spending.
MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul
Gov. Tim Walz
He said the state has asked some employees to take leave and is not hiring for vacancies in non-essential jobs. But he said many departments revenue, natural resources, economic development and employment security for example are as busy as they ever are.
While Minnesota is facing deficits, it has a rainy day fund sizable enough to cover projected shortfalls, especially if it can shift some recent appropriations to CARES Act money. The states Office of Management and Budget said they will have a better understanding of its budget situation when they again update their forecast in August and again in November.
As for what comes next, Walz is not counting on another immediate round of funding from Congress. On a recent call with six other Midwestern governors, Walz discussed what and when future funding from Congress would look like.
He said there was a split in optimism. On one side, five of the governors were hopeful that congress would appropriate more funds quickly. On the other, the only two governors that had previously served in congress: Walz and Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio.
The other five seemed a lot more optimistic about this than the two of us, Walz said. Weve been there.
On Friday, the U.S. House passed a follow-up to the last major coronavirus response package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (or HEROES) Act. The centerpiece of the $3 trillion dollar bill is more than $1 trillion for state and local governments.
Carter of Ramsey County said that money like that is a really, really big deal, because the county needs funds that dont just respond to COVID-19, but that help replace lost revenue. Larson in Duluth also took notice: The HEROES Act just recognizes that of the services that cities provide that are funded by these revenue sources that immediately stopped. So that was really hopeful to me.
MinnPost photo by Brian Halliday
Pete Stauber
Similarly, Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who represents Rochester in Congress, called the bill unserious. A few days prior to the vote, Hagedorn said that a conservative approach to funding cities might be worth looking at. As far as what the state is looking for, Im sure they and a lot of municipalities are looking for the federal government to help, he said on KEYC. We want to be fair to everybody, but the federal governments just expended over $2 trillion, and at some point we have to be mindful.
House Republicans have presented no alternative proposal for state and local funding. In recent weeks, Republicans have not negotiated with Pelosi to put any new legislation on the floor. We all have governors regardless of party who would love to have free money, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in late April. And thats why I said yesterday were going to push the pause button here, because I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments need to be thoroughly evaluated. In recent weeks, McConnells office has also called additional money to states Blue State Bailouts.
On Tuesday, Rep. Angie Craig said McConnell clearly has not been talking to people on the ground.
Rep. Angie Craig
That change was included in the HEROES Act, which is currently on McConnells desk awaiting a vote it will likely not receive.
While she did follow the HEROES Act, Larson, the Mayor of Duluth, said she cant risk getting caught up in the politics of Congress. All she can do is advocate for her city, lay out the problems clearly and honestly, and make it hard for people to say no.
But considering the circumstances, she isnt hopeful. I cant hold out hope that were going to be getting money, Larson said. Its been months now and were not getting any financial support.
Peter Callaghan contributed reporting.
Is it OK to resume athletic training, even if you have gotten through a bout of Covid-19 or tested positive for coronavirus or suspect you might have been infected? Two new expert-consensus statements from pulmonologists and cardiologists, published separately in The Lancet and JAMA Cardiology, urge caution.
The new statements point out that the always-thorny issue of when injured or ill athletes can return to training is further complicated now, since the novel coronavirus is novel and much about its short- and long-term effects on the body remain unknown. So, the authors of the new statements lay out tentative evaluations and protocols that, ideally, ill or homebound athletes would complete before returning to strenuous exercise. They also highlight a few troubling symptoms that potentially could raise new concerns down the road.
By now, of course, almost all of us recognize that fitness is no guarantee against Covid-19. Marathon runners, competitive cyclists, professional basketball players and other athletes are among the many who have tested positive for the virus, and some reportedly have developed severe illnesses. Untold numbers of other athletes may have been infected but asymptomatic and never realized they carried the virus.
Many of these athletes might now feel ready to resume heavy training. But the usual return-to-play criteria for sick athletes probably do not apply to someone who has been infected with the coronavirus, says Dr. James Hull, a sports pulmonologist at Royal Brompton Hospital in London and co-author of the new statement in The Lancet about athletes and coronavirus.
Since the 1990s, he says, sports medicine physicians typically have relied on the neck check to decide if and when an athlete with a respiratory condition should train. Using this measure, if an athletes symptoms are confined, by and large, to his head meaning, above or in the neck, such as a runny nose, sinus pain and sore throat he or she usually would be cleared to train and play.
