thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-21--Second Wave Of Coronavirus Cases? Experts Say We're Still In The First.

In The Wall Street Journal last week , Vice President Mike Pence wrote in a piece headlined “ There Isn ’ t a Coronavirus ‘ Second Wave ’ ” that the nation is winning the fight against the virus .
Many public health experts , however , suggest it ’ s no time to celebrate .
About 120,000 Americans have died from the new virus and daily counts of new cases in the U.S. are the highest they ’ ve been in more than a month , driven by alarming recent increases in the South and West .
But there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Second wave ” is probably the wrong term to describe what ’ s happening .
“ When you have 20,000-plus infections per day , how can you talk about a second wave ?
” said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health .
“ We ’ re in the first wave .
Let ’ s get out of the first wave before you have a second wave.
” Clearly there was an initial infection peak in April as cases exploded in New York City .
After schools and businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of new cases dropped somewhat .
But “ it ’ s more of a plateau , or a mesa , ” not the trough after a wave , said Caitlin Rivers , a disease researcher at Johns Hopkins University ’ s Center for Health Security .
Scientists generally agree the nation is still in its first wave of coronavirus infections , albeit one that ’ s dipping in some parts of the country while rising in others .
“ This virus is spreading around the United States and hitting different places with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Dr. Richard Besser , chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation who was acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when a pandemic flu hit the U.S. in 2009 .
Flu seasons sometimes feature a second wave of infections .
But in those cases , the second wave is a distinct new surge in cases from a strain of flu that is different than the strain that caused earlier illnesses .
But Besser said semantics matter , because saying a first wave has passed may give people a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some worry a large wave of coronavirus might occur this fall or winter — after schools reopen , the weather turns colder and less humid , and people huddle inside more .
That would follow seasonal patterns seen with flu and other respiratory viruses .
And such a fall wave could be very bad , given that there ’ s no vaccine or experts think most Americans haven ’ t had the virus .
But the new coronavirus so far has been spreading more episodically and sporadically than flu , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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What’s all this talk about a “second wave” of U.S. coronavirus cases?
In The Wall Street Journal last week, Vice President Mike Pence wrote in a piece headlined “There Isn’t a Coronavirus ‘Second Wave’” that the nation is winning the fight against the virus.
Many public health experts, however, suggest it’s no time to celebrate. About 120,000 Americans have died from the new virus and daily counts of new cases in the U.S. are the highest they’ve been in more than a month, driven by alarming recent increases in the South and West.
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But there is at least one point of agreement: “Second wave” is probably the wrong term to describe what’s happening.
“When you have 20,000-plus infections per day, how can you talk about a second wave?” said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health. “We’re in the first wave. Let’s get out of the first wave before you have a second wave.”
Clearly there was an initial infection peak in April as cases exploded in New York City. After schools and businesses were closed across the country, the rate of new cases dropped somewhat.
But “it’s more of a plateau, or a mesa,” not the trough after a wave, said Caitlin Rivers, a disease researcher at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Health Security.
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Scientists generally agree the nation is still in its first wave of coronavirus infections, albeit one that’s dipping in some parts of the country while rising in others.
“This virus is spreading around the United States and hitting different places with different intensity at different times,” said Dr. Richard Besser, chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation who was acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when a pandemic flu hit the U.S. in 2009.
Dr. Arnold Monto, a University of Michigan flu expert, echoed that sentiment.
“What I would call this is continued transmission with flare-ups,” he said.
Flu seasons sometimes feature a second wave of infections. But in those cases, the second wave is a distinct new surge in cases from a strain of flu that is different than the strain that caused earlier illnesses.
That’s not the case in the coronavirus epidemic.
Monto doesn’t think “second wave” really describes what’s happening now, calling it “totally semantics.”
“Second waves are basically in the eye of the beholder,” he said.
But Besser said semantics matter, because saying a first wave has passed may give people a false sense that the worst is over.
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Some worry a large wave of coronavirus might occur this fall or winter — after schools reopen, the weather turns colder and less humid, and people huddle inside more. That would follow seasonal patterns seen with flu and other respiratory viruses. And such a fall wave could be very bad, given that there’s no vaccine or experts think most Americans haven’t had the virus.
But the new coronavirus so far has been spreading more episodically and sporadically than flu, and it may not follow the same playbook.
“It’s very difficult to make a prediction,” Rivers said. “We don’t know the degree to which this virus is seasonal, if at all.”
___
AP medical writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--6 Staffers Working On Trump's Tulsa Rally Test Positive For COVID-19

At least six staffers working on President Donald Trump ’ s campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , tested positive for the novel coronavirus , NBC News and CNN reported Saturday afternoon .
The event , which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people , begins Saturday night .
None of the infected staffers will be at the rally , nor will they come near attendees and elected officials , Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh told CNN in a statement .
The six people were following quarantine procedures , Murtaugh said , adding that all rally attendees will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tulsa ’ s BOK Center and will be given face masks and hand sanitizer .
In a statement to CNN , the Donald Trump campaign 's communications director Tim Murtaugh confirms that six staffers working on tonight ’ s Tulsa , OK rally have tested positive for coronavirus and are now following quarantine procedures .
NBC was first to report .
pic.twitter.com/7JUHzCYMO9 — DJ Judd ( @ DJJudd ) June 20 , 2020 Two leading members of Trump ’ s coronavirus task force ― Dr. Anthony Fauci , the country ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Birx , the task force ’ s response coordinator ― “ vocalized concerns internally in the last week about the safety ” of holding the Tulsa rally amid the ongoing pandemic , NBC reported Friday .
Fauci said in an interview earlier this month that large events of any kind , including Trump campaign rallies , remain “ risky.
” He said people should continue to avoid such events .
He urged those who insist on participating in large gatherings to wear facial coverings at all times .
“ When you start to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instinct is to pull the mask down , which you see .
Don ’ t do that , because there is a risk there , and it ’ s a real risk , ” Fauci said about attending rallies and protests .
The Trump campaign previously warned Tulsa rally attendees that they will be participating in the event at their own risk .
The registration page for the rally included a legal disclaimer that said Trump and his campaign will not be liable if attendees are sickened with COVID-19 .

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At least six staffers working on President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested positive for the novel coronavirus, NBC News and CNN reported Saturday afternoon. The event, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people, begins Saturday night.
None of the infected staffers will be at the rally, nor will they come near attendees and elected officials, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh told CNN in a statement.
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The six people were following quarantine procedures, Murtaugh said, adding that all rally attendees will undergo temperature checks before being allowed into Tulsa’s BOK Center and will be given face masks and hand sanitizer.
In a statement to CNN, the Donald Trump campaign's communications director Tim Murtaugh confirms that six staffers working on tonight’s Tulsa, OK rally have tested positive for coronavirus and are now following quarantine procedures. NBC was first to report. pic.twitter.com/7JUHzCYMO9 — DJ Judd (@DJJudd) June 20, 2020
Two leading members of Trump’s coronavirus task force ― Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force’s response coordinator ― “vocalized concerns internally in the last week about the safety” of holding the Tulsa rally amid the ongoing pandemic, NBC reported Friday.
Fauci said in an interview earlier this month that large events of any kind, including Trump campaign rallies, remain “risky.” He said people should continue to avoid such events. He urged those who insist on participating in large gatherings to wear facial coverings at all times.
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“When you start to chant and shout, even though the instinct is to pull the mask down, which you see. Don’t do that, because there is a risk there, and it’s a real risk,” Fauci said about attending rallies and protests.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Why Protesting And The Pandemic Have Made Us Less Into Our Screens

