npr--2020-05-16--OPINION: We Shouldn't Have To Ask That Babies And Mothers Not Be Killed. Yet We Must

OPINION : We Should n't Have To Ask That Babies And Mothers Not Be Killed .
Yet We Must On Tuesday morning three gunmen stormed into a maternity clinic in Kabul , Afghanistan , run by Médicins Sans Frontières .
They rampaged through the ward , going from room to room and shooting nurses , mothers and newborn babies .
At least 16 people were killed .
Afghans watched in terror as security forces began evacuating people from the ward and soldiers rushed out of the hospital , carrying infants wrapped in bloodstained blankets to waiting ambulances .
Photos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ babies circulated online , alongside videos of desperate fathers and family members begging for information about their loved ones .
While the attack was happening at the clinic , a suicide blast tore through a funeral more than 100 miles to the east in Nangarhar province .
The attacker detonated a bomb that ripped through the gathering of hundreds of fasting mourners and families , killing at least 24 people .
No one has claimed responsibility yet ; the Taliban denied involvement in both assaults , according to an NPR report .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan .
Our people are targeted and killed on a daily basis .
From the cradle to the grave , there is no respite .
Today , the degree of violence and inhumanity we face every day is plastered all over Twitter and the news for the world to see .
Afghan women are calling for an end to it .
Since the U.S. began peace negotiations with the Taliban in February 2019 , we , the women of Afghanistan at home and in the diaspora , have held protests , organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety and rights .
In response , we have been told by leaders , political commentators and officials that we are being unrealistic .
That we are too loud , too demanding and an obstacle in the path toward peace in our country .
We have been told to wait and to listen to men who , in the safety of their palaces and compounds , posture about the complexities of reaching peace .
We have been told the Taliban will demonstrate their commitment to peace and that they will be an effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made that warrant such a response ?
We are asking only for the safety to go to work without fearing that we will never be able to return to our homes .
We are asking to be able to pray with our children and families , in mosques and temples , without the fear of being killed .
We are asking that the basic freedoms of movement and opportunity for our mothers , our sisters and our friends , be respected and protected .
We are asking that our children and newborn babies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in schools or in maternity wards , never once having drawn a breath in safety .
Our children are being born into this violence and dying in this violence .
Are we really asking too much ?
The brutality and killings of recent days demonstrate that the current peace process is a farce .
The deal , signed on 29 February 2020 between the U.S. and the Taliban , was supposed to reduce the daily violence against Afghans .
Despite this agreement , the Taliban have not stopped fighting .
Irrespective of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks , it is Taliban violence , networks and backers that create the cycle of violence .
They are increasing their attacks on soldiers and civilians alike , killing Afghans daily .
They have rejected repeated calls for a humanitarian ceasefire , even as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the country .
It is their criminal networks , their financiers and the people who benefit from the violence who have created and emboldened a culture of violence — and has brought us here to the burying of infants and their mothers .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to this reckless and indiscriminate violence is not what stands in the way of peace .
The true obstacle is the violence and those who perpetrate it .
Today , we once again ask all international governments and institutions who have power and influence — the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres , the heads of state of the European Union , NATO and President Trump — to stop allowing Afghan lives to be used as pawns at the negotiating table .
The time for posturing and pontification is over .
We urgently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything in your power to push for an immediate ceasefire in Afghanistan .
Do not tell us that this deadly compromise from February is the pathway to peace .
There can be no peace without security , accountability and justice .
We need to raise our collective voice and reject a world in which mothers and their newborn infants are a target .
We need a ceasefire now .
Mary Akrami is a women 's rights advocate and director of Afghan Women Network .
Wazhma Frogh , is the founder of the Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community-based peace building .
Frogh won the U.S. State Department International Woman of Courage Award in 2009 Mahbouba Seraj is the executive director of Afghan Women Skills Development Centre .
She works with women and victims of gender-based violence in Kabul , Afghanistan .
Editor 's note : Sahar Halaimzai , an Afghan writer , advocate and human rights campaigner , assisted in the drafting of this piece .

OPINION: We Shouldn't Have To Ask That Babies And Mothers Not Be Killed. Yet We Must
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
On Tuesday morning three gunmen stormed into a maternity clinic in Kabul, Afghanistan, run by Médicins Sans Frontières. They rampaged through the ward, going from room to room and shooting nurses, mothers and newborn babies. At least 16 people were killed. Afghans watched in terror as security forces began evacuating people from the ward and soldiers rushed out of the hospital, carrying infants wrapped in bloodstained blankets to waiting ambulances.
Photos of dead mothers clutching their crying, tiny babies circulated online, alongside videos of desperate fathers and family members begging for information about their loved ones.
While the attack was happening at the clinic, a suicide blast tore through a funeral more than 100 miles to the east in Nangarhar province. The attacker detonated a bomb that ripped through the gathering of hundreds of fasting mourners and families, killing at least 24 people.
No one has claimed responsibility yet; the Taliban denied involvement in both assaults, according to an NPR report.
This is the cycle of life and death in Afghanistan. Our people are targeted and killed on a daily basis. From the cradle to the grave, there is no respite. Today, the degree of violence and inhumanity we face every day is plastered all over Twitter and the news for the world to see.
Afghan women are calling for an end to it.
Since the U.S. began peace negotiations with the Taliban in February 2019, we, the women of Afghanistan at home and in the diaspora, have held protests, organized petitions and launched campaigns to demand our safety and rights.
In response, we have been told by leaders, political commentators and officials that we are being unrealistic. That we are too loud, too demanding and an obstacle in the path toward peace in our country. We have been told to wait and to listen to men who, in the safety of their palaces and compounds, posture about the complexities of reaching peace. We have been told the Taliban will demonstrate their commitment to peace and that they will be an effective counter-terror partner.
What demands have we made that warrant such a response? We are asking only for the safety to go to work without fearing that we will never be able to return to our homes. We are asking to be able to pray with our children and families, in mosques and temples, without the fear of being killed. We are asking that the basic freedoms of movement and opportunity for our mothers, our sisters and our friends, be respected and protected.
We are asking that our children and newborn babies not be killed in their beds, in schools or in maternity wards, never once having drawn a breath in safety. Our children are being born into this violence and dying in this violence.
Are we really asking too much?
The brutality and killings of recent days demonstrate that the current peace process is a farce. The deal, signed on 29 February 2020 between the U.S. and the Taliban, was supposed to reduce the daily violence against Afghans.
Despite this agreement, the Taliban have not stopped fighting. Irrespective of the identities of the perpetrators of these latest attacks, it is Taliban violence, networks and backers that create the cycle of violence.
They are increasing their attacks on soldiers and civilians alike, killing Afghans daily. They have rejected repeated calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, even as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the country. It is their criminal networks, their financiers and the people who benefit from the violence who have created and emboldened a culture of violence — and has brought us here to the burying of infants and their mothers.
The pain and outrage of the Afghan people in response to this reckless and indiscriminate violence is not what stands in the way of peace. The true obstacle is the violence and those who perpetrate it.
Today, we once again ask all international governments and institutions who have power and influence — the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the heads of state of the European Union, NATO and President Trump — to stop allowing Afghan lives to be used as pawns at the negotiating table. The time for posturing and pontification is over. We urgently ask that you come together and do everything in your power to push for an immediate ceasefire in Afghanistan.
Do not tell us that this deadly compromise from February is the pathway to peace. There can be no peace without security, accountability and justice. We need to raise our collective voice and reject a world in which mothers and their newborn infants are a target. We need a ceasefire now.
Mary Akrami is a women's rights advocate and director of Afghan Women Network.
Wazhma Frogh, is the founder of the Women and Peace Studies Organization, working for community-based peace building. Frogh won the U.S. State Department International Woman of Courage Award in 2009
Mahbouba Seraj is the executive director of Afghan Women Skills Development Centre. She works with women and victims of gender-based violence in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Editor's note: Sahar Halaimzai, an Afghan writer, advocate and human rights campaigner, assisted in the drafting of this piece.


npr--2020-05-16--Tracking The Pandemic: How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State?