But the novel coronavirus worries sports pulmonologists, Dr. Hull says, in part because in some people, the illness can seem benign at first, then rapidly go downhill. We have seen people have some mild symptoms to start with and seem to improve, he says, only to then deteriorate really badly at seven days following their first symptoms.
Because of this potential disease trajectory, he says, it is important that, unlike what people would do with a normal viral infection, such as a head cold, they dont exercise hard while they have symptoms, especially in those first seven days, he says.
Instead, he and other pulmonologists, writing in The Lancet, advise athletes who have tested positive for the coronavirus or suspect they might be positive to rest, without any exercise, for at least 10 days from the point when they first feel symptoms. Then, assuming their illness remains mild, they should continue to rest for another week, even after their symptoms resolve.
This protocol is conservative, but aligns with a new consensus opinion about athletes, coronavirus, exercise and hearts published this month in JAMA Cardiology, with the backing of the American College of Cardiologys Sports & Exercise Cardiology Council.
The cardiologists felt compelled to release this statement in part because the new coronavirus seems sometimes to have unexpected and perilous effects on hearts, even among robust athletes, says Dr. Jonathan Kim, a sports cardiologist at Emory University in Atlanta, and co-author of the new recommendations, with Dr. Dermot Phelan of the Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute in Charlotte, N.C., and Dr. Eugene Chung of the University of Michigan.
With most viral respiratory infections, he says, perhaps 1 percent of people who are infected develop related heart problems, such as myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle. But there are indications that people infected with the coronavirus could have a much higher incidence of heart issues, he says, although the actual risks are hard to assess, with so much about the virus still mysterious.
Even so, he and his fellow cardiologists suggest, much like the authors of the Lancet paper, that athletes and committed exercisers who have tested positive for the virus but have mild or no symptoms or who worry they might have been infected, without testing stay home and rest for at least two weeks from the date of their first symptoms or positive test. This time period also is the length of self-isolation mandated by current health guidelines following any possible exposure to the virus.
After a minimum of two weeks of resting at home and assuming symptoms have improved, the pulmonologists and cardiologists advise returning slowly to exercise training, with a wary eye on symptoms. You might have a mild cough and minimal shortness of breath when returning to sport now, Dr. Hull says. But those symptoms should lessen day by day, he says. If they do not or you develop new wheezing or shortness of breath, go to your doc and get your chest examined, he advises, or arrange a telehealth call.
Dr. Kim agrees. For most athletes who have spent weeks at home recovering from the virus, the first few workouts could feel lousy, he says, since any lingering viral effects may combine with general physical deconditioning. So, expect some discomfort. But if you experience considerable or increasing chest tightness or new heart palpitations, stop exercising, contact your doctor and discuss whether you should complete cardiac testing, he says.
Any athletes who have been hospitalized or bedridden by the virus will be likely to need extensive pulmonary and cardiac testing and clearance from their physicians before working out again, he says.
But for those of us who are casual exercisers who have not tested positive for the virus or felt ill during this pandemic, walking, jogging, cycling and other activities remain safe and desirable, he says, with proper social distancing and face covering, of course. Its a good idea to be cautious now, he says, but exercise is still one of the best things you can do for your health.
Thursdays biggest developments:
[7:25 p.m.] Texas reported 945 more cases of the new coronavirus Thursday, bringing the total number of known cases to 52,268. No new counties reported their first cases Thursday; over 85% of the states 254 counties have reported at least one case.
For the first time Thursday, the state reported separately the number of antibody tests that it was previously counting with viral tests. As of a day earlier, it had counted 49,313 antibody tests as as part of its total tests tally. That represents 6.4% of the 770,241 total tests that the state reported Wednesday.
Harris County has reported the most cases, 10,095, followed by Dallas County, which has reported 7,904 cases. See maps of the latest case numbers for each county and case rates per 1,000 residents.
The state has reported 21 additional deaths, bringing the statewide total to 1,440 an increase of about 1% from Wednesday. Harris County reported three additional deaths, bringing its total to 210 deaths, more than any other county.
As of Thursday, 1,680 patients are known to be hospitalized in Texas. Thats a decrease of 111 patients from Wednesday. Darla Cameron
[1:32 p.m.] Texas driver's license offices will gradually reopen with limited services starting Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday.
The first reopening phase includes Northwest and West Texas offices, followed by South and Central Texas offices May 29 and North and Southeast Texas offices June 3, according to a news release.