What a world , you know ?
I don ’ t feel like the baby has shattered my attention .
I mean , he ’ s taken away my time , but I actually have noticed that whatever little writing assignments I ’ ve been doing in the months since he was born and through this whole book launch and this whole experience , if I can get an hour or 90 minutes to myself , I can make use of it , but the issue is really the time , how that has a way of just disappearing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ profound finding from neuroscience , that in order to remember something , you have to pay attention to it , and that distraction breeds forgetting .
I actually think ― and I was thinking about this a lot before this moment ― but when we were just in the hell and the trauma of the coronavirus , especially in March and April , I felt so jittery .
I was just checking The New York Times , checking the news , pulled in a million directions with anxiety .
I think that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we might look back on that time period and realize that it feels like this bizarre dream , because I don ’ t know how encoded it ’ s going to be in anyone ’ s memory because of that issue of the shattered attention and the distraction and the anxious distractibility .
I love to notice the most surreal details of the moment .
This is actually how I ’ ve stayed sane .
Every afternoon , I would push my kid in the stroller and we would just go around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be like , “ What is the craziest detail about this moment right now ?
” Just stuff like the fact that the Greek restaurant on 7th Avenue is still perfectly set for dinner , like each table is set .
Or like going to Union Market .
It struck me as insane that fancy jazz was still playing while people were darting through in a hazmat suit .
Just all these amazing time-and-place details that I guess we ’ ve also normalized very quickly .
Of course .
I got to college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit the market in the United States four years before .
I barely knew what it was , and I went into my friend ’ s dorm room one night to tell her , “ My God .
I ’ ve got an essay due tomorrow .
I haven ’ t even read the book .
What am I going to do ?
” She was like , “ Here , try an Adderall .
I can ’ t stand them .
They make me want to do cartwheels in the hall all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it is , but to her , this was a clear disqualification .
For me , this was the most seductive advertisement because that ’ s my preferred state .
I didn ’ t have ADHD , but I wound up being diagnosed with ADHD in my early 20s , but that was because I wanted to get a prescription of my own .
After just taking Adderall in college whenever it was available , at 21 or 22 , I just thought , “ I ’ m just going to liberate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stash and just get it for myself and live that life forever.
” Then as my 20s wore on , it was so clear , that it was like this Faustian bargain .
I mean I knew that the whole time , but I persisted and just got gradually farther and farther away from myself and farther and farther away from clarity .
No , I don ’ t have ADHD .
I mean , I don ’ t think I have ADHD , but the thing is , it ’ s so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ADHD in a way , especially because what ’ s interesting is Adderall and the internet came up hand-in-hand at the same time .
I mean literally in the exact same chronology .
So I think it ’ s very , very easy to feel the splintering of focus these days and to think like , “ Oh , something is wrong with my attention .
Well , it must be ADHD.
” I think it ’ s easy to talk yourself into , and then I think in many cases , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a doctor if you want it to .
That ’ s what happened to me .
I wrote about my experience with Adderall for an article in the Times .
I still get emails from people who are like , “ Oh , I ’ m in the exact same boat.
” I mean , I ’ ve never gotten a response like that .
And I just realized , “ Oh , this is so much more universal than I even understood from just the raw statistics .
This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of what made me want to dig into this .
But just also I was looking around for what my next idea would be , and one day , I just had this thought like , “ Wow , we ’ ve given our attention away so casually.
” It was the casualness of it that was the heartbreaking part .
We just deferred to the Silicon Valley dictates .
I ’ ve been like , “ Sure , I ’ ll rush out and spend $ 800 on an iPhone that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” without even raising an eyebrow .
That ’ s an interesting question .
What I ’ ve found is that there ’ s no consensus at all among neuroscientists about , “ Is technology changing our attention ?
” Some are like , “ Obviously this is.
” This guy who ’ s rather well-known , Adam Gazzaley at UCSF , goes around talking about the cognitive crisis we ’ re in .
I mean to him , it ’ s clear .
He ’ s already on to the , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” But this brilliant neuroscientist who I interviewed in the book , Mark Stokes , who runs the attention group at Oxford , he ’ s like , “ There ’ s no proof saying that anything has changed .
In fact , don ’ t you pay attention more on your phone ?
It ’ s just that you ’ re paying attention to a lot of different things and not in a sustained way , but in a shallow way ” ― was , I think , his quote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ included any of them in the book , and I also didn ’ t want to play the role [ of ] , “ I feel like kids these days don ’ t read a book.
” That doesn ’ t appeal to me at all .
And by the way , I ’ m struggling too .
This is not a book that ’ s judging ; this is a book that ’ s in the battle , in the thick of the problem .
Because , I mean , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel like that ’ s my kryptonite .
I ’ m battling it too .
I didn ’ t dig into it with what they were observing with younger kids , but now that I have a baby , I ’ m thinking so much more about that than I was when I was writing the book .
Nothing that ’ s so prescriptive like putting my phone in grayscale or something like that , but I always think about how precious attention is , even when I ’ m wasting it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing this book has made me even more resistant to cancel culture , because honestly , I feel like it ’ s so hard to pay attention to complexity and ambiguity online , and it ’ s so much easier to classify and denounce .
I try to stay in this mode of curiosity and attention rather than assumption and cancellation .
I ’ m not sure I ’ m answering your question , but it has changed my orientation towards the culture around me .
I guess I do little things , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without my phone and things like that , but no .
I don ’ t exactly have an attention regimen .

This article is part of a series called “How to Human,” interviews with memoirists that explore how we tackle life’s alarms, marvels and bombshells.
One night when Casey Schwartz was in her first year of college, she found herself in a typical student quandary. She had an essay due the next day, but she hadn’t even read the book. She complained to a dorm mate, who offered her something that changed her life forever: a little blue pill called Adderall.
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For 10 years Schwartz used the drug to get through school, work and life. Her latest book, “Attention: A Love Story,” details her journey on and off the drug, and dives deep into the history of how we pay attention, and to what.
Schwartz believes there is a silver lining of being cooped up in quarantine. We might all end up being a little less in love with our screens.
Earlier this month, HuffPost spoke to Schwartz about her book. This interview has been edited and condensed.
When I became a mother, one thing I found very hard was I lost the ability to pay attention. I know you have a new baby, and here you are, a new mother in the middle of a pandemic and a global uprising. I wonder, how is your capacity for paying attention these days?
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What a world, you know? I don’t feel like the baby has shattered my attention. I mean, he’s taken away my time, but I actually have noticed that whatever little writing assignments I’ve been doing in the months since he was born and through this whole book launch and this whole experience, if I can get an hour or 90 minutes to myself, I can make use of it, but the issue is really the time, how that has a way of just disappearing.
I am lucky because I have a job that allows me to work from home, but I have kids at home, and I am interrupted all of the time. There’s a part in your book where you talk about how memories form and what it takes to make a memory, and how constant distractions can stop those memories from imprinting. Sometimes I wonder what memories my kids will have of this time or I will have, since we are all so distracted by screens and interrupted a lot.
Yeah, that’s such a profound finding from neuroscience, that in order to remember something, you have to pay attention to it, and that distraction breeds forgetting. I actually think ― and I was thinking about this a lot before this moment ― but when we were just in the hell and the trauma of the coronavirus, especially in March and April, I felt so jittery. I was just checking The New York Times, checking the news, pulled in a million directions with anxiety. I think that’s where everyone was. I think we might look back on that time period and realize that it feels like this bizarre dream, because I don’t know how encoded it’s going to be in anyone’s memory because of that issue of the shattered attention and the distraction and the anxious distractibility.
I don’t know. I’ve been trying to record these really specific details about it, just so I can put myself back in that time and place when we get past it.
What have you been recording?
I love to notice the most surreal details of the moment. This is actually how I’ve stayed sane. Every afternoon, I would push my kid in the stroller and we would just go around the neighborhood, and I’d just be like, “What is the craziest detail about this moment right now?” Just stuff like the fact that the Greek restaurant on 7th Avenue is still perfectly set for dinner, like each table is set. Or like going to Union Market. It struck me as insane that fancy jazz was still playing while people were darting through in a hazmat suit. Just all these amazing time-and-place details that I guess we’ve also normalized very quickly.
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Your book opens with you taking Adderall as a freshman in college. Will you walk me through that experience?
Of course. I got to college in 2000, and Adderall had only hit the market in the United States four years before. I barely knew what it was, and I went into my friend’s dorm room one night to tell her, “My God. I’ve got an essay due tomorrow. I haven’t even read the book. What am I going to do?” She was like, “Here, try an Adderall. I can’t stand them. They make me want to do cartwheels in the hall all night.” I don’t know what it is, but to her, this was a clear disqualification. For me, this was the most seductive advertisement because that’s my preferred state.
I took this blue pill and it was like this figurative key in a lock where you think, “Oh, this is the missing ingredient.” That night was like this fever pitch of inspiration. I was in the library all alone and then in the dorm room. The sun rose, I finished the essay, and I felt so emboldened and limitless, and just like, “Oh, if I take this pill, I can remove this huge block to comprehension,” which is attention. It gives you this feeling of superhuman attention, which is a total illusion, I’ve found.
It sounds like after college, you tried to get your own personal prescription in order to not have to rely on others?
I didn’t have ADHD, but I wound up being diagnosed with ADHD in my early 20s, but that was because I wanted to get a prescription of my own. After just taking Adderall in college whenever it was available, at 21 or 22, I just thought, “I’m just going to liberate it myself from people who have a stash and just get it for myself and live that life forever.” Then as my 20s wore on, it was so clear, that it was like this Faustian bargain. I mean I knew that the whole time, but I persisted and just got gradually farther and farther away from myself and farther and farther away from clarity.
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It took until I was 30 to get off of it. I accidentally spent a decade on Adderall.
That’s remarkable. Do you actually have ADHD? Because it wasn’t clear in the book if that was something you knew how to talk the talk to get the prescription or if you had symptoms.
No, I don’t have ADHD. I mean, I don’t think I have ADHD, but the thing is, it’s so easy to believe that you do have ADHD in a way, especially because what’s interesting is Adderall and the internet came up hand-in-hand at the same time. I mean literally in the exact same chronology. So I think it’s very, very easy to feel the splintering of focus these days and to think like, “Oh, something is wrong with my attention. Well, it must be ADHD.” I think it’s easy to talk yourself into, and then I think in many cases, it’s easy to have it confirmed by a doctor if you want it to. That’s what happened to me.
What I love about your book is that it takes personal story and weaves it into history, the history of how we pay attention to the world. I know I am attracted to history that I can connect to in a personal way, and I wonder if that’s why you wanted to delve into the history of attention. It made me wonder about how you pitched the book.
I think it was just about a quest to understand attention and to understand also the impulse to want to patch ourselves back together in an age of distraction. We continue to seek out distraction, and just continuously pixelate our attention span. It’s this funny push-and-pull between, we keep throwing ourselves into the distraction factory, and then coming out and trying to seek wholeness again. I think it’s something about an exploration of that contradiction.
Schwartz is the author of "Attention: A Love Story." HuffPost US
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When did you know that this was the book that you wanted to write? Was it after you had come off of Adderall or after your other book?
I wrote about my experience with Adderall for an article in the Times. I still get emails from people who are like, “Oh, I’m in the exact same boat.” I mean, I’ve never gotten a response like that. And I just realized, “Oh, this is so much more universal than I even understood from just the raw statistics. This is a tidal wave of response.” That was part of what made me want to dig into this. But just also I was looking around for what my next idea would be, and one day, I just had this thought like, “Wow, we’ve given our attention away so casually.” It was the casualness of it that was the heartbreaking part. We just deferred to the Silicon Valley dictates. I’ve been like, “Sure, I’ll rush out and spend $800 on an iPhone that I then stare at all day,” without even raising an eyebrow.
I wanted to dig into that and just ― even though it doesn’t feel like a battle I’m going to win ― but I wanted to at least say, “Let’s explore why attention is precious.”
Do you think ― I mean, this is just my own personal observation ― that we’re in the dark ages of how we protect our ability to pay attention? Like at one point in recent history we didn’t wear sunscreen, and then scientists discovered a link to sun exposure and skin cancer, and now we all wear sunscreen. I wonder what’s being discovered now about attention. Do you think we will want to change or shift or protect our practice of paying attention?
That’s an interesting question. What I’ve found is that there’s no consensus at all among neuroscientists about, “Is technology changing our attention?” Some are like, “Obviously this is.” This guy who’s rather well-known, Adam Gazzaley at UCSF, goes around talking about the cognitive crisis we’re in. I mean to him, it’s clear. He’s already on to the, “What solutions can we come up with?” But this brilliant neuroscientist who I interviewed in the book, Mark Stokes, who runs the attention group at Oxford, he’s like, “There’s no proof saying that anything has changed. In fact, don’t you pay attention more on your phone? It’s just that you’re paying attention to a lot of different things and not in a sustained way, but in a shallow way” ― was, I think, his quote.
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So I feel like there’s no consensus. What’s more compelling is to talk to teachers and professors, because they’re the ones who will tell you, “Oh, my students have trouble getting through books now.” They’re the ones who are seeing on the front lines the way that attention has changed since earlier in their careers.
What other details are they talking about besides their ability to actually read through several hundred pages?
I don’t know if I included any of them in the book, and I also didn’t want to play the role [of], “I feel like kids these days don’t read a book.” That doesn’t appeal to me at all. And by the way, I’m struggling too. This is not a book that’s judging; this is a book that’s in the battle, in the thick of the problem. Because, I mean, I’m such an Instagram addict. I feel like that’s my kryptonite. I’m battling it too. I didn’t dig into it with what they were observing with younger kids, but now that I have a baby, I’m thinking so much more about that than I was when I was writing the book.
Now that you’ve written this entire book and studied attention, are there new practices that you’re personally taking to push yourself to pay more attention?
Nothing that’s so prescriptive like putting my phone in grayscale or something like that, but I always think about how precious attention is, even when I’m wasting it. I think in a funny way, writing this book has made me even more resistant to cancel culture, because honestly, I feel like it’s so hard to pay attention to complexity and ambiguity online, and it’s so much easier to classify and denounce. I try to stay in this mode of curiosity and attention rather than assumption and cancellation. I’m not sure I’m answering your question, but it has changed my orientation towards the culture around me. I guess I do little things, like I try to take certain walks without my phone and things like that, but no. I don’t exactly have an attention regimen.
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What’s something you would want for everyone, or readers, or just even in your circle, to know about their agency in attention? Having read this book, what should we take away?
I guess that the subject of attention goes so beyond the daily distraction, and it basically can determine the quality of your life. The stakes are as high as, “How do we treat other human beings?” ― ultimately what kind of life do we build for ourselves. Attention is the bedrock of these huge questions.
That’s so true. If it’s the bedrock ... how do you stabilize that foundation?
I think the first step is being conscious and just waking up to the fact that if you’re not even aware of where your attention is going, because that’s the effect that technology wants to have, is that you lose awareness. You have to push back on that.
I actually think there’s a small chance that even as the world gets more virtual, we’ll come out of this corona thing less in love with our screens. Because I think it’s so obvious what the limitations are. We’re still horribly lonely, bored and sad because we have our screens yet we are lonely, bored and sad. During this moment of the protests, it was like the screens would not suffice. You needed bodies in the street.
I just think that these are the lessons that we are learning right now in real time.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-19--I Don’t Look Sick But I’ve Had MS For 14 Years. Here's How It's Changed My Life.