Tracking The Pandemic : How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State ?
Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States on Jan. 21 , over one million people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
On April 12 , the U.S. became the nation with the most deaths globally , but there are early signs that the U.S. case and death counts may be leveling off , as the growth of new cases and deaths plateaus .
The pattern is n't consistent across the country , as new hot spots emerge and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's case count is growing , click here .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
In response to mounting cases , state and federal authorities have emphasized a social distancing strategy , widely seen as the best available means to slow the spread of the virus .
Most states have put in place measures such as closing schools and nonessential businesses and ordering citizens to stay home as much as possible .
It 's not clear how long such measures need to be in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , the city in China where the virus originated , a strictly enforced lockdown and widespread testing have slowed the outbreak dramatically , enough to bring an end to the 76-day lockdown .
A large portion of U.S. cases are centered on New York City .
Since March 20 , New York state , Connecticut and New Jersey have accounted for around 50 % of all U.S. cases .
As of April 9 , nearly 60 % of all deaths from COVID-19 have been in these three states .
While New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as seen below , it notched between 8,000 and 10,000 new cases each day between March 31 and April 12 .
To understand how one state 's outbreak compares with another 's , it 's helpful to look at not just the daily counts but the rate of change day over day .
In the following chart , we display cases on a logarithmic scale , meaning that every axis line is 10 times greater than the previous one .
This type of scale emphasizes the rate of change .
When case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's curve trends sharply upward , as New York 's does over the first 15 days past 100 cases .
Generally , this is evidence of unbridled community transmission of the disease .
As new cases slow , the curve bends toward horizontal , showing that the state 's outbreak may be leveling off .
This does n't mean the number of cases has stopped growing , but the rate of growth has slowed , which could signify that social distancing measures are having an effect .
In some areas , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earliest outbreaks — such as California and Washington — seem to be having success at suppressing the disease .
The outlook in Washington has improved to the point that the state has returned unused Army hospital beds it had received in preparation for a peak in cases .
Elsewhere , limited access to testing may make the number of cases look smaller than it really is .
As testing becomes more readily available , we are likely to see the number of confirmed cases continue to grow , even if not at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used here are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
State-by-state testing and hospitalization data are still being assessed for reliability .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local health department 's website .
Stephanie Adeline , Alyson Hurt , Connie Hanzhang Jin , Ruth Talbot and Thomas Wilburn contributed to this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-05-16--Eurovision Song Contest To 'Shine A Light' With Pandemic Special

Each year , the Eurovision Song Contest unites 180 million viewers in more than 40 countries for an electric-falsetto night of glitter , glam and hard-rock hallelujah .
This year , the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the contest for the first time in its 64-year history .
But instead of leaving so many super fans dance-crying to the 1974 winner Waterloo ( ABBA ) , the song contest has instead decided to air a live two-hour special , Eurovision : Europe Shine a Light , Saturday on public broadcasting channels in more than 40 countries .
( The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so anyone living in that country will have to watch on Eurovision 's YouTube channel , where the show will be live-streamed . )
The show is hosted in the Netherlands , where the contest was supposed to be held this year at the Ahoy concert hall .
( The venue has been converted into an emergency hospital for coronavirus patients ) .
All 41 contestants will perform remotely , though this year fans wo n't be able to phone in their votes for the winner .
The pre-pandemic 2020 favorites included the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Dadi og Gagnamagnid ; the bodice-ripper Cleopatra by Azerbaijan 's Efendi ; and the auto-tuned hallucination jig that is Uno by Russia 's Little Big .
In the weeks leading up to the show , several Eurovision performers past and present participated in sweet , low-key home concerts .
Fans who missed the signature pyrotechnic drama also turned to Eurovision.TV to look up the vampire-opera `` It 's My Life '' by Romania 's super-soprano Cesar ( 2013 ) or the Hellenic solid-gold dancing in My Number One by Greece 's Helena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eurovision song contest began in 1956 to bring together a continent shattered by World War II .
Seven countries competed that first year , and the winner , Refrain by Switzerland 's Lys Assia , is about lost love and innocence .
The contest grew to include more countries , including those not in Europe , like Israel .
In the early years , performers were often backed by live orchestras .
They sang in their native language : Vivo Cantando ( 1969 ) , Hallelujah ( 1979 ) , Ein bisschen Frieden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Athens in the 1970s , my parents lived next-door to the 1976 contestant from Greece , folk singer Mariza Koch , who sang this beautiful song in Greek .
When I moved to Greece more than a decade ago , I befriended the 1995 contestant from Cyprus , who sang this Eurovision cult classic , also in Greek .
These days , it 's mainly the French and Italians crooning in their native tongues , with these award-winning exceptions .
The Eurovision Song Contest has also expanded far beyond Europe and now includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
Hungary 's national public broadcasting association said it wanted to focus its resources on `` Hungarian pop singers '' though one report said pro government media called the contest a `` homosexual flotilla . ''
Hungary has never won the contest but came in fourth in 1994 with this ballad sung by Friderika Bayer .
Many fans observing social distancing can not hold Eurovision parties at home this year .
Some made up for it with online watch parties , which involved tuning in remotely to watch reruns of previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative , a featured performance will be the unity anthem Love Shine a Light by Katrina and the Waves , the 1997 winner .
The super fans might sing along and also hope that ABBA will too .

Eurovision Song Contest To 'Shine A Light' With Pandemic Special
Enlarge this image toggle caption EBU/Kris Pouw EBU/Kris Pouw
Each year, the Eurovision Song Contest unites 180 million viewers in more than 40 countries for an electric-falsetto night of glitter, glam and hard-rock hallelujah.
This year, the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the contest for the first time in its 64-year history. But instead of leaving so many super fans dance-crying to the 1974 winner Waterloo (ABBA), the song contest has instead decided to air a live two-hour special, Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, Saturday on public broadcasting channels in more than 40 countries. (The U.S. is not one of them, so anyone living in that country will have to watch on Eurovision's YouTube channel, where the show will be live-streamed.)
The show is hosted in the Netherlands, where the contest was supposed to be held this year at the Ahoy concert hall. (The venue has been converted into an emergency hospital for coronavirus patients). All 41 contestants will perform remotely, though this year fans won't be able to phone in their votes for the winner.
Eurovision Song Contest YouTube
The pre-pandemic 2020 favorites included the nerd-disco gem Think About Things by Iceland's Dadi og Gagnamagnid; the bodice-ripper Cleopatra by Azerbaijan's Efendi; and the auto-tuned hallucination jig that is Uno by Russia's Little Big.
In the weeks leading up to the show, several Eurovision performers past and present participated in sweet, low-key home concerts. Fans who missed the signature pyrotechnic drama also turned to Eurovision.TV to look up the vampire-opera "It's My Life" by Romania's super-soprano Cesar (2013) or the Hellenic solid-gold dancing in My Number One by Greece's Helena Paparizou, the 2005 winner.
The Eurovision song contest began in 1956 to bring together a continent shattered by World War II. Seven countries competed that first year, and the winner, Refrain by Switzerland's Lys Assia, is about lost love and innocence. The contest grew to include more countries, including those not in Europe, like Israel.
In the early years, performers were often backed by live orchestras. They sang in their native language: Vivo Cantando (1969), Hallelujah (1979), Ein bisschen Frieden (1982). As newlyweds in Athens in the 1970s, my parents lived next-door to the 1976 contestant from Greece, folk singer Mariza Koch, who sang this beautiful song in Greek. When I moved to Greece more than a decade ago, I befriended the 1995 contestant from Cyprus, who sang this Eurovision cult classic, also in Greek.
These days, it's mainly the French and Italians crooning in their native tongues, with these award-winning exceptions.
The Eurovision Song Contest has also expanded far beyond Europe and now includes Australia, though it did lose Hungary this year.
Hungary's national public broadcasting association said it wanted to focus its resources on "Hungarian pop singers" though one report said pro government media called the contest a "homosexual flotilla." Hungary has never won the contest but came in fourth in 1994 with this ballad sung by Friderika Bayer.
Many fans observing social distancing cannot hold Eurovision parties at home this year. Some made up for it with online watch parties, which involved tuning in remotely to watch reruns of previous contests. At Saturday night's Eurovision alternative, a featured performance will be the unity anthem Love Shine a Light by Katrina and the Waves, the 1997 winner. The super fans might sing along and also hope that ABBA will too.