The limited services that will be offered include applying for a Texas driver's license, learners permit or ID card, and scheduling a driving test. Services will only be offered with an appointment, according to the release.
The Texas Department of Public Safety which runs the driver's license offices will launch an appointment system Friday through which people can book an appointment up to six months in advance.
"This phased opening of our driver license offices and the launch of DPS' online appointment system prioritizes the health and safety of our communities and ensures Texans have access to the services they need at their local driver license offices," Abbott said in a written statement. Stacy Fernndez
[11:15 a.m.] Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann is the first high-ranking state official with a known case of COVID-19, The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday.
Lehrmann and her husband, Greg, who also tested positive for the virus, got tested at one of Austins drive-thru testing centers last week after experiencing fevers and body aches, the News reports.
Lehrmann called her infection perplexing since she and her husband strictly adhered to stay-at-home orders since early March. The pair have been working from home and wearing masks and gloves when they venture out to the grocery store.
We were just extremely careful and then we get it, Lehrmann told the News. How in the world would that happen? We have no idea. All I know is it must be very contagious. Stacy Fernndez
[9:55 a.m.] A Houston-area water park said it will defy Gov. Greg Abbotts orders and reopen Saturday for Memorial Day weekend, the Houston Chronicle reported.
While indoor and outdoor pools can operate at 25% occupancy, the governors directives specifically say people should continue to avoid interactive amusement venues like water parks.
The Big Rivers Waterpark in New Caney will host up to 2,020 people daily through May. Thats almost 20% of its maximum capacity, said Monty Galland, CEO and developer for the parks parent company, in a Facebook video.
The purpose of that is to make sure its comfortable and everybody has plenty of space to practice social distancing, Galland said.
Abbott has said the state is exploring ways to safely reopen amusement parks, specifically looking at how Disney is opening up its parks. Still, the governor has not provided a timeline yet for when such venues could reopen in Texas. Stacy Fernndez and Patrick Svitek
[7:35 a.m.] Another 134,381 Texans filed for unemployment last week. Since the week ending March 14, just shy of 2.1 million Texans have filed for benefits.
This weeks claims are down 5.1% from the week ending May 9, when just over 140,000 Texans filed for unemployment. Across the nation, 2.4 million Americans filed for unemployment last week.
On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the latest phase of reopening the states economy. Child care centers were allowed to open Monday, and bars and bowling alleys among other select businesses are permitted to open their doors starting Friday.
But as some Texans return to work, itll likely take some time before the economy rebounds. Not all business owners are opting to reopen their doors, and many customers remain hesitant over whether it's safe to return to restaurants, retail stores and other businesses.
The Texas Workforce Commission, which handles the states unemployment claims, voted Tuesday to phase out child care subsidies for low-income and essential workers. They will continue making payments for up to three months, but these workers can no longer apply to the subsidy program. Clare Proctor
[5 a.m.] As Texas continues to reopen its economy, Dallas County has seen its hospitalization and new positive test numbers stay relatively steady, County Judge Clay Jenkins told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the county began releasing the number of emergency room visits in local hospitals by people suspected to have COVID-19. The first day's number was 409. And the trend line for that statistic has stayed relatively stable for at least the past two weeks, the newspaper reported. Similarly, the county reported 185 new cases Wednesday, down 40 from the day before and part of what the Morning News described as a continued decline.
Itll be a kind of happy story this week as the numbers seem to be going our way, Jenkins told the newspaper in a meeting with its editorial board.
Jenkins and local officials had expressed a desire to keep the economy more closed until a steady decline in new cases occurred over at least two weeks. But the lack of an immediate spike has made him willing to reconsider his assumptions if current trends continue for a couple of weeks, he told the paper.
Were not stuck on some arbitrary political solution or static thing," Jenkins said. Were listening to what the science tells us theyre looking at a novel virus every day and reevaluating.
But, Jenkins told the paper, he's still worried about a potential resurgence in new cases this summer. Matthew Watkins
[4:30 p.m. Wednesday] Texas reported 1,411 more cases of the new coronavirus Wednesday, an increase of about 3% over the previous day, bringing the total number of known cases to 51,323. Hall County reported its first case Wednesday; over 85% of the states 254 counties have reported at least one case.
Harris County has reported the most cases, 9,859, followed by Dallas County, which has reported 7,904 cases. See maps of the latest case numbers for each county and case rates per 1,000 residents.