The urgency in his tone worried me , and I knew it had to be serious .
That afternoon , a neuro-ophthalmologist confirmed that I had optic neuritis ― a symptom that can be associated with the onset of multiple sclerosis .
I had films taken of my brain and spinal cord in an MRI device , where there was only an inch of space between my nose and the machine .
I tried to think about anything but my doctor ’ s suspicion that I had either a brain tumor or multiple sclerosis .
Every fidget I made messed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis a couple weeks before my best friend got married , and it felt hard to celebrate , not knowing what was ahead of me .
Would I ever find someone to marry me , despite my illness ?
I have always considered myself an oversharer , but for the first time , I didn ’ t want to tell anyone what was going on , out of fear they would judge me .
Those who I did confide in usually had the same response : “ But you don ’ t look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
The illness didn ’ t run in my family , and I had been healthy all my life .
It was unexplainable .
All my life , I dreamed of moving to New York , but after my diagnosis , it felt like I was spending more time in doctors ’ offices than out enjoying the city .
Every time I asked my doctor for a prognosis , he told me that multiple sclerosis progresses differently for everyone .
Some people could have a symptom and recover completely ; others could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know .
As I sat in waiting rooms surrounded by men and women in wheelchairs , I worried that I was looking at my future .
Multiple sclerosis affects women four times more often than men , and many women are young when they ’ re diagnosed .
As someone who enjoyed traveling , I always had to fly with my shots and a doctor ’ s note ( which prompted many bag checks from curious airport security officials ) .
Before my diagnosis , I rarely needed bloodwork , but afterward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check my levels of vitamin D ; evidence suggests that lower levels are associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis .
I had yearly MRI scans to monitor disease progression , and every time a scan came back without any new activity , I treated myself to dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant on the Lower East Side to celebrate .
For someone single and in her 20s , as I was , this made dating tricky .
I never told men with whom I went on casual dates .
I didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-controlled , and I didn ’ t look sick .
I did yoga every day and could eat my weight in carbohydrates with reckless abandon .
It never occurred to me that I might actually have a serious relationship at some point and need to clue him in .
Finally , when I was 29 , three years after being diagnosed , I met a man who I had fallen in love with and was sure I was going to marry .
I tried to keep the secret of my illness under wraps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was even wrong with my health .
I would inject myself in the bathroom at his apartment on the sly , sometimes wondering what on earth he would think if he found my empty syringes by accident in my purse .
My illness hadn ’ t gotten worse , and it would be impossible to know that anything was wrong with me .
I squinted across the table , studying his face for any sign of judgment .
I waited for the gasp of surprise that I was so used to from other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t scare him off or change the opinion he already had of me .
I wanted to control the narrative but couldn ’ t .
With my illness , there was no way to simplify it .
My immune system was attacking the nerves in my brain and spinal cord .
Unless someone found a cure , I ’ d be dealing with it for the rest of my life .
I didn ’ t look sick , but there was always the chance that would change .
It was the reason I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to see people who had it worse and not compare myself to them .
And if my boyfriend had gone online and done a basic Google search about multiple sclerosis , seeing phrases like “ vision loss ” and “ problems with mood swings or sexual function ” could have scared him off fast .
His calm response put me at ease , even though I couldn ’ t give him an idea of what my future with the disease looked like .
Hopefully , I ’ d keep taking medication and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be sure .
Even if I forgot about my illness for a day or two , it was always there , hovering in the background .
We shared a taxi back to his apartment and slept in the next morning , tucked in under his warm comforter , as if it were any other night .
When I think back to my diagnosis , I remember being so surprised by how fast life can change .
Now I see the flip side of that .
Life can normalize just as quickly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but none of us are immune to the ups and downs of life .
My illness has taught me how to surrender to periods of chaos and , in turn , appreciate the wonderful stretches of calm .
Recently , when I went to get my medication at the hospital , my favorite nurse greeted me with a smile .
I did what I always do : extend an arm to help her find a vein .
Like usual , she knew right where to find it , and in no time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world living my life .
To many people , this doesn ’ t sound like a normal day .
But to me , it is .