npr--2020-05-17--Senegal Pledges A Bed For Every Coronavirus Patient — And Their Contacts, Too

Senegal Pledges A Bed For Every Coronavirus Patient — And Their Contacts , Too Every morning at a few minutes after 10 a.m. Dakar time , an official from Senegal 's Health Ministry walks calmly to a podium , usually with a face mask pulled across his or her face – so there 's no visual clue as to whether the days COVID-19 case count is good news or cause for worry .
The official reaches the microphone and begins a routine that has become a daily staple in Senegal since the outbreak began here in early March .
First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday 's COVID-19 tests .
( In Senegal , test results are routinely known within 24 hours ) .
In a monotone voice , the official reads off multiple figures — number of new cases , the number of those new cases who were known contacts ( so already in isolation ) , the number who were infected by community transmission , the number of recovered patients , and more .
More than two months into the outbreak the country of almost 16 million people has registered more than 2,400 positive cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they chime in on Facebook with emoji-laden comments : `` Almost 1,000 sick , that is scary ... . ''
49 recovered `` ... `` It 's time for us to learn how to live with COVID-19 as we do with malaria , HIV , hypertensions .
if not it will be a catastrophe .
We can not rest at our homes anymore .
Two months is too long . ''
And every time a death is announced , the official adds a personal note : `` Senegal registered its 13th death from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The death was a 94-year-old man .
The Minister of Health and Social Action offers its condolences to his family . ''
In this country of 16 million known for its peaceful democracy and sense of community , Senegal 's response to the coronavirus is notable not only for its humanity but for its thoroughness .
For example , each newly diagnosed individual – no matter how mild or severe the case – is provided a hospital or health center bed where he or she stays isolated and observed– a key element @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
`` Senegal is doing quite well , and we were impressed at the beginning at the full engagement and commitment by the head of state , '' says Michel Yao , program manager for emergency response for the World Health Organization Africa .
Officials from both Senegal 's ministry of health and WHO stress that the wheels of the response team were set in motion five years ago in response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa .
Yao explains : `` What we advised countries to have in place following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an operations center , to have in one place the required information for effective decision making .
It 's quite an important tool to control the crisis , and this was a good plan from Senegal to have this structure . ''
Senegal set up its Health Emergency Operation Center ( also known by its French acronym , COUS ) , in December 2014 , in response to the Ebola outbreak spreading in nearby countries .
At the start of this year , the center had some 23 staff members – five of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , that center , working with the ministry of health and the support of international partners such as the World Health Organization , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF , have run simulations of mock outbreaks and crafted emergency measures to activate in case of an epidemic .
That half a decade of preparation was set into motion on March 2 .
In an uncanny coincidence , Senegal 's president Macky Sall was meeting with health officials to finalize the country 's COVID-19 contingency plan hours before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute lab down the street from the Presidential Palace where they were meeting — a traveler returning to Dakar , the capital city , from France .
`` We must not wait for it to fall on us , to react , '' President Sall said of the virus as he outlined the agenda before the meeting .
In fact , says Dr. Abdoualye Bousso , director of COUS , Senegalese health officials had started forming their contingency plan in January after receiving an alert on January 10 from an international network of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added they knew that to hospitalize every positive case and isolate all contacts would be a challenge in a country where hospital equipment is in short supply .
At the start of the outbreak , there were only 86 ICU beds able to provide oxygen support in public health facilities , he says .
`` The first issue was to find beds for eventual cases , '' Bousso says .
For the first step his team and partners added 500 beds , mostly in existing health-care facilities .
By early May they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health centers and hospitals , with another 300 beds for milder cases in hotels .
The plan is to scale up by another 700 beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients by the end of May .
This strategy of a bed for every case – no matter how mild the symptoms — –has helped stop the spread of the virus in a country where most people live in large family households where it 's nearly impossible to self-isolate , says Nicolas Mouly , head of emergency services for ALIMA , an international health organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up health-care facilities .
`` They could contaminate other people if they were home , '' he says of the milder cases .
Senegal has also set up contact tracing teams working out of 78 district health centers , supported by the Red Cross and the World Health Organization but headed by local staff to build trust , Bousso stresses .
By May , the budget for Senegal 's response was $ 160 million .
Once the contacts are identified , adds Bousso , they are quarantined in a hotel room for two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast preparations and quick actions were also needed because Senegal 's health infrastructure is not adequate and could be easily overwhelmed .
According to WHO , there are an estimated 7 physicians per 100,000 people .
Like many countries around the globe , Senegal has taken other measures to control the spread of COVID-19 .
With 47 total positive cases recorded by March 20 , Senegal had already closed its borders to air traffic , put schools on hiatus , enforced a curfew and shuttered many gathering spots , such as restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during confinement , in March , President Sall announced an Economic and Social Resilience Program that will among other actions pay the electricity bills of some 975,522 households for six months and purchase food for one million eligible households .
Despite praise for the president 's initial actions , there have been some missteps and controversies .
After initially closing down mosques in mid-March ( prompting at least one protest by hundreds of worshipers in a Dakar neighborhood ) , the president eased restrictions on May 11 — the day Senegal registered 177 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sall said houses of worship ( as well as businesses ) could reopen the next day .
Hady Ba , a professor of cognitive science and philosophy at the University of Dakar and an expert on Senegalese politics , says the sudden opening of the mosques most likely reflected pressure from Senegal 's powerful Muslim leaders on the government during the month of Ramadan .
`` We have these religious leaders asking to be authorized to pray , '' he says , noting that religious leaders have always had a powerful sway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns as well .
Early on , the police in some areas assaulted people with batons for being out in the streets past curfew .
Shortly afterward , the police issued a statement apologizing for `` excessive force . ''
And part of the country 's current treatment plan includes the controversial strategy of treatment with the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine , backed by Dr. Moussa Seydi , head of infectious and tropical medicine at Dakar 's Fann Hospital – despite warnings from the World Health Organization about the potential risks and dangers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , officials in Senegal say they have kept the numbers low enough to stick the strategy of a bed for every case and isolation for contacts as well .
And officials at the Pasteur Institute are working on a test that would give results in 10 minutes .
The WHO representative in Senegal , Dr. Lucile Imboua , says she is hopeful this test will be successful .
For the moment , Bousso is hopeful that Senegal will keep its case counts low , despite steadily rising case numbers in both the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest holy city , Touba .
He 's also realistic about how hard that might be .
`` We can stop the fire in our country but the fire is still going in other countries.. '' he says , trailing off before he has to run to another urgent meeting .
Ricci Shryock is a freelance photographer and journalist based in Dakar , Senegal .
Follow her on Instagram at @ ricci_s .