The state has reported 50 additional deaths, bringing the statewide total to 1,419 an increase of about 4% from Tuesday. Harris County reported two additional deaths, bringing its total to 207 deaths, more than any other county.
As of Wednesday, 1,791 patients are known to be hospitalized in Texas. Thats an increase of 59 patients from Tuesday. At least 770,241 tests have been conducted. Chris Essig
Disclosure: Facebook has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
People who test positive again for the coronavirus, despite having already recovered from COVID-19, arent being reinfected, a new study finds.
Reports of patients dischargedfrom hospitals in South Korea testing positive after their apparent recovery hadraised concerns that people could get infected by the virus in the short term morethan once or that the infection could come back. But diagnostic tests for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 rely on detecting theviruss genetic material (SN: 4/17/20).A positive result does not indicate whether a person is shedding virusescapable of infecting cells which would signal an active infection.
Now, a May 19 report from theKorean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that samples fromreinfected patients dont have infectious viruses. The finding hints that the diagnostic tests are picking upon the genetic material from noninfectious or dead viruses. That lack of infectious virus particles meansthese people arent currently infected and cant transmit the coronavirus toothers, the researchers say.
Its good news, says AngelaRasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University. It appears people are notbeing reinfected, and this virus is not reactivating.
In thestudy, researchers tried to isolate infectious coronaviruses from samples takenfrom 108 people who retested positive. All of those samples tested negative. When the scientists examined 23 of those patients for antibodiesagainst the coronavirus, almost all had neutralizing antibodies that can stop the virus from getting intocells (SN: 4/28/20). That immuneresponse may protect a person from getting reinfected, at least in the short term.
The team also tracked down790 contacts of 285 people who retested positive. Of those contacts, 27 testedpositive for the coronavirus. Twenty-four of those were cases that officialshad previously confirmed. Officials also identified three new cases, all ofwhom either had contact with the Shincheonji religious group which was hit particularly hard inthe early days of the pandemic or aconfirmed case in their family. No new cases appeared to stem from repeatpositive patients, a sign those patients arent contagious.
Now, we can largely stopworrying about reinfection and address the next big questions, Rasmussen says.How protective are immune responses in recovered patients, and how long doesimmunity last?
Scientists and journalists share a core belief in questioning, observing and verifying to reach the truth. Science News reports on crucial research and discovery across science disciplines. We need your financial support to make it happen every contribution makes a difference.
At this point, there is uncertainty, said Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University, who has been modeling the path of the virus. Probably the next week will be one of the crucial ones because if we see more decrease of cases we are still on a good trajectory if not, it really might be more problematic for the future.
Julie Bosman reported from Chicago, Amy Harmon from New York, and Mitch Smith from Overland Park, Kan.
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Levi Tinker, resident historian and general manager of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, makes an announcement inside the theater's empty auditorium on Monday, May 18. It was the theater's 93rd birthday celebration.
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People practice social distancing in New York's Domino Park on Sunday, May 17.
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Nurses in Nairobi, Kenya, take part in a Zumba fitness class in the parking lot of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital on May 17.
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Mary Faye Cochran sings "You Are My Sunshine" to her son Stacey Smith from her senior-living facility in Smyrna, Georgia, on May 10. It was Mother's Day in the United States.
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Pope Francis delivers a blessing from the window of his studio overlooking an empty St. Peter's Square on May 10.
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The San Isidro cemetery in Mexico City, which was temporarily closed to the public to limit the spread of Covid-19, is seen in this aerial photo from May 10.
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Mary Washington speaks through a window to her daughter Courtney Crosby and grandchild Sydney Crosby during a Mother's Day celebration at her senior-living facility in Smyrna.
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A Briarcliff High School student participates in a parade of graduating seniors through Briarcliff Manor, New York, on May 9.
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People wear face masks while watching a Victory Day military parade in Minsk, Belarus, on May 9. The parade marked the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
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A man rides past social-distancing markers in front of a shop in Brussels, Belgium, on May 9.
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A man pauses as he places the casket of a relative into a van at a busy New York funeral home on May 9.
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Health-care workers wait for citizens to arrive at the Anna International Airport in Chennai, India, on May 9. People were arriving in Chennai from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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A man wearing a face mask cycles through Chinatown in Yokohama, Japan, on May 8. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Japan will extend its state of emergency until the end of May.
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American citizens who were stranded in Syria due to the pandemic arrive at the Lebanese border on their way to the Beirut airport, where they would be leaving for the United States.