The author. Brad Fowler / Song of Myself Photography
My headaches appeared out of nowhere. For several weeks in 2006, I couldn’t do my job as a journalist without feeling a nagging pain directly behind my right eye. My co-worker was worried, but I wasn’t. We were reporters working long hours, and I attributed my ailment to eyestrain from staring at the computer every day.
“Just go to the doctor,” she said.
I was only 26 but decided to visit my eye doctor’s office in New York City just to be sure. When I mentioned the headaches, he asked me to cover my left eye so he could test my right one.
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“Can you see what color this is?” he asked.
I squinted with my right eye. I couldn’t. My left eye had been compensating for my weak one, and I hadn’t even realized it.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Your optic nerve is swollen,” he replied. “I want you to see a neuro-ophthalmologist.”
I had planned on getting my hair cut after my appointment that day, and didn’t want to be late. “When?”
“You need to go right now,” he said. “I’ll get you the appointment.”
The urgency in his tone worried me, and I knew it had to be serious. That afternoon, a neuro-ophthalmologist confirmed that I had optic neuritis ― a symptom that can be associated with the onset of multiple sclerosis. I had films taken of my brain and spinal cord in an MRI device, where there was only an inch of space between my nose and the machine. I tried to think about anything but my doctor’s suspicion that I had either a brain tumor or multiple sclerosis. Every fidget I made messed up the films.
“You need to stay still,” a nurse said. “Or we’ll have to start over.”
But that’s what I wanted — to start over. In a day, everything changed. I took a cab downtown and took another one back uptown a different person, with black-and-white photographs of my brain that showed lesions, or tiny white splotches, as evidence of multiple sclerosis.
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“I received my diagnosis a couple weeks before my best friend got married, and it felt hard to celebrate, not knowing what was ahead of me. Would I ever find someone to marry me, despite my illness?”
In all my maneuvering around New York, I realized I didn’t know anything about multiple sclerosis and I didn’t know a single person affected by it. I certainly hadn’t ever thought I would have to give myself shots to slow the progression of the disease.
“Do you have someone who can help you? A boyfriend maybe?” a nurse asked me in an examination room, while trying to help me practice injections on a squishy ball.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that poking myself with a really long needle was probably going to be much easier than dating in New York.
I received my diagnosis a couple weeks before my best friend got married, and it felt hard to celebrate, not knowing what was ahead of me. Would I ever find someone to marry me, despite my illness? I have always considered myself an oversharer, but for the first time, I didn’t want to tell anyone what was going on, out of fear they would judge me. Those who I did confide in usually had the same response: “But you don’t look sick.” No one could really believe it. The illness didn’t run in my family, and I had been healthy all my life. It was unexplainable.
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My doctor at the time advised me to go out and try to enjoy my life, to pretend I was just like other 26-year-old women.
“A little denial will do you good,” he said.
But it was hard to deny my illness when I had to plan my day around my injections. I couldn’t go out and drink at bars and irresponsibly tumble into a cab with cute boys with my friends when I had to go home and give myself a shot.
All my life, I dreamed of moving to New York, but after my diagnosis, it felt like I was spending more time in doctors’ offices than out enjoying the city. Every time I asked my doctor for a prognosis, he told me that multiple sclerosis progresses differently for everyone. Some people could have a symptom and recover completely; others could develop paralysis. There was no way to know. As I sat in waiting rooms surrounded by men and women in wheelchairs, I worried that I was looking at my future.
“My doctor at the time advised me to go out and try to enjoy my life, and to pretend I was just like other 26-year-old women. But it was hard to deny my illness when I had to plan my day around my injections.”
I never thought I’d learn how to inject myself, but when I finally did, after a few weeks of practice, I felt a sense of empowerment. I pinched a fold of skin, took a deep breath and pushed the needle into my body. The shots, which I had to do several times a week, made me feel like I had control over the situation, even though my life had changed so quickly.
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Multiple sclerosis affects women four times more often than men, and many women are young when they’re diagnosed. As someone who enjoyed traveling, I always had to fly with my shots and a doctor’s note (which prompted many bag checks from curious airport security officials). Before my diagnosis, I rarely needed bloodwork, but afterward I got it all the time to check my levels of vitamin D; evidence suggests that lower levels are associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis. I had yearly MRI scans to monitor disease progression, and every time a scan came back without any new activity, I treated myself to dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant on the Lower East Side to celebrate.
For someone single and in her 20s, as I was, this made dating tricky. I never told men with whom I went on casual dates. I didn’t need to. My illness was well-controlled, and I didn’t look sick. I did yoga every day and could eat my weight in carbohydrates with reckless abandon. It never occurred to me that I might actually have a serious relationship at some point and need to clue him in.
Finally, when I was 29, three years after being diagnosed, I met a man who I had fallen in love with and was sure I was going to marry. I tried to keep the secret of my illness under wraps, and he was clueless that anything was even wrong with my health. I would inject myself in the bathroom at his apartment on the sly, sometimes wondering what on earth he would think if he found my empty syringes by accident in my purse. My illness hadn’t gotten worse, and it would be impossible to know that anything was wrong with me.
“When I fell in love at 29, I tried to keep the secret of my illness under wraps, and he was clueless that anything was wrong with my health. I would even inject myself in the bathroom at his apartment on the sly.”
After a few months of dating, I decided to tell him one night when we were out to dinner. I had been putting off telling him, but that’s the thing about secrets ― the more you ignore them, the louder they get.
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“I have something to tell you,” I said, waiting until he had his second glass of wine.
“I have multiple sclerosis,” I said. “I’ve been dealing with it for several years now, and I’m doing fine.”
I squinted across the table, studying his face for any sign of judgment. I waited for the gasp of surprise that I was so used to from other people. I hoped I wouldn’t scare him off or change the opinion he already had of me. I wanted to control the narrative but couldn’t. With my illness, there was no way to simplify it. My immune system was attacking the nerves in my brain and spinal cord. Unless someone found a cure, I’d be dealing with it for the rest of my life.
I didn’t look sick, but there was always the chance that would change. It was the reason I avoided support groups; it was so hard to see people who had it worse and not compare myself to them. And if my boyfriend had gone online and done a basic Google search about multiple sclerosis, seeing phrases like “vision loss” and “problems with mood swings or sexual function” could have scared him off fast.
“I’m glad you told me,” he said.
His calm response put me at ease, even though I couldn’t give him an idea of what my future with the disease looked like. Hopefully, I’d keep taking medication and stay asymptomatic, but I couldn’t be sure. Even if I forgot about my illness for a day or two, it was always there, hovering in the background. We shared a taxi back to his apartment and slept in the next morning, tucked in under his warm comforter, as if it were any other night.
“With my illness, there was no way to simplify it. My immune system was attacking the nerves in my brain and spinal cord. Unless someone found a cure, I’d be dealing with it for the rest of my life.”
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How hard it had been to make myself vulnerable to him, to share something that I hated to reveal but had to live with. And yet it didn’t really seem to bother him at all. His acceptance made me more willing to share the story of my illness with other people.
That was a decade ago. Now, I am 40, and it’s hard to imagine that I have been living with multiple sclerosis for 14 years. My illness has mostly hovered in the background, thanks to regular checkups with my neurologist and naturopathic physician, who have helped me manage my illness with new medications, vitamins and a healthy lifestyle to minimize stress. In 14 years, I have had only one relapse, which was caused by an injury to my hand that set off an immune response. I had temporary numbness in my legs, but fortunately, with a change in my medication, I was able to recover completely.
When I think back to my diagnosis, I remember being so surprised by how fast life can change. Now I see the flip side of that. Life can normalize just as quickly. Multiple sclerosis doesn’t affect everyone, but none of us are immune to the ups and downs of life. My illness has taught me how to surrender to periods of chaos and, in turn, appreciate the wonderful stretches of calm.
Recently, when I went to get my medication at the hospital, my favorite nurse greeted me with a smile. I did what I always do: extend an arm to help her find a vein. Like usual, she knew right where to find it, and in no time at all I was back out in the world living my life. To many people, this doesn’t sound like a normal day. But to me, it is.
Have a compelling first-person story or experience you want to share? Send your story description to pitch@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-19--18 Beliefs People Once Had About Coronavirus That Aren't True

The myth : Summer weather will kill off the virus The myth : You ’ re in the clear if you ’ ve already had COVID-19 “ And we can only do that when we get the data from actual studies that show that , ” Shapiro continued .
“ And so that hesitation people have had or the qualification people have made has been we don ’ t know yet whether having the virus will protect us and for how long .
And the general feeling is that there ’ s a lot of optimism that it will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks are a surefire way to prevent contracting the virus The myth : The virus is lab-made The myth : Packages are spreading the virus The myth : Children are fine or they can not contract the virus The myth : Our pets are spreading the virus The myth : If you don ’ t have any symptoms , you ’ re coronavirus-free A person who doesn ’ t exhibit any of these symptoms can still be infected with the coronavirus and can spread the virus to others .
Some cases of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t show symptoms or has yet to develop any .
Other times , people may be presymptomatic , when they ’ re not showing any signs of the virus but they have the infection in their system .
These people can still spread the virus .
The myth : Drinking alcohol can protect you from the virus The myth : Thermal scanners can detect the virus The myth : Antibiotics can prevent and kill the virus The myth : 5G networks can spread the virus The myth : If you can hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are virus-free The myth : Taking a hot bath can kill the virus The myth : Hand dryers can kill the virus