Senegal Pledges A Bed For Every Coronavirus Patient — And Their Contacts, Too
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Wessels /AFP via Getty Images John Wessels /AFP via Getty Images
Every morning at a few minutes after 10 a.m. Dakar time, an official from Senegal's Health Ministry walks calmly to a podium, usually with a face mask pulled across his or her face – so there's no visual clue as to whether the days COVID-19 case count is good news or cause for worry. The official reaches the microphone and begins a routine that has become a daily staple in Senegal since the outbreak began here in early March.
First, the official lists the results of yesterday's COVID-19 tests. (In Senegal, test results are routinely known within 24 hours). In a monotone voice, the official reads off multiple figures — number of new cases, the number of those new cases who were known contacts (so already in isolation), the number who were infected by community transmission, the number of recovered patients, and more.
More than two months into the outbreak the country of almost 16 million people has registered more than 2,400 positive cases and 25 deaths.
As people watch, they chime in on Facebook with emoji-laden comments: "Almost 1,000 sick, that is scary ...."49 recovered "... "It's time for us to learn how to live with COVID-19 as we do with malaria, HIV, hypertensions. if not it will be a catastrophe. We cannot rest at our homes anymore. Two months is too long."
And every time a death is announced, the official adds a personal note: "Senegal registered its 13th death from COVID-19 Tuesday, May 5, 2020. The death was a 94-year-old man. The Minister of Health and Social Action offers its condolences to his family."
In this country of 16 million known for its peaceful democracy and sense of community, Senegal's response to the coronavirus is notable not only for its humanity but for its thoroughness. For example, each newly diagnosed individual – no matter how mild or severe the case – is provided a hospital or health center bed where he or she stays isolated and observed– a key element to Senegal's strategy to contain the virus.
"Senegal is doing quite well, and we were impressed at the beginning at the full engagement and commitment by the head of state," says Michel Yao, program manager for emergency response for the World Health Organization Africa.
Officials from both Senegal's ministry of health and WHO stress that the wheels of the response team were set in motion five years ago in response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Yao explains: "What we advised countries to have in place following Ebola in West Africa was to have an operations center, to have in one place the required information for effective decision making. It's quite an important tool to control the crisis, and this was a good plan from Senegal to have this structure."
Senegal set up its Health Emergency Operation Center (also known by its French acronym, COUS), in December 2014, in response to the Ebola outbreak spreading in nearby countries. At the start of this year, the center had some 23 staff members – five of them doctors.
Over the past five years, that center, working with the ministry of health and the support of international partners such as the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF, have run simulations of mock outbreaks and crafted emergency measures to activate in case of an epidemic.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ricci Shryock/for NPR Ricci Shryock/for NPR
That half a decade of preparation was set into motion on March 2. In an uncanny coincidence, Senegal's president Macky Sall was meeting with health officials to finalize the country's COVID-19 contingency plan hours before the first case was confirmed at the Pasteur Institute lab down the street from the Presidential Palace where they were meeting — a traveler returning to Dakar, the capital city, from France.
"We must not wait for it to fall on us, to react," President Sall said of the virus as he outlined the agenda before the meeting.
In fact, says Dr. Abdoualye Bousso, director of COUS, Senegalese health officials had started forming their contingency plan in January after receiving an alert on January 10 from an international network of health agencies they follow closely.
Bousso added they knew that to hospitalize every positive case and isolate all contacts would be a challenge in a country where hospital equipment is in short supply. At the start of the outbreak, there were only 86 ICU beds able to provide oxygen support in public health facilities, he says.
"The first issue was to find beds for eventual cases," Bousso says. For the first step his team and partners added 500 beds, mostly in existing health-care facilities. By early May they had upped that to 900 new beds in health centers and hospitals, with another 300 beds for milder cases in hotels. The plan is to scale up by another 700 beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients by the end of May.
This strategy of a bed for every case – no matter how mild the symptoms — –has helped stop the spread of the virus in a country where most people live in large family households where it's nearly impossible to self-isolate, says Nicolas Mouly, head of emergency services for ALIMA, an international health organization working with the Senegalese government to ramp up health-care facilities. "They could contaminate other people if they were home," he says of the milder cases.
Senegal has also set up contact tracing teams working out of 78 district health centers, supported by the Red Cross and the World Health Organization but headed by local staff to build trust, Bousso stresses. By May, the budget for Senegal's response was $160 million.
Once the contacts are identified, adds Bousso, they are quarantined in a hotel room for two weeks, with meals provided.
These vast preparations and quick actions were also needed because Senegal's health infrastructure is not adequate and could be easily overwhelmed. According to WHO, there are an estimated 7 physicians per 100,000 people.
Like many countries around the globe, Senegal has taken other measures to control the spread of COVID-19. With 47 total positive cases recorded by March 20, Senegal had already closed its borders to air traffic, put schools on hiatus, enforced a curfew and shuttered many gathering spots, such as restaurants and mosques.
To help the working poor during confinement, in March, President Sall announced an Economic and Social Resilience Program that will among other actions pay the electricity bills of some 975,522 households for six months and purchase food for one million eligible households.
Despite praise for the president's initial actions, there have been some missteps and controversies.
After initially closing down mosques in mid-March (prompting at least one protest by hundreds of worshipers in a Dakar neighborhood), the president eased restrictions on May 11 — the day Senegal registered 177 new positive cases — its highest number. Sall said houses of worship (as well as businesses) could reopen the next day.
Hady Ba, a professor of cognitive science and philosophy at the University of Dakar and an expert on Senegalese politics, says the sudden opening of the mosques most likely reflected pressure from Senegal's powerful Muslim leaders on the government during the month of Ramadan. "We have these religious leaders asking to be authorized to pray," he says, noting that religious leaders have always had a powerful sway in politics.
toggle caption John Wessels /AFP via Getty Images
There have been other concerns as well. Early on, the police in some areas assaulted people with batons for being out in the streets past curfew. Shortly afterward, the police issued a statement apologizing for "excessive force."
And part of the country's current treatment plan includes the controversial strategy of treatment with the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, backed by Dr. Moussa Seydi, head of infectious and tropical medicine at Dakar's Fann Hospital – despite warnings from the World Health Organization about the potential risks and dangers of using such untested medicines.
So far, officials in Senegal say they have kept the numbers low enough to stick the strategy of a bed for every case and isolation for contacts as well. And officials at the Pasteur Institute are working on a test that would give results in 10 minutes. The WHO representative in Senegal, Dr. Lucile Imboua, says she is hopeful this test will be successful.
For the moment, Bousso is hopeful that Senegal will keep its case counts low, despite steadily rising case numbers in both the political capital of Dakar and the country's largest holy city, Touba.
He's also realistic about how hard that might be.
"We can stop the fire in our country but the fire is still going in other countries.." he says, trailing off before he has to run to another urgent meeting.
Ricci Shryock is a freelance photographer and journalist based in Dakar, Senegal. Follow her on Instagram at @ricci_s.