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During a protest in Washington on May 7, members of National Nurses United stand among empty shoes that they say represent nurses who have died from Covid-19.
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A worker helps disinfect a subway train in New York on May 6. The subway syatem was shut down for a deep-cleaning.
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High school students study in a classroom in Wuhan, China, as they returned to school on May 6.
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A nursery is disinfected in Cannes, France, on May 6. Nurseries in France were to gradually reopen on May 11.
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Refrigerated trucks are seen at a morgue that opened in New York to assist overwhelmed funeral homes.
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Michigan state police prevent protesters from entering the chamber of the Michigan House of Representatives on April 30. The protesters were unhappy with the state's stay-at-home order. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently extended the order through May 15, though restrictions were relaxed so some businesses could reopen.
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This aerial photo shows surfers accessing Sydney's Tamarama Beach on April 29. Several Sydney beaches reopened for exercise only.
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A barber wears protective equipment as he cuts a customer's hair in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 27.
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Health workers at a coronavirus testing center in New Delhi attend to a colleague who fainted due to exhaustion on April 27.
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Pitrik van der Lubbe waves from a boom lift to his 88-year-old father, Henk, at his father's nursing home in Gouda, Netherlands, on April 24. Pitrik had not seen his father in more than four weeks.
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Protesters shout slogans against Lebanese Central Bank governor Riad Salam as they block Hamra Street in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 23. Anti-government protesters have been demonstrating in Beirut as they continue to endure one of its worst-ever economic crises.
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A boy plays hopscotch at his home in A Coruna, Spain, on April 23.
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A dentist wears protective equipment while treating a patient in Den Bosch, Netherlands, on April 22.
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Biology teachers prepare to hold an exam at a secondary school in Berlin on April 22.
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A volunteer in Yangon, Myanmar, spreads calcium oxide on a road to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus on April 22.
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Migrants wave from balconies at a hotel in Kranidi, Greece, on April 21. The shelter, which hosts 470 asylum seekers, was placed in isolation after a pregnant resident tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
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A man disinfects a ceiling lamp at the obanija Mosque in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on April 21.
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A nurse holds a newborn baby, wearing a face shield as a protective measure, at a maternity facility in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 21.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Health workers at Madrid's La Paz Hospital hold a minute of silence to remember Joaquin Diaz, the hospital's chief of surgery who died because of the coronavirus.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
A woman applauds from the balcony of her Paris home to show support for health care workers on April 20.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Mayor's office workers wear protective suits as they conduct a census in a Bogota, Colombia, neighborhood on April 19. They were trying to find out how many families needed to be provided with food.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
The novel coronavirus outbreak
A woman sticks her tongue out of a torn mask at a Reopen Maryland rally outside the State House in Annapolis, Maryland, on April 18. Residents in multiple states have been protesting stay-at-home orders.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Newly married Tyler and Caryn Suiters embrace following their marriage ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, on April 18. The Rev. Andrew Merrow and his wife, Cameron, were the only other attendees at the ceremony, which was held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Abed Khankan cuts a customer's hair outdoors in Malmo, Sweden, on April 17.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Two women walk to rent a small paddle boat by the Vltava River in Prague, Czech Republic, on April 17.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Cars sit at a newly opened drive-in cinema in Dortmund, Germany, on April 17. It's in front of a former blast furnace.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Funeral workers in Manaus, Brazil, prepare the grave of a woman who is suspected to have died from the coronavirus.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
A member of the Don Bosco Foundation delivers food from the Fraternitas Project, which serves vulnerable families in Seville, Spain, on April 16.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Police officerstry on personal protective equipment in Amritsar, India, on April 16.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Workers in Nairobi, Kenya, fumigate the streets and the stalls of the City Park Market on April 15.
The novel coronavirus outbreak
Virginia's Arlington County held its first drive-thru donation for people to drop off unopened and unused personal protective equipment (PPE) for use by first-responders. Tyrone Turner/WAMU hide caption
Virginia's Arlington County held its first drive-thru donation for people to drop off unopened and unused personal protective equipment (PPE) for use by first-responders.
If you were designing a museum exhibit that would explain the coronavirus pandemic to future generations, what would you put in it?
Smithsonian curators in Washington, D.C., are trying to answer that question, even as the virus continues to spread in some states. The National Museum of American History and the Anacostia Community Museum have recently launched coronavirus collection projects. A third effort from the National Museum of African American History and Culture will kick off in June.