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In a time when so much is still unknown about the coronavirus, we are understandably eager for information.
Unfortunately, the desire for immediate answers has led to the spread of false remedies and conspiracy theories. Additionally, because COVID-19 is so new, health experts are changing their guidance as they learn more about the virus. What was true at the beginning of the pandemic may not be recommended now.
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It’s critical we stick with facts and health guidance; doing so can slow the spread of the virus and keep more people safe. While most of the country is beginning to reopen, the pandemic is anything but over.
Below, find some common myths and some now-outdated recommendations about the coronavirus. (And keep washing your hands.)
The myth: Summer weather will kill off the virus
At the start of the pandemic, some experts speculated that the virus could be seasonal and may possibly go dormant in the summer.
However, “it is not yet known whether weather and temperature affect the spread of COVID-19,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Some other viruses, like those that cause the common cold and flu, spread more during cold weather months but that does not mean it is impossible to become sick with these viruses during other months.”
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The myth: You’re in the clear if you’ve already had COVID-19
We don’t know if having the virus once provides a person with immunity against getting it again, so it’s important to use the same caution as everyone else.
“We’re still waiting for some of the studies to come out that really tell us for sure that when you’ve had the virus and mounted an antibody to it, that you are protected,” Roger Shapiro, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said during a May news conference.
“And we can only do that when we get the data from actual studies that show that,” Shapiro continued. “And so that hesitation people have had or the qualification people have made has been we don’t know yet whether having the virus will protect us and for how long. And the general feeling is that there’s a lot of optimism that it will be the case.”
The myth: Face masks are useless
There was a lot of guidance surrounding the use of masks when the pandemic first hit North America ― particularly that it was unnecessary to wear one unless you were already sick. But now health experts say face coverings provide veritable protection. Both those infected by the virus and those who are virus-free should wear masks when in public spaces in order to keep everyone safe.
The myth: Face masks are a surefire way to prevent contracting the virus
Masks can slow the spread of the virus ― and more reports are showing how effective they can be for personal protection ― but they can’t thwart it entirely.
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In other words, don’t expect to only wear a mask and be fine. Other health measures, like frequent hand washing, social distancing and avoiding touching your face can also help reduce the spread.
The myth: The virus is lab-made
One of the biggest conspiracies floating around the internet is that the coronavirus was created in a lab rather than evolving in the natural world. New research has debunked this myth: The virus is the result of evolution, not lab engineering. Despite internet rumors, there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case.
The myth: Packages are spreading the virus
As the CDC explains: “In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.”
The risk of transmission from packages, grocery bags, deliveries and other surfaces is even relatively low, despite concerns that were raised at the beginning of the pandemic. Check out the CDC guidelines for running essential errands — like grocery shopping, banking and getting gas — safely.
The myth: Ingesting bleach kills virus pathogens
No, no, absolutely not, please no.
This myth was borne from comments made by President Donald Trump during a news briefing early in the pandemic. This is not true by any means; introducing bleach or other disinfectants to the body by any means — whether by drinking, injecting or spraying — is incredibly dangerous. Do not do this.
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The myth: Children are fine or they cannot contract the virus
As the World Health Organization points out, older people and those with preexisting medical conditions appear to be at higher risk for becoming very sick from the virus. But people of all ages can be infected. That includes children.
In fact, recently there have been cases reported of multisystem inflammatory syndrome occurring in kids who also had COVID-19. “Different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs,” according to the CDC.
The myth: Our pets are spreading the virus
A small number of pets have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, but the risk of animals spreading the virus to humans is considered low, according to the CDC. If someone in your house is sick with the virus, they should isolate from the rest of the household, including animals, according to guidelines.
zubada via Getty Images
The myth: Ibuprofen can worsen symptoms
In March, Tylenol suddenly became the reigning pain reliever as word spread that ibuprofen (the name for over-the-counter pain meds like Advil) could increase painful symptoms of COVID-19. There’s no medical evidence that suggests ibuprofen is unsafe for treating coronavirus symptoms. (In fact, some scientists are even testing it as one form of treatment in certain cases.) Even so, it’s best to check with a medical professional before you take anything.
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The myth: If you don’t have any symptoms, you’re coronavirus-free
Common symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu, but they also extend beyond that. These include fever or chills, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
A person who doesn’t exhibit any of these symptoms can still be infected with the coronavirus and can spread the virus to others. Some cases of COVID-19 are asymptomatic, meaning the patient doesn’t show symptoms or has yet to develop any. Other times, people may be presymptomatic, when they’re not showing any signs of the virus but they have the infection in their system. These people can still spread the virus.
The myth: Drinking alcohol can protect you from the virus
If only. You might have heard that alcohol kills germs, but that’s not what happens after drinking a bunch of wine. There’s no evidence this is true. And, as the WHO stresses, “the harmful use of alcohol increases your risk of health problems.”
The myth: Thermal scanners can detect the virus
Thermal scanners can detect fever. Fever is one symptom of the coronavirus, but many people infected with the virus do not have fevers. Fevers can also be associated with conditions unrelated to the coronavirus.
The myth: Antibiotics can prevent and kill the virus
While antibiotics are successful at treating some health issues, coronavirus is not one of them. Antibiotics work against bacteria, not viruses. (Still, some physicians have prescribed or used antibiotics against COVID-19.)
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The myth: 5G networks can spread the virus
This myth became widespread in part because of celebrities like Woody Harrelson and Keri Hilson sharing it on social media. Ever since 5G cellular networks have been proposed, conspiracy theorists have speculated about the effects on human health. The conspiracy has since evolved.
“Some suggest that 5G networks cause radiation, which, in turn, triggers the virus,” Recode reported. “Others float that reports of the novel coronavirus were actually a cover-up for the installation of 5G towers. A few accounts push the idea that 5G and Covid-19 are part of a broader effort to ′depopulate’ Earth.” None of this is true. Viruses can’t travel on radio waves or mobile networks.
The myth: If you can hold your breath for a prolonged period you are virus-free
In March, a Facebook post claimed that if you could hold your breath for more than 10 seconds without coughing or discomfort, you couldn’t have the virus. The self-check guidance went viral, leading many people to try the experiment themselves. But the test is futile. You can’t confirm the coronavirus with a breathing test. The best way to check for the virus is to get tested through a medical lab.
The myth: Taking a hot bath can kill the virus
It cannot. The CDC states that hot water (and extremely hot or cold temperatures in general) cannot kill the coronavirus.
The myth: Hand dryers can kill the virus
Hand dryers cannot kill the virus. There is promising news about some UV light, however. In May, New York’s Metropolitan Transit Agency tested the use of ultraviolet disinfecting technology on subways, and has since decided to expand the program.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Study Shows COVID-19's Devastating Impact On Black Immigrant Domestic Workers

The survey of 800 Black immigrant house cleaners , nannies and home care workers in Massachusetts , New York City and Miami found that 70 % had either lost their jobs or had their hours or pay cut since COVID-19 hit hard in March .
It also found that 25 % of the domestic workers had experienced or lived with someone with COVID-19 symptoms .
The survey , released Tuesday , was conducted from May 19 to June 6 by the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Institute for Policy Studies .
Just over half of the workers surveyed said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nearly half said they were afraid of seeking government assistance due to their immigration status .
Lydia ( who withheld her last name because she is undocumented ) , a home care worker in the Boston area , has been unemployed for two months since she was let go in mid-April due to the pandemic .
The mother of three cared for an 80-year-old client from Monday through Friday , but was told by the client ’ s spouse to stop coming because the government was warning of a COVID-19 surge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no access to unemployment benefits .
“ I ’ m not sure if my previous clients will call me back , and looking for work is not as easy right now , ” Lydia said on a call with reporters after the report was released .
Her husband contracted the virus a few weeks ago and couldn ’ t go to work .
Now they ’ ve fallen behind on bills .
“ People don ’ t want me in their house for fear of me bringing the virus.
” Lydia is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been hard hit by the virus and related financial hardship and who , due to their immigration status , are not eligible for unemployment benefits and were excluded from the federal government ’ s $ 1,200 stimulus checks .
The study also comes out amid nationwide protests calling out systemic racism .
Black people are among the groups hardest hit by the virus and its economic toll .
Data on the race and ethnicity of COVID-19 patients is still emerging , but a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a higher rate than whites .
And in New York City , which released its own preliminary data in April , COVID-19 was killing Black and Latinx people at twice the rate of white people .
Black people have also been harder hit by pandemic-related job losses .
A Pew Research survey conducted in April found 61 % of Latinx people and 44 % of Black people said they or someone in their household had experienced job or wage losses , compared with 38 % of white people .
Black workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work from home — where they would be able to better prevent getting infected from the virus .
For white workers , 30 % had the option to work from home , compared with 16 % of Latinx workers and 20 % percent of Black workers , according to the Economic Policy Institute .
Domestic workers in particular have to be in others ’ homes , increasing their risk of coronavirus exposure .
The United States leads the world in coronavirus infections and deaths , with over 2.1 million confirmed cases and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been gradually reopening businesses and activities in recent weeks , some places — like New York City , once the epicenter of the virus — have seen their number of cases plummet , while others — including Florida , which was early to lift stay-home orders — hitting record daily increases in coronavirus cases this week .