npr--2020-05-17--Yellowstone National Park Set To Reopen — But With Caveats

Yellowstone National Park Set To Reopen — But With Caveats Billed as the oldest operating hotel in West Yellowstone , Mont.
, the Madison is a short hop from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park .
With its original pine log siding and thick wood beams , the historic hotel sits on a street squeezed with camera stores and trinket shops hawking Old Faithful t-shirts , wooden grizzly bears carved by chain saws and paintings of the iconic Yellowstone Falls .
Normally these sidewalks beneath the old western facade would be humming with tourists .
But obviously nothing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's really disheartening , there is no one here , '' says Garrett Ostler , owner of the Madison .
`` You could shoot a bullet in any direction and not have to worry . ''
There 's been growing pressure from business owners in gateway towns like this to reopen America 's most popular national parks , even as many states still have travel restrictions and continue to see rising cases of coronavirus .
Yellowstone , the country 's first national park and one of its most popular , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gates come down at its Wyoming entrances only .
The park closed March 24 , largely at the request of local officials in towns and states surrounding the park .
Yellowstone is an especially complicated case .
The park touches three states , all with a mix travel restrictions and rates of coronavirus infections alongside a patchwork of local health districts with different enforcement rules .
Most of the towns are small and lack health care infrastructure and could be overwhelmed by an influx of cases .
Yellowstone and neighboring Grand Teton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and world .
`` There 's a point in time where the stressers of economics start to override the fear of the virus with some people , '' says Cameron Sholly , the Yellowstone superintendent .
Sholly is ushering through what 's being billed as a `` sunrise '' reopening .
Initially it will be barebones ; day use only in Wyoming with few if any services available .
At a to be determined future date , some campgrounds and other businesses in the park will be allowed to reopen , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of the four million annual visitors to Yellowstone , almost three-fourths of them tend to pass through the Montana gateway towns .
Garrett Ostler at the Madison is frustrated that an official date has n't been set on his side of the park .
`` There are people who have been hunkered down for eight weeks and are ready for some healing and normalcy , '' he says .
`` Yellowstone brings that . ''
His bookings for June are at barely 15 % of normal , and reservations later in the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ostler says he 's put the steps in place to protect his guests from the virus .
But even he is n't sure how you regulate social distancing in one of the nation 's most crowded national parks .
`` People really struggle with staying 50 feet away from a bison , let alone six feet from each other , '' Ostler says .
`` We 're social critters . ''
Yellowstone 's highways and its boardwalk paths atop boiling geothermal pools can be infamously clogged with tourists .
On road shoulders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of amateur photographers with tripods trained on bison or bears or moose .
And then there 's Old Faithful , which on a warm summer day can be more crowded amusement park than pristine geyser .
`` I do n't pretend to say that I can disperse every crowd and every picture you 're going to see out of Yellowstone and Old Faithful is going to be people standing six feet apart , '' Supt .
Sholly said .
Park officials say they 've figured out how to manage and regulate crowds in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to take serious cooperation with the public .
This is a big reason why parks like this are n't just turning on all the lights and inviting everyone back in at once .
Yellowstone 's initial plans are designed to evolve and change with the science .
Other large parks that have begun phased reopening such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee have adopted similar strategies .
The Trump administration and its Department of Interior appears to be leaving it up to individual park superintendents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen .
`` No one is putting economics over health , '' Sholly says .
`` But is there a balance we can strike where we can start to reopen safely , get some of the economy rolling again , but not so far so fast that we ca n't pull back if it does n't work out . ''
Ready or not , here they come For every business owner pressuring him to reopen quickly , Sholly says he 's gotten just as much pressure from others urging him to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the park in Gallatin County , Mont.
, had been a coronavirus hot spot .
In Montana and Idaho , technically all nonessential out of state travelers are supposed to self-quarantine for 14 days on arrival .
It 's not really being enforced , which makes some locals like Melissa Alder nervous .
She co-owns Freeheel and Wheel , an outdoor store and coffee bar in West Yellowstone .
`` We are fearful of the congregation of people that will come , '' Alder says .
`` I do n't think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the federal CARES Act to help her ride through for a few more weeks , mostly so she can keep paying her employees .
They began a soft reopening themselves recently , mostly delivering coffees to customers out on the sidewalk and doing bike repairs by appointment .
Alder says she 'd rather the park stay closed than reopen too soon , only to have to shut down in the actual summer high season if there was a second wave of cases .
`` We do n't have a hospital , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time here in West Yellowstone , '' Alder says .
The nearest hospital is more than an hour 's drive away in Big Sky , Mont.
, or Rexberg , Idaho .
Despite the park closure , Alder has been spotting out of state plates arriving in town and hearing second homeowners talking in the grocery store about traveling to Montana to ride out the pandemic .
Just the other day , West Yellowstone reported its first coronavirus cases , believed to have been traced to a family visiting from out of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yellowstone Avenue , tourist Donny Santee said he drove west from his home in Iowa thinking the park would have reopened by now .
`` I think America needs to get out , '' he said .
`` If you think that the bug is something to worry about , keep locking these people up then you 'll have a problem you ai n't never seen . ''
Clutching plastic shopping bags full of gifts he said he bought to support local businesses , Santee praised Trump for pushing to reopen national parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves from the virus .
`` If you get rid of individualism , then you get rid of America , '' Santee says .
`` That 's what this is really about . ''
That ethos says it all about the challenges facing many institutions here in America , under pressure to reopen even if it 's not yet known whether doing that is safe .

Yellowstone National Park Set To Reopen — But With Caveats
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirk Siegler/NPR Kirk Siegler/NPR
Billed as the oldest operating hotel in West Yellowstone, Mont., the Madison is a short hop from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. With its original pine log siding and thick wood beams, the historic hotel sits on a street squeezed with camera stores and trinket shops hawking Old Faithful t-shirts, wooden grizzly bears carved by chain saws and paintings of the iconic Yellowstone Falls.
Normally these sidewalks beneath the old western facade would be humming with tourists. But obviously nothing about anything we're living through is normal.
"It's really disheartening, there is no one here," says Garrett Ostler, owner of the Madison. "You could shoot a bullet in any direction and not have to worry."
There's been growing pressure from business owners in gateway towns like this to reopen America's most popular national parks, even as many states still have travel restrictions and continue to see rising cases of coronavirus.
Yellowstone, the country's first national park and one of its most popular, will begin a phased reopening Monday when the gates come down at its Wyoming entrances only. The park closed March 24, largely at the request of local officials in towns and states surrounding the park.
"Sunrise" reopening
Yellowstone is an especially complicated case. The park touches three states, all with a mix travel restrictions and rates of coronavirus infections alongside a patchwork of local health districts with different enforcement rules. Most of the towns are small and lack health care infrastructure and could be overwhelmed by an influx of cases. Yellowstone and neighboring Grand Teton National Park draw visitors from around the country and world.
"There's a point in time where the stressers of economics start to override the fear of the virus with some people," says Cameron Sholly, the Yellowstone superintendent.
Sholly is ushering through what's being billed as a "sunrise" reopening. Initially it will be barebones; day use only in Wyoming with few if any services available. At a to be determined future date, some campgrounds and other businesses in the park will be allowed to reopen, as well as its three Montana entrances. Of the four million annual visitors to Yellowstone, almost three-fourths of them tend to pass through the Montana gateway towns.
Garrett Ostler at the Madison is frustrated that an official date hasn't been set on his side of the park.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirk Siegler/NPR Kirk Siegler/NPR
"There are people who have been hunkered down for eight weeks and are ready for some healing and normalcy," he says. "Yellowstone brings that."
His bookings for June are at barely 15% of normal, and reservations later in the summer are cratering amid all the uncertainty.
Ostler says he's put the steps in place to protect his guests from the virus. But even he isn't sure how you regulate social distancing in one of the nation's most crowded national parks.
"People really struggle with staying 50 feet away from a bison, let alone six feet from each other," Ostler says. "We're social critters."
Crowd management
Yellowstone's highways and its boardwalk paths atop boiling geothermal pools can be infamously clogged with tourists. On road shoulders, it's not uncommon to see crowds of amateur photographers with tripods trained on bison or bears or moose. And then there's Old Faithful, which on a warm summer day can be more crowded amusement park than pristine geyser.
"I don't pretend to say that I can disperse every crowd and every picture you're going to see out of Yellowstone and Old Faithful is going to be people standing six feet apart," Supt. Sholly said.
National The Wolf Runt Who Rose To Alpha-Male Status In Yellowstone The Wolf Runt Who Rose To Alpha-Male Status In Yellowstone Listen · 46:52 46:52
Park officials say they've figured out how to manage and regulate crowds in indoor spaces. But the outdoors are going to take serious cooperation with the public. This is a big reason why parks like this aren't just turning on all the lights and inviting everyone back in at once. Yellowstone's initial plans are designed to evolve and change with the science. Other large parks that have begun phased reopening such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee have adopted similar strategies.
The Trump administration and its Department of Interior appears to be leaving it up to individual park superintendents to make decisions about how and when to reopen.
"No one is putting economics over health," Sholly says. "But is there a balance we can strike where we can start to reopen safely, get some of the economy rolling again, but not so far so fast that we can't pull back if it doesn't work out."
Ready or not, here they come
For every business owner pressuring him to reopen quickly, Sholly says he's gotten just as much pressure from others urging him to stay closed longer. The resort areas west of the park in Gallatin County, Mont., had been a coronavirus hot spot. In Montana and Idaho, technically all nonessential out of state travelers are supposed to self-quarantine for 14 days on arrival.
It's not really being enforced, which makes some locals like Melissa Alder nervous.
She co-owns Freeheel and Wheel, an outdoor store and coffee bar in West Yellowstone.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirk Siegler/NPR Kirk Siegler/NPR
"We are fearful of the congregation of people that will come," Alder says. "I don't think we're ready."
Alder got money from the federal CARES Act to help her ride through for a few more weeks, mostly so she can keep paying her employees. They began a soft reopening themselves recently, mostly delivering coffees to customers out on the sidewalk and doing bike repairs by appointment.
Alder says she'd rather the park stay closed than reopen too soon, only to have to shut down in the actual summer high season if there was a second wave of cases.
"We don't have a hospital, we don't even have a doctor full time here in West Yellowstone," Alder says. The nearest hospital is more than an hour's drive away in Big Sky, Mont., or Rexberg, Idaho.
Despite the park closure, Alder has been spotting out of state plates arriving in town and hearing second homeowners talking in the grocery store about traveling to Montana to ride out the pandemic. Just the other day, West Yellowstone reported its first coronavirus cases, believed to have been traced to a family visiting from out of state.
One evening on the otherwise deserted Yellowstone Avenue, tourist Donny Santee said he drove west from his home in Iowa thinking the park would have reopened by now.
"I think America needs to get out," he said. "If you think that the bug is something to worry about, keep locking these people up then you'll have a problem you ain't never seen."
Clutching plastic shopping bags full of gifts he said he bought to support local businesses, Santee praised Trump for pushing to reopen national parks. He said people know to protect themselves from the virus.
"If you get rid of individualism, then you get rid of America," Santee says. "That's what this is really about."
That ethos says it all about the challenges facing many institutions here in America, under pressure to reopen even if it's not yet known whether doing that is safe.