Each collection will have its own particular focus. The American History Museum is taking a broad approach: Curators on its COVID-19 task force are putting together lists of objects they want to collect, ranging from handwritten grocery lists and letters from patients to personal protective equipment, test kits and ventilators. Some of the objects will be put on display in an exhibit on disease planned for late next year.
"Obviously those are objects we will not collect until the pandemic has really wound down," said Alexandra Lord, the chair of the American History Museum's medicine and science division. "We don't want to put pressure on supplies."
Object collection is on hold for another reason: The District of Columbia's stay-at-home order is still in effect and the Smithsonian museums and offices are all closed.
"There's a whole set of protocol around artifacts that we can't follow right now," Lord said.
In the meantime, Smithsonian curators are soliciting digital items and oral histories for their online collections.
"Three, five, 10 years from now, we really don't want the human impact of this story to get lost. And so that's what we're really trying to collect," says Melanie Adams, the director of the Anacostia Community Museum, which explores local social change. People in the Washington region can submit digital photographs, videos and written accounts to the museum's new "Moments of Resilience" online collection.
Adams' team will eventually start collecting objects for an exhibit planned for next summer. They'll pay particular attention to the pandemic's impact on the Washington region's restaurant industry and on black and Latino residents.
Curators at the National Museum of African American History and Culture plan to collect objects that tell the stories of black Americans during the pandemic. For the pilot program, they'll ask residents of Baltimore, Chicago, Denver and New Orleans to upload oral histories, images and short videos to an online platform. Object collection will come later, once curators are back in their offices.
"It's important to make sure that those stories from African Americans are included in the record," said Dwandalyn R. Reece, the museum's associate director for curatorial affairs. She said the museum is modelling its current efforts off its work collecting artifacts during the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson and Baltimore in 2014, prior to the museum opening to the public.
Even though object collection can't start yet, the Smithsonian curators are hustling to get the word out about their various projects to keep people from throwing away would-be artifacts. Even a homemade face mask or an empty box that held a shipment of toilet paper could tell future historians a lot about the current moment.
Today's junk, tomorrow's artifact.
Messages written on the individuals masks read: MOTHER POWER," THANK YOU HEALTH CARE & ESSENTIAL WORKERS, and Whatever happens, I LOVE you." Two of the masks read I RUN WITH MAUD, a reference to Ahmaud Arbery, the unarmed black man who was shot to death by two white men while jogging in Georgia earlier this year.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomosaid Tuesday that the state's coronavirus outbreak has slowed to levels not seen since the beginning of the pandemic as the number of fatalities, rate of new infections and the daily number of hospitalizations related to Covid-19 continue to fall.
"We're basically back to where we started before this tragedy descended upon us," he said at a news briefing.
The number of coronavirus deaths topped 105 on Monday, which is about the same number of lives lost on March 26, according to Cuomo. Close to 800 people were dying every day at the height of the state's outbreak in late March and early April.
Source: The State of New York
"Number of deaths on a relative scale is down dramatically from where it was in the first place but it's still painfully high," he said.
The governor also announced that the number of total hospitalizations, net change in total hospitalizations, net change in intubations and daily number of new Covid-19 hospitalizations all declined.
Source: The State of New York
"Look how fast that incline is, how steep that incline is and look at how slow relatively that decline is. You can get into trouble quickly with this virus and it takes you a longer time to turn that curve and to turn that infection rate. So don't let a spike happen in the first place,"Cuomo said while referencing a chart of total hospitalizations in the state related to Covid-19.
Early this month, Cuomo stated that New York was "on the other side of the mountain" as the state began to see a continuous fall in the daily metrics.
New York is now working toward reopening regions of the state in phases. Cuomo announced last week that three areas Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley were ready to move into phase one of the state's reopening plan. Since then, Central New York, North County and Western New York have also met the state's metrics to begin reopening this week.
Phase one allows retail stores to offer curbside or in-store pickup and for manufacturing and construction work to resume.
The Capital Region, which surrounds the state capital, Albany, hired 430 contact tracers as it prepares to begin reopening on Wednesday, according to Cuomo. The tracers are now being trained in preparation for entering phase one.
Cuomo said Long Island has been making great progress. "We were losing about 100 residents per day; we're now down to about 13 per day," he said of Long Island.
"When someone asks, Well, why did we go through all this pain for two months, three months? Because we saved lives. That's why."