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Black immigrant domestic workers are triply impacted by the coronavirus crisis: the illness itself, the related economic fallout and systemic racism, a new survey shows.
The survey of 800 Black immigrant house cleaners, nannies and home care workers in Massachusetts, New York City and Miami found that 70% had either lost their jobs or had their hours or pay cut since COVID-19 hit hard in March. It also found that 25% of the domestic workers had experienced or lived with someone with COVID-19 symptoms.
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The survey, released Tuesday, was conducted from May 19 to June 6 by the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Institute for Policy Studies. Just over half of the workers surveyed said they did not have medical insurance, and nearly half said they were afraid of seeking government assistance due to their immigration status.
“Black immigrant domestic workers are at the epicenter of three converging storms — the pandemic, the resulting economic depression and structural racism,” a report summarizing the findings said.
Lydia (who withheld her last name because she is undocumented), a home care worker in the Boston area, has been unemployed for two months since she was let go in mid-April due to the pandemic. The mother of three cared for an 80-year-old client from Monday through Friday, but was told by the client’s spouse to stop coming because the government was warning of a COVID-19 surge. She was given no advance notice and has no access to unemployment benefits.
“I’m not sure if my previous clients will call me back, and looking for work is not as easy right now,” Lydia said on a call with reporters after the report was released. Her husband contracted the virus a few weeks ago and couldn’t go to work. Now they’ve fallen behind on bills. “People don’t want me in their house for fear of me bringing the virus.”
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Lydia is one of millions of undocumented workers who’ve been hard hit by the virus and related financial hardship and who, due to their immigration status, are not eligible for unemployment benefits and were excluded from the federal government’s $1,200 stimulus checks.
The study also comes out amid nationwide protests calling out systemic racism. Black people are among the groups hardest hit by the virus and its economic toll.
But work is not done. Black domestic workers are in the eye of three connected crises – the global pandemic, on the front edge of economic recession, and under siege from institutions like the police that don’t keep them safe. pic.twitter.com/XICtdaLcvn — Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) June 16, 2020
Data on the race and ethnicity of COVID-19 patients is still emerging, but a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study in April showed Black people were being hospitalized at a higher rate than whites. And in New York City, which released its own preliminary data in April, COVID-19 was killing Black and Latinx people at twice the rate of white people.
Black people have also been harder hit by pandemic-related job losses. A Pew Research survey conducted in April found 61% of Latinx people and 44% of Black people said they or someone in their household had experienced job or wage losses, compared with 38% of white people.
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Black workers are also less likely to be able to work from home — where they would be able to better prevent getting infected from the virus. For white workers, 30% had the option to work from home, compared with 16% of Latinx workers and 20% percent of Black workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Domestic workers in particular have to be in others’ homes, increasing their risk of coronavirus exposure.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Millions Of Hydroxychloroquine Pills That Trump Touted For COVID-19 Are Now In Limbo

Tens of millions of doses of drugs that President Donald Trump touted as “ game changers ” in the fight against the coronavirus are now in limbo after the Food and Drug Administration stripped them of their emergency use authorization this week .
The FDA ’ s decision Monday , which one Trump official denounced as a partisan attack , follows a mad dash by states and hospitals to purchase chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine after health care providers were given a green light to use the drug in March through the emergency use authorization .
The drugs were otherwise not approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that they had ramped up production of the drugs globally to meet anticipated demand .
But now it ’ s unclear what will be done with the excess supply .
The federal stockpile has 66 million doses of the drugs , according to The New York Times .
This includes 3 million tablets of Resochin , Bayer ’ s chloroquine phosphate drug , which the company donated but is not approved for use in the U.S .
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “ is working with the companies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine the available options for the products that remain , ” Stephanie M. Bialek , chief of the Strategic National Stockpile ’ s Communication Services Section , told HuffPost Wednesday .
“ We are in the process of contacting the manufacturer to see if we can send the hydroxychloroquine back for other uses , ” Mindy Faciane , a public information officer with the Louisiana Department of Health , told HuffPost .
North Carolina ’ s Department of Health “ is making an assessment about what to do with the supplies we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communications manager , Kelly Haight Connor .
The FDA in March issued an emergency use authorization for the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 .
On Monday , it revoked that authorization .
During the first 17 days of March , orders by hospitals for chloroquine spiked by 3,000 percent across the country , while orders of hydroxychloroquine increased by 260 percent , according to the health care company Premier , which tracked purchasing data from 4,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems .
Workers carry boxes at Oklahoma 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April .
States spent billions of dollars stocking up on medical supplies such as masks and breathing machines during the coronavirus pandemic .
Major wholesale distributors put restrictions on orders of the drugs to prevent hoarding , but this was done only after a spike in demand , suggesting that many health care providers had already stocked up on large quantities of the drugs , according to Premier .

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Tens of millions of doses of drugs that President Donald Trump touted as “game changers” in the fight against the coronavirus are now in limbo after the Food and Drug Administration stripped them of their emergency use authorization this week.
The drugs — hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate — were deemed too risky and likely ineffective to treat COVID-19.
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The FDA’s decision Monday, which one Trump official denounced as a partisan attack, follows a mad dash by states and hospitals to purchase chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine after health care providers were given a green light to use the drug in March through the emergency use authorization. The drugs were otherwise not approved to treat COVID-19.
“What do we have to lose?” Trump asked in a March 21 news briefing that endorsed the drugs.
Based on continued review of scientific data, FDA has determined that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are unlikely to be effective in treating #COVID19 and therefore we are revoking the emergency use authorization for these drugs: https://t.co/k9kJMeci0a pic.twitter.com/W2aItvFcBU — FDA Drug Information (@FDA_Drug_Info) June 15, 2020
Manufactures by mid-March announced that they had ramped up production of the drugs globally to meet anticipated demand. But now it’s unclear what will be done with the excess supply.
The federal stockpile has 66 million doses of the drugs, according to The New York Times. This includes 3 million tablets of Resochin, Bayer’s chloroquine phosphate drug, which the company donated but is not approved for use in the U.S.
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Bayer’s donation was intended to be used “as the government deems appropriate,” a Bayer representative told HuffPost in an email.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “is working with the companies that donated the hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate to determine the available options for the products that remain,” Stephanie M. Bialek, chief of the Strategic National Stockpile’s Communication Services Section, told HuffPost Wednesday.
Similar responses were made to HuffPost by public health officials for states that either purchased the drugs or received donations.
President Donald Trump, seen in May, called the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine "game changers" in the fight against the coronavirus. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images
“We are in the process of contacting the manufacturer to see if we can send the hydroxychloroquine back for other uses,” Mindy Faciane, a public information officer with the Louisiana Department of Health, told HuffPost.
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“We are evaluating plans for the remaining doses,” said Erin Silk, a spokesperson with the New York State Department of Health.
North Carolina’s Department of Health “is making an assessment about what to do with the supplies we have on hand,” said its communications manager, Kelly Haight Connor.
New Jersey-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals donated drugs to Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Connecticut, Oregon and Texas, according to an April report by the Associated Press.
Other states spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the drugs, the AP reported.
The FDA in March issued an emergency use authorization for the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. On Monday, it revoked that authorization. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Utah was able to cancel its order before it arrived, a representative for Utah’s Department of Health told HuffPost.
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In Ohio, “We are working on a plan now,” a health department representative told HuffPost.
Oklahoma reportedly spent $2 million on the drugs. A representative for that state’s health department did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
During the first 17 days of March, orders by hospitals for chloroquine spiked by 3,000 percent across the country, while orders of hydroxychloroquine increased by 260 percent, according to the health care company Premier, which tracked purchasing data from 4,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems.
Amneal Pharmaceuticals on March 20 announced that it expected to produce about 20 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine sulfate by mid-April.
Workers carry boxes at Oklahoma's Strategic National Stockpile warehouse in Oklahoma City in April. States spent billions of dollars stocking up on medical supplies such as masks and breathing machines during the coronavirus pandemic. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Major wholesale distributors put restrictions on orders of the drugs to prevent hoarding, but this was done only after a spike in demand, suggesting that many health care providers had already stocked up on large quantities of the drugs, according to Premier.
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A representative for Amneal did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate remain FDA-approved to treat or prevent malaria, which is a mosquito-borne disease that affects around 2,000 people in the U.S. each year, typically following overseas travel or immigration, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-18--Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández Hospitalized With COVID-19 And Pneumonia

Health Minister Alba Consuelo Flores confirmed that hospitals in those cities are nearly full , but said the government had to begin loosening restrictions .
Many businesses closed since March have been allowed to reopen , though with reduced capacity .
Those companies provide passes to their workers allowing them to avoid a national curfew that has been extended to June 28 and only allows people to leave home for essentials on certain days based on their national ID number .
She said if the people continue to be disciplined they will be able to manage the epidemic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are reopening with just 20 % of their personnel .
But Suyapa Figueroa , president the Honduras Medical College , said hospitals are already being overwhelmed .
The School Hospital , the capital ’ s largest public hospital , has already outfitted additional rooms for COVID-19 patients , but they haven ’ t kept up with the demand , she said .
Several dozen people were awaiting space to be hospitalized , she said .
The organization has established a dual triage system that allows it to isolate those arriving with COVID-19 symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals where there is bed space , said Karim Khallaayoun , mission chief for the Red Cross in Honduras .
The group has also supplied personal protective equipment for hospital staff , training on how to use it and counseling as the physical and psychological strain of the work takes its toll .
“ Over the past week , we are seeing an exponential increase in Tegucigalpa , ” Khallaayoun said .
“ Tegucigalpa has now become the epicenter of the contagion in the country.
” Noting that the disease has been unpredictable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s quite possible that the hospital system is going to be overwhelmed in the next two , three weeks before we see a descent in the figures.
” Honduras has had nearly 10,000 confirmed cases of the disease and 330 deaths .
But testing is limited and the real figures are surely much higher .
The Health Ministry began sending teams into neighborhoods Tuesday to perform rapid tests for the coronavirus in an effort to detect infections before hospitalization is required .
Last week , the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxygen in a 20-bed ward set up at the National Autonomous University of Honduras .
The goal was to relieve pressure on the public health system .
On Wednesday , Francis Contreras , spokesman for the National System of Risk Management , said at a news conference that after reviewing Hernández ’ s lab work and X-rays , doctors determined the president had pneumonia and recommended he be hospitalized .
He said Hernández was in good condition , but he was receiving medicine intraveneously that had to be administered in the Military Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk that comes with the job .
With his responsibilities , he said , he could not stay at home constantly .