npr--2020-05-17--COMIC: A Lost Boy, A Snake Bite, A Lesson In Resilience

Resilience .
It 's the word of the hour .
Weeks into the coronavirus pandemic , many people are wondering @ @ @ @ @ the strength to keep going when everything seems bleak ?
How do you stop thinking @ @ @ @ @ do to deserve this ? ''
Manyang Reath Kher , a Sudanese refugee now living @ @ @ @ @ his moment of deepest despair — and how he pulled through .
Malaka Gharib is @ @ @ @ @ author and illustrator of I Was Their American Dream : A Graphic Memoir , about @ @ @ @ @ .

A Lost Boy Teaches A Lesson For The Pandemic: How To Be Resilient
Resilience. It's the word of the hour.
Months into the coronavirus pandemic, many people are wondering: How do you find the strength to keep going when everything seems bleak?
Manyang Reath Kher, a Sudanese refugee now living in the U.S., shares his moment of deepest despair — and how he pulled through.
Enlarge this image Malaka Gharib/ NPR Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Enlarge this image Malaka Gharib/ NPR Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Enlarge this image Malaka Gharib/ NPR Malaka Gharib/ NPR
toggle caption Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib/ NPR
Malaka Gharib is an NPR editor and the author and illustrator of I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir, about being first-generation Filipino Egyptian American.


npr--2020-05-17--Texas Café Owner Markets Corona Killa, Corona-ritas To Survive Shutdown

Restaurant doors are cautiously opening again in Texas , but nothing is quite the same with the continuing threat of the pandemic .
Eateries have had to get creative to survive , and learn how to protect their customers and staff .
Jerry Morales is the amiable , animated owner of Gerardo 's Casita , in Midland , Texas .
With menus in hand , he greets customers who are just venturing out after seven long weeks of quarantine .
`` Y'all been doing alright , staying safe ? ''
he asks .
Wendy Holland , a Mary Kay beauty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plate of beef tacos with pico de gallo .
`` We do a lot of cooking , but I 'm a little tired of what I cook , '' she says with a laugh .
`` Ready for a little change today . ''
The dining room is classic Tex-Mex décor — sombreros , beer signs and a Mexican flag .
But most of the tables have been removed or roped-off to create a 6-foot buffer between diners .
That 's what the governor ordered earlier this month when he allowed restaurants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morales closed Gerardo 's and his two other restaurants in one world , and reopened in another .
Across the country , more than 8 million restaurant employees have been laid off or furloughed , and the industry has lost at least $ 80 billion in sales , according to the National Restaurant Association .
Now that Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott has allowed restaurants and other businesses to reopen , the state is `` embarking on a grand experiment in public health , '' one doctor here warned .
`` We had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Morales said .
`` You 've got to look for signs now of temperature , coughing , sneezing , people holding their chest .
If you 're back in the kitchen and a delivery person comes in with a major cold , you have my permission to kick 'em out immediately ! ''
All that , and they still have to make sure the fajitas come out sizzling .
As a former mayor of Midland and past president of the Texas Restaurant Association , Morales is a take-charge guy .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his businesses alive in the last two months of restaurant hell .
First , there was the impromptu store .
`` We already have essential goods that our food suppliers would deliver us every day , '' he says .
`` So we were selling beans and rice , sugar was a big hot commodity , eggs , milk , bacon , hamburger meat , chicken , cheese , flour , all those things that our customers needed . ''
When stores ran out of bleach , Gerardo 's created its own household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together that had soap , bleach and a few other items , put a label on it and called it the Corona Killa , '' he explains .
`` So we sold about 400 bottles of that within days . ''
After the state passed an emergency measure to let restaurants sell alcohol-to-go , the Corona Killa was followed soon after by the Corona-rita .
`` We started selling packages of Corona-rita as our margaritas .
We were strategizing , we were thinking off our feet all the time , '' Morales says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home orders has been mixed .
Some folks are still hunkering down at home .
Others are stretching their legs and tiptoeing back into public life .
`` This is the first time out in , literally , in seven weeks , '' said Richard Scherer , a petroleum engineer , who was having the catfish special .
`` It 's for mental health purposes that I got to get out .
Seriously . ''
His lunch partner , Jay Reynolds , a local oil and gas investor , was not troubled that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grilled chicken breast in salsa verde — was premature .
`` I believe if we do what they ask us to do , I feel safe , '' Reynolds said .
`` I feel like I want to get out , just like Richard .
I 've been at my home , my office .
That 's all I 've done .
So I think the virus is serious but I think you 've got to go on with your life . ''
Gerardo 's Casita is struggling , like every other restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxiously toward Monday when Gov .
Abbott will decide whether to let restaurants increase their occupancy from 25 % to 50 % .
The proprietor shudders to think what happens if a new wave of the coronavirus hits next fall .
`` I do n't know that restaurants can survive another round , '' he said .
`` It 's so hard and very scary . ''