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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — The hospitalization of Honduras’ president with COVID-19 and pneumonia Wednesday has drawn attention to another country struggling under the pandemic’s strain as cases rise sharply in the capital.
President Juan Orlando Hernández announced late Tuesday that he and his wife had tested positive for the virus. Just hours later he was hospitalized after doctors determined he had pneumonia.
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Honduras' President Juan Orlando Hernández has been hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia. ASSOCIATED PRESS
From March to June 7, Honduras confirmed 6,327 coronavirus infections. In the 10 days since, it added 3,329 more, a surge that has come after the government began a gradual reactivation of the economy.
The northern business hub of San Pedro Sula still accounts for the majority of the cases, but the capital, Tegucigalpa, is the focus of new infections.
Health Minister Alba Consuelo Flores confirmed that hospitals in those cities are nearly full, but said the government had to begin loosening restrictions. Many businesses closed since March have been allowed to reopen, though with reduced capacity. Those companies provide passes to their workers allowing them to avoid a national curfew that has been extended to June 28 and only allows people to leave home for essentials on certain days based on their national ID number.
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“If we don’t activate the economy we’re going to have another kind of pandemic that is hunger, malnutrition and probably social crises,” Flores said.
She said if the people continue to be disciplined they will be able to manage the epidemic. The country made wearing masks obligatory and businesses are reopening with just 20% of their personnel.
But Suyapa Figueroa, president the Honduras Medical College, said hospitals are already being overwhelmed. The School Hospital, the capital’s largest public hospital, has already outfitted additional rooms for COVID-19 patients, but they haven’t kept up with the demand, she said. Several dozen people were awaiting space to be hospitalized, she said.
Asked for comment, the hospital sent a WhatsApp message suggesting two of its officials to speak with late Wednesday but neither could be reached.
A local news station circulated video Tuesday of more than a dozen bodies wrapped in black bags scattered through hallways and rooms in the hospital’s overwhelmed morgue.
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Figueroa said that due to a shortage of pressure gauges, oxygen is shifted from patient to patient in turns.
The School Hospital is one health center where the International Committee of the Red Cross is supporting the country’s health system.
The organization has established a dual triage system that allows it to isolate those arriving with COVID-19 symptoms and try to refer them to other hospitals where there is bed space, said Karim Khallaayoun, mission chief for the Red Cross in Honduras. The group has also supplied personal protective equipment for hospital staff, training on how to use it and counseling as the physical and psychological strain of the work takes its toll.
“Over the past week, we are seeing an exponential increase in Tegucigalpa,” Khallaayoun said. “Tegucigalpa has now become the epicenter of the contagion in the country.”
He said most intensive care beds in the capital are full and the caseload is expected to continue growing in coming days.
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Noting that the disease has been unpredictable, Khallaayoun said, “it’s quite possible that the hospital system is going to be overwhelmed in the next two, three weeks before we see a descent in the figures.”
Honduras has had nearly 10,000 confirmed cases of the disease and 330 deaths. But testing is limited and the real figures are surely much higher. The Health Ministry began sending teams into neighborhoods Tuesday to perform rapid tests for the coronavirus in an effort to detect infections before hospitalization is required.
Last week, the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders said it had started treating critical COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen in a 20-bed ward set up at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. The goal was to relieve pressure on the public health system.
Honduras’ president said Tuesday night that he had already started feeling better and planned to be re-evaluated Wednesday.
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On Wednesday, Francis Contreras, spokesman for the National System of Risk Management, said at a news conference that after reviewing Hernández’s lab work and X-rays, doctors determined the president had pneumonia and recommended he be hospitalized. He said Hernández was in good condition, but he was receiving medicine intraveneously that had to be administered in the Military Hospital.
Hernández had said that over the weekend he began feeling some discomfort and on Tuesday received the test results.
He said it was part of the risk that comes with the job. With his responsibilities, he said, he could not stay at home constantly.
Hernández said he had started what he called the “MAIZ treatment,” an experimental combination of microdacyn, azithromycin, ivermectin and zinc.
He said his wife was asymptomatic and two other people who work with them are also infected.
Hernández is a close ally of the Trump administration, primarily in efforts to slow illegal immigration. However, U.S. federal prosecutors in New York have prosecuted the president’s brother and made it increasingly clear that a case is building against Hernández himself.
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No charges have been filed against the president, but U.S. prosecutors have alleged he accepted money from drug traffickers to advance his political career in exchange for letting them move drugs through the country. Hernández denies those allegations.
He was re-elected in a disputed November 2017 election, despite the country’s constitutional ban on reelection.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-17--FDA Approves Prescription-Only Video Game For Children With ADHD

The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it has approved EndeavorRx , a prescription-only video game designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) .
The game , intended for children ages 8 to 12 , is “ the first game-based therapeutic granted marketing authorization by the FDA for any type of condition , ” according to the agency ’ s press release .
Produced by Akili Interactive Labs , a company that uses the tagline “ It ’ s time to play your medicine , ” EndeavorRx was tested in five studies focusing on more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results , published in The Lancet Digital Health journal , found that children who played the game for 25 minutes per day , five days per week , over a period of four weeks showed a noticeable increase in attention span .
The report in The Lancet came with a caveat : The studies were “ not sufficient to suggest that [ the game ] should be used as an alternative to established and recommended treatments for ADHD.
” Players of EndeavorRx complete missions by steering a small alien avatar along a track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
According to documentation provided by Akili Interactive Labs , the game was “ designed to challenge a child ’ s attention during treatment , requiring attention and focus on multiple tasks at the same time.
” In order to prevent overuse , the company noted , players are allowed to complete only five of the game ’ s missions per day ― with one “ daily treatment ” lasting an estimated 25 to 30 minutes and intended to be repeated five days a week over a one-month treatment cycle .
Intended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game is not immediately downloadable but there is a waitlist on the company ’ s website .
The site also points out that EndeavorRx is part of a larger ADHD treatment program that includes ADHD Insight , a behavior tracking app for parents , and Akili Assist , a company resource hotline .
In an Akili press release from April , Raun Melmed , a Scottsdale , Arizona-based developmental pediatrician specializing in the treatment of ADHD and autism , praised the game ’ s “ positive impact ” in clinical trials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could play a valuable role as part of an integrated and comprehensive treatment approach for children with attentional challenges , ” Melmed said .

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The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it has approved EndeavorRx, a prescription-only video game designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The game, intended for children ages 8 to 12, is “the first game-based therapeutic granted marketing authorization by the FDA for any type of condition,” according to the agency’s press release.
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Produced by Akili Interactive Labs, a company that uses the tagline “It’s time to play your medicine,” EndeavorRx was tested in five studies focusing on more than 600 children diagnosed with ADHD. The results, published in The Lancet Digital Health journal, found that children who played the game for 25 minutes per day, five days per week, over a period of four weeks showed a noticeable increase in attention span.
The report in The Lancet came with a caveat: The studies were “not sufficient to suggest that [the game] should be used as an alternative to established and recommended treatments for ADHD.”
Players of EndeavorRx complete missions by steering a small alien avatar along a track, collecting specifically colored critters along the way.
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According to documentation provided by Akili Interactive Labs, the game was “designed to challenge a child’s attention during treatment, requiring attention and focus on multiple tasks at the same time.” In order to prevent overuse, the company noted, players are allowed to complete only five of the game’s missions per day ― with one “daily treatment” lasting an estimated 25 to 30 minutes and intended to be repeated five days a week over a one-month treatment cycle.
A screenshot of typical EndeavorRx gameplay. Akili Interactive Labs
Intended for use on iPhones and iPads, the game is not immediately downloadable but there is a waitlist on the company’s website. The site also points out that EndeavorRx is part of a larger ADHD treatment program that includes ADHD Insight, a behavior tracking app for parents, and Akili Assist, a company resource hotline.
In an Akili press release from April, Raun Melmed, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based developmental pediatrician specializing in the treatment of ADHD and autism, praised the game’s “positive impact” in clinical trials.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--2 Lawyers Of Color Face 45-Year Sentences — For Vandalism

Mattis described himself as a piece of vintage furniture that you aren ’ t sure you want , but you bring it home anyway and put it in a room — and it somehow perfectly brings the room together , and you don ’ t know how you lived without it in the first place .
In recent days , dozens of colleagues , friends and former classmates have come together and reached for the same hopeful metaphor .
As the 32-year-old lawyer sits in a Brooklyn jail awaiting a bail hearing , they say they can ’ t imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is a loyal and community-minded man who poses no threat to society and deserves to be released pending trial , they argue .
Mattis , along with Urooj Rahman , 31 , was arrested in New York City on May 30 during protests against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers .
The two were charged with attempting to burn an unoccupied , already damaged New York City Police Department vehicle .
Nobody was injured in the incident .
Now Mattis and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 45-year mandatory minimum sentence , and up to life in prison — for what essentially amounts to property damage .
Activists and lawyers are alarmed by the unusually harsh charges being brought against them , and believe Mattis and Rahman should not be awaiting trial in jail .
They say that they are not a threat to society — which the prosecution is arguing — and it is highly unlikely they ’ re a flight risk or will commit another crime .
Mattis is a corporate lawyer educated at Princeton and NYU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and works for Bronx Legal Services , helping low-income clients fight evictions in housing court .
Both grew up in New York and are deeply connected to their communities .
The contrast is particularly stark at this moment people around the world are rising up and demonstrating against racism .
Lawyers familiar with their case say it is highly unusual for defendants like Mattis and Rahman — Ivy-league educated and human-rights minded with no history of violence — to be held in jail , and not out on bail .
The decision of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial will determine whether they can be at home contributing to their legal defense or whether they will be in jail , where COVID-19 continues to run rampant ; where inmates are frequently targets of violence ; and where they are separated from their attorneys , peers and friends .
Hundreds of law students and professors from NYU — more than 850 — wrote to express their concern with the federal government ’ s aggressive charges and pursuit of pretrial detention ; so did the Legal Services Staff Association union .
Fordham Law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faculty .
They wrote , “ We believe that the Department of Justice ’ s prosecution and efforts to incarcerate Urooj and Colin are a gross overreach of federal law enforcement power , and an attempt to stifle and delegitimize dissent against police brutality.
” The head of Mattis ’ s former high school , the boarding school St. Andrew ’ s in Delaware , issued a statement to the school community in support of their former student .
HuffPost spoke to Darcy Caldwell , his former English teacher , who described him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurdles to become successful in her class .
Alexa Caldwell , Darcy ’ s daughter , attended school with Mattis and was on a trip to a school conference with him in 2006 .
He was always social justice minded , Caldwell said .
She remembers boarding the bus back to the hotel and how he and his friend Ikenna Iheoma couldn ’ t stop talking about a senator they met .
It wasn ’ t someone she had heard of before — his name was Barack Obama .
They even took a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest , Mattis and Rahman went before the Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold , who presided over their arraignment virtually .
He found that Mattis and Rahman could safely be released with electronic monitoring .
But then federal prosecutors appealed the ruling ; they believed the two were a potential threat to society and a flight risk .
The case was then examined by the District Judge Margo K. Brodie .
She reviewed Judge Gold ’ s decision and determined that Mattis and Rahman should be released , too .
Mattis and Rahman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to home confinement with GPS monitoring .
From there the case took a highly unusual turn , according to lawyers familiar with it .
Almost immediately , the government filed a notice of appeal .
They announced that they were going to seek an emergency stay of the district court ’ s decision to send them home .
On June 5 , a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit revoked Mattis and Rahman ’ s bond on the basis that the defendants were a continual danger to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ custody that day .
It is an extraordinary move for the government to order them back in jail , said J .
Wells Dixon , a senior staff attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights .
What stands in harsh contrast is the notion that if you are a white police officer standing accused of murdering a Black man , you get to be out on bail , he said .
But if you are Black and Muslim , you are too dangerous to await trial from home .
Pretrial detention has enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a recent paper on what happens to defendants during the pretrial period .
Being kept in detention during pretrial causally increases “ the likelihood of a conviction , the severity of the sentence , and , in some jurisdictions , defendants ’ likelihood of future contact with the criminal justice system .
”

Urooj Rahman and Colinford Mattis Courtesy of Hyder Kazmi, left; Meghna Philip, right
In a high school English assignment in which students were asked to describe themselves as a metaphor, Colinford King Mattis had a lot of fun with his essay.
Mattis described himself as a piece of vintage furniture that you aren’t sure you want, but you bring it home anyway and put it in a room — and it somehow perfectly brings the room together, and you don’t know how you lived without it in the first place.
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In recent days, dozens of colleagues, friends and former classmates have come together and reached for the same hopeful metaphor. As the 32-year-old lawyer sits in a Brooklyn jail awaiting a bail hearing, they say they can’t imagine a room without Mattis in it. He is a loyal and community-minded man who poses no threat to society and deserves to be released pending trial, they argue.
Mattis, along with Urooj Rahman, 31, was arrested in New York City on May 30 during protests against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. The two were charged with attempting to burn an unoccupied, already damaged New York City Police Department vehicle. Nobody was injured in the incident. Now Mattis and Rahman face additional federal charges that carry a 45-year mandatory minimum sentence, and up to life in prison — for what essentially amounts to property damage.
Activists and lawyers are alarmed by the unusually harsh charges being brought against them, and believe Mattis and Rahman should not be awaiting trial in jail. They say that they are not a threat to society — which the prosecution is arguing — and it is highly unlikely they’re a flight risk or will commit another crime. Mattis is a corporate lawyer educated at Princeton and NYU Law; Rahman went to Fordham Law and works for Bronx Legal Services, helping low-income clients fight evictions in housing court. Both grew up in New York and are deeply connected to their communities.
Mattis and Rahman — a Black man and Muslim woman — sit in jail at the same time that the police officers who fatally shot Breonna Taylor have not even had charges brought against them.
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The contrast is particularly stark at this moment people around the world are rising up and demonstrating against racism. Lawyers familiar with their case say it is highly unusual for defendants like Mattis and Rahman — Ivy-league educated and human-rights minded with no history of violence — to be held in jail, and not out on bail.
The decision of whether defendants are released or detained pending trial will determine whether they can be at home contributing to their legal defense or whether they will be in jail, where COVID-19 continues to run rampant; where inmates are frequently targets of violence; and where they are separated from their attorneys, peers and friends.
Hundreds of law students and professors from NYU — more than 850 — wrote to express their concern with the federal government’s aggressive charges and pursuit of pretrial detention; so did the Legal Services Staff Association union. Fordham Law School gathered 650 signatures from students and faculty. They wrote, “We believe that the Department of Justice’s prosecution and efforts to incarcerate Urooj and Colin are a gross overreach of federal law enforcement power, and an attempt to stifle and delegitimize dissent against police brutality.”
The head of Mattis’s former high school, the boarding school St. Andrew’s in Delaware, issued a statement to the school community in support of their former student. HuffPost spoke to Darcy Caldwell, his former English teacher, who described him as a teenager who overcame enormous academic hurdles to become successful in her class.
“Colin has so much goodness to offer this world and I hope he has the chance to do that,” she said.
Alexa Caldwell, Darcy’s daughter, attended school with Mattis and was on a trip to a school conference with him in 2006. He was always social justice minded, Caldwell said. She remembers boarding the bus back to the hotel and how he and his friend Ikenna Iheoma couldn’t stop talking about a senator they met. It wasn’t someone she had heard of before — his name was Barack Obama. They even took a photo with him.
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Colin Mattis, right, with then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2006. Courtesy of Ikenna Iheoma
Initially after their arrest, Mattis and Rahman went before the Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold, who presided over their arraignment virtually. He found that Mattis and Rahman could safely be released with electronic monitoring. But then federal prosecutors appealed the ruling; they believed the two were a potential threat to society and a flight risk. The case was then examined by the District Judge Margo K. Brodie. She reviewed Judge Gold’s decision and determined that Mattis and Rahman should be released, too. Mattis and Rahman were released on a $250,000 bond to home confinement with GPS monitoring.
From there the case took a highly unusual turn, according to lawyers familiar with it. Almost immediately, the government filed a notice of appeal. They announced that they were going to seek an emergency stay of the district court’s decision to send them home. On June 5, a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit revoked Mattis and Rahman’s bond on the basis that the defendants were a continual danger to society. They were taken back into custody that day.
It is noteworthy that two of the three judges on the panel, Judge Michael H. Park and Judge William J. Nardini, were appointed by President Donald Trump, lawyers say.
“The disproportionate prosecution of Urooj and Colin is another iteration of the Trump administration’s attempt to detract from police violence in the US,” the Fordham Law School signatories wrote in their open letter. “Indeed, Rahman, a Pakistani Muslim immigrant and Mattis, a young Black man, are convenient scapegoats given this country’s deeply entrenched and violent history of anti-Black racism and Islamophobia.”
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It is an extraordinary move for the government to order them back in jail, said J. Wells Dixon, a senior staff attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights. What stands in harsh contrast is the notion that if you are a white police officer standing accused of murdering a Black man, you get to be out on bail, he said. But if you are Black and Muslim, you are too dangerous to await trial from home.
“It is an illustration of everything that is wrong with the criminal justice system,” Dixon said in a phone call with HuffPost. “It is the reason why thousands of people have taken to the streets around the world.”
Pretrial detention has enormous knock-on effects, according to the authors of a recent paper on what happens to defendants during the pretrial period. Being kept in detention during pretrial causally increases “the likelihood of a conviction, the severity of the sentence, and, in some jurisdictions, defendants’ likelihood of future contact with the criminal justice system.”
“They face a 45-year mandatory minimum,” Dixon said. “How do you square that? It is shocking and appalling that in the United States someone could spend 45 years in prison for vandalizing an empty police car that had been previously vandalized. That is not right.”
On Tuesday, Mattis and Rahman will go before another panel of judges — none of them Trump appointees.
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