Texas Café Owner Markets Corona Killa, Corona-ritas To Survive Shutdown
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Burnett/NPR John Burnett/NPR
Restaurant doors are cautiously opening again in Texas, but nothing is quite the same with the continuing threat of the pandemic. Eateries have had to get creative to survive, and learn how to protect their customers and staff.
Jerry Morales is the amiable, animated owner of Gerardo's Casita, in Midland, Texas. With menus in hand, he greets customers who are just venturing out after seven long weeks of quarantine.
"Y'all been doing alright, staying safe?" he asks.
Wendy Holland, a Mary Kay beauty consultant, looks up grinning from a plate of beef tacos with pico de gallo.
National Some Republicans Demand That Governor Reopen More Businesses In Texas Some Republicans Demand That Governor Reopen More Businesses In Texas Listen · 3:51 3:51
"We do a lot of cooking, but I'm a little tired of what I cook," she says with a laugh. "Ready for a little change today."
The dining room is classic Tex-Mex décor — sombreros, beer signs and a Mexican flag. But most of the tables have been removed or roped-off to create a 6-foot buffer between diners.
That's what the governor ordered earlier this month when he allowed restaurants to open at 25% of capacity.
Morales closed Gerardo's and his two other restaurants in one world, and reopened in another. Across the country, more than 8 million restaurant employees have been laid off or furloughed, and the industry has lost at least $80 billion in sales, according to the National Restaurant Association. Now that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has allowed restaurants and other businesses to reopen, the state is "embarking on a grand experiment in public health," one doctor here warned.
For a restaurateur, it means unimagined challenges.
"We had to start being nurses in our restaurants," Morales said. "You've got to look for signs now of temperature, coughing, sneezing, people holding their chest. If you're back in the kitchen and a delivery person comes in with a major cold, you have my permission to kick 'em out immediately!"
All that, and they still have to make sure the fajitas come out sizzling.
Texas Reports Increase In Cases As State Reopens Texas Reports Increase In Cases As State Reopens Listen · 3:50 3:50
As a former mayor of Midland and past president of the Texas Restaurant Association, Morales is a take-charge guy. He's done anything and everything to keep his businesses alive in the last two months of restaurant hell. First, there was the impromptu store.
"We already have essential goods that our food suppliers would deliver us every day," he says. "So we were selling beans and rice, sugar was a big hot commodity, eggs, milk, bacon, hamburger meat, chicken, cheese, flour, all those things that our customers needed."
When stores ran out of bleach, Gerardo's created its own household sanitizer.
"We put a formula together that had soap, bleach and a few other items, put a label on it and called it the Corona Killa," he explains. "So we sold about 400 bottles of that within days."
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Burnett/NPR John Burnett/NPR
After the state passed an emergency measure to let restaurants sell alcohol-to-go, the Corona Killa was followed soon after by the Corona-rita.
"We started selling packages of Corona-rita as our margaritas. We were strategizing, we were thinking off our feet all the time," Morales says.
The public reaction to Texas lifting stay-at-home orders has been mixed. Some folks are still hunkering down at home. Others are stretching their legs and tiptoeing back into public life.
"This is the first time out in, literally, in seven weeks," said Richard Scherer, a petroleum engineer, who was having the catfish special. "It's for mental health purposes that I got to get out. Seriously."
His lunch partner, Jay Reynolds, a local oil and gas investor, was not troubled that going out to eat — he had grilled chicken breast in salsa verde — was premature.
"I believe if we do what they ask us to do, I feel safe," Reynolds said. "I feel like I want to get out, just like Richard. I've been at my home, my office. That's all I've done. So I think the virus is serious but I think you've got to go on with your life."
Gerardo's Casita is struggling, like every other restaurant in town. Jerry Morales is looking anxiously toward Monday when Gov. Abbott will decide whether to let restaurants increase their occupancy from 25% to 50%. The proprietor shudders to think what happens if a new wave of the coronavirus hits next fall.
"I don't know that restaurants can survive another round," he said. "It's so hard and very scary."


npr--2020-05-17--Coronavirus May Mean Lights Out For Summer Camps This Year

Coronavirus May Mean Lights Out For Summer Camps This Year Summer camps around the nation are grappling with whether or how they can open this summer , as the pandemic continues .
The prospect is especially challenging for overnight camps , where hundreds of kids play , eat and sleep together , and the very idea of social distancing is completely anathema to the camp experience .
Little wonder a growing number of sleepaway camps have already capitulated to COVID-19 .
`` The cancellation of camp this summer is profoundly disappointing for all of us after what already feels like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' wrote Shannon Donovan-Monti , executive director at Chimney Corners Camp in Western Massachusetts , in an email to parents this week .
`` There are no words that can take away the heartbreak of depriving our children and ourselves of something that has given us such joy and connection to others . ''
Eleven-year old Maddie Prince was among the many Chimney Corners campers who took it hard .
`` It makes me sad that I ca n't be with my friends , '' she said .
Camp is where she `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and where she is happiest .
`` You do n't have any tech and it 's really easy to forget all of your worries , '' she added .
`` I would argue that kids need camp this summer more than ever before , '' said Dayna Hardin , president of CampGroup , which runs 15 camps from Maine to Michigan , including 13 overnight camps that are still hoping to open .
She says the overnight experience might be just what the doctor ordered for kids who have been suffering through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she argued that kids may actually be safer from infection at overnight camp than at home .
`` We are looking at this like we are the castle , '' Hardin said .
`` Our kids are going to enter the castle and we are going to pull up the drawbridge and we will be our own isolated community . ''
But a strict `` no in , no out '' policy would certainly crimp camps ' style .
It would mean no field trips , no visiting days and no socials or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have to remain on campus for days off .
And laundry and food deliveries would pose challenges .
Camp life inside the `` bubble , '' as some are calling it , would also change .
Instead of playing tag , kids would have to fill their time with non-contact activities like making crafts .
`` Camp is going to look very different , '' said Matt Fragala , managing principal consultant at Environmental Health & Engineering , the group hired by the American Camp Association ( ACA ) to recommend best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will depend on state and local mandates , but Fragala said recommendations will include constant disinfecting , spreading kids out for sleeping and eating at a distance and in shifts in the dining hall .
The goal , Fragala said , is to `` control some of the mayhem the best way we can .
It 's going to be a change from business as usual at camp .
But there 's a balance we have to try to meet to keep everybody safe and to minimize potential risk . ''
Camps are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up into smaller units , said ACA president and CEO Tom Rosenberg .
`` These would be like families where [ kids ] would be able to socialize somewhat normally , '' he said .
`` But between the family circles , there will be physical distancing . ''
The same rule would apply to wearing face masks , according to Rosenberg .
Campers would wear them when outside their `` family '' group , he said , and staff who interact with more than one `` family '' group , like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would likely have to wear a mask all day .
Camps would be expected to regularly monitor campers and staff for symptoms of COVID-19 , for example by taking temperatures every day .
But whether camps would test for COVID-19 is an open question .
Some camps see testing as a requirement ; they wo n't even consider opening unless they could test kids before and during the session .
But other camps say they would not test , relying on taking campers ' temperatures daily and watching for other symptoms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ irresponsible .
`` That keeps me up at night , '' said Fina Barouch , a Boston-area physician and parent of two campers .
She said she will not allow her kids to go to camp .
`` It only takes one person to be shedding virus when completely asymptomatic , and my concern is that this could turn into something like the nursing home pandemic , where it just spreads exponentially , '' Barouch said .
The CDC has issued its guidance for camps , recommending general precautions like social distancing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also directs camps to follow state and local laws , but in most cases camps are still waiting to hear what those will be , and they 're growing increasingly frustrated that they do n't have more information to help them make their decision .
A few state and local governments have already decided to ban sleepaway camps this summer , including Georgia and Minnesota , and Connecticut is expected to do so .
Officials in Vermont have indicated they want to allow overnight camps to open , with extra precautions that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority of jurisdictions are still wrestling with the issue .
Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker said the issue comes up every day in conversation with other states .
`` The tough part , '' he said , `` is figuring out , especially when it comes to some of the stuff that involves the joys of being a kid , figuring out some way to do this , where you have at least enough rules to make sure it can be done safely , but you do n't destroy the whole spontaneous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be about . ''
Indeed , one camp director said an overnight camp that cuts so many core traditions would be like Disney World without the Magic Kingdom or Mickey Mouse .
Camp consultant Lauren Kasnett Nearpass , co-founder of Summer 365 , agrees that if the restrictions become so onerous that camp no longer feels like camp , it may no longer be worth it .
`` If you have to remove the magic completely , '' she said , `` if it 's going to look and feel so different , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power forward to 2021 . ''
The prospect of a watered-down camp experience gives pause even to die-hard campers like 15-year-old twins Sasha and Amanda Fine , who were looking forward to the perks and privileges they would enjoy as members of the oldest bunk at their camp this summer .
`` Trust me , I want camp more than anyone , '' said Sasha .
`` It 's just that we ca n't have camp like this .
Like it 's taunting us . ''
A month ago , Amanda said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to camp this summer no matter what .
But now , she said , rather than a heavily compromised and shortened 2020 , most would rather wait and have a `` normal '' summer in 2021 .

Coronavirus May Mean Lights Out For Summer Camps This Year
Enlarge this image toggle caption PeopleImages/E+/Getty Images PeopleImages/E+/Getty Images
Updated on May 19 at 11 a.m.
Summer camps around the nation are grappling with whether or how they can open this summer as the pandemic continues. The prospect is especially challenging for overnight camps, where hundreds of kids play, eat and sleep together, and the very idea of social distancing is completely anathema to the camp experience.
Little wonder a growing number of sleep-away camps have already capitulated to COVID-19.
"The cancellation of camp this summer is profoundly disappointing for all of us after what already feels like an eternity of frustration and uncertainty," wrote Shannon Donovan-Monti, executive director at Chimney Corners Camp in Western Massachusetts, in an email to parents this week. "There are no words that can take away the heartbreak of depriving our children and ourselves of something that has given us such joy and connection to others."
Eleven-year old Maddie Prince was among the many Chimney Corners campers who took it hard. "It makes me sad that I can't be with my friends," she said.
Camp is where she "grows up more," she said, and where she is happiest. "You don't have any tech and it's really easy to forget all of your worries," she added.
National Will Summer Camps Open This Year? Will Summer Camps Open This Year? Listen · 4:52 4:52
"I would argue that kids need camp this summer more than ever before," said Dayna Hardin, president of CampGroup, which runs 15 camps from Maine to Michigan, including 13 overnight camps that are still hoping to open. She says the overnight experience might be just what the doctor ordered for kids who have been suffering through months of isolation and anxiety. And she argued that kids may actually be safer from infection at overnight camp than at home.
"We are looking at this like we are the castle," Hardin said. "Our kids are going to enter the castle and we are going to pull up the drawbridge and we will be our own isolated community."
But a strict "no in, no out" policy would certainly crimp camps' style. It would mean no field trips, no visiting days and no socials or sports tournaments with other camps. Staff would have to remain on campus for days off. And laundry and food deliveries would pose challenges.
Camp life inside the "bubble," as some are calling it, would also change. Instead of playing tag, kids would have to fill their time with noncontact activities like making crafts.
"Camp is going to look very different," said Matt Fragala, managing principal consultant at Environmental Health & Engineering, the group hired by the American Camp Association (ACA) to recommend best practices and guidelines for camps. Specifics will depend on state and local mandates, but Fragala said recommendations will include constant disinfecting, spreading kids out for sleeping and eating at a distance and in shifts in the dining hall. The goal, Fragala said, is to "control some of the mayhem the best way we can. It's going to be a change from business as usual at camp. But there's a balance we have to try to meet to keep everybody safe and to minimize potential risk."
Camps are also expecting to have to split kids up into smaller units, said ACA president and CEO Tom Rosenberg. "These would be like families where [kids] would be able to socialize somewhat normally," he said. "But between the family circles, there will be physical distancing."
The same rule would apply to wearing face masks, according to Rosenberg. Campers would wear them when outside their "family" group, he said, and staff who interact with more than one "family" group, like a food service worker or an archery instructor, would likely have to wear a mask all day.
Camps would be expected to regularly monitor campers and staff for symptoms of COVID-19, for example by taking temperatures every day. But whether camps would test for COVID-19 is an open question. Some camps see testing as a requirement; they won't even consider opening unless they could test kids before and during the session. But other camps say they would not test, relying on taking campers' temperatures daily and watching for other symptoms. That's an approach some parents find irresponsible.
"That keeps me up at night," said Fina Barouch, a Boston-area physician and parent of two campers. She said she will not allow her kids to go to camp.
"It only takes one person to be shedding virus when completely asymptomatic, and my concern is that this could turn into something like the nursing home pandemic, where it just spreads exponentially," Barouch said.
The CDC has issued its guidance for camps, recommending general precautions like social distancing, screening and extra disinfecting. The agency also directs camps to follow state and local laws, but in most cases camps are still waiting to hear what those will be, and they're growing increasingly frustrated that they don't have more information to help them make their decision.
State and local governments are beginning to make their decisions on sleep-away camps. Georgia has banned them for the summer, and Connecticut has banned them "for the duration of this [...] public health emergency," which is likely to last through the summer. On the other hand, an executive order in Texas allows overnight camps to open after May 31 as long as they follow safety protocols, and officials in Vermont appear headed in the same direction. Other states, such as Minnesota, have banned overnight camps for now while keeping open possibilities for later. The vast majority of jurisdictions are still wrestling with the issue.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the issue comes up every day in conversation with other states.
"The tough part," he said, "is figuring out, especially when it comes to some of the stuff that involves the joys of being a kid, figuring out some way to do this, where you have at least enough rules to make sure it can be done safely, but you don't destroy the whole spontaneous nature of what those are supposed to be about."
Indeed, one camp director said an overnight camp that cuts so many core traditions would be like Disney World without the Magic Kingdom or Mickey Mouse.
Camp consultant Lauren Kasnett Nearpass, co-founder of Summer 365, agrees that if the restrictions become so onerous that camp no longer feels like camp, it may no longer be worth it.
"If you have to remove the magic completely," she said, "if it's going to look and feel so different, then perhaps you know, we just power forward to 2021."
The prospect of a watered-down camp experience gives pause even to die-hard campers like 15-year-old twins Sasha and Amanda Fine, who were looking forward to the perks and privileges they would enjoy as members of the oldest bunk at their camp this summer.
"Trust me, I want camp more than anyone," said Sasha. "It's just that we can't have camp like this. Like it's taunting us."
A month ago, Amanda said, her friends were all in favor of going to camp this summer no matter what. But now, she said, rather than a heavily compromised and shortened 2020, most would rather wait and have a "normal" summer in 2021.


npr--2020-05-17--Home But Not Safe, Some LGBTQ Young People Face Rejection From Families in Lockdown

Home But Not Safe , Some LGBTQ Young People Face Rejection From Families in Lockdown Staying home and sheltering in place can be stressful for everyone .
But for some college students who identify as LGBTQ , returning to family environments can be very difficult and even psychologically damaging , psychologists say .
`` A lot of young people when they make it to college are able , for the first time , really , to live their truth , '' says psychologist Megan Mooney who works with children , teens and young people and specializes in preventing and treating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also President of the Texas Psychological Association .
Now , many young people are forced to stay in a home setting that forces them to hide their identity again .
And even when stay-at-home orders start to lift , most dorms are closed , and colleges may stay closed for summer and and even fall terms For many of these young people , Mooney says , college is a refuge from years of rejection and discrimination in high school and even from family members .
`` The vast majority of LGBTQ youth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular basis , the kinds of names I do n't even like to repeat because they are so offensive , '' Mooney says .
In addition , school policies often prohibited the type of clothing they wanted to wear , the restrooms they could use , athletic events they could take part in , as well as participation in special celebrations like prom with their partners .
College is `` a life affirming new world , '' says Mooney , `` where these young people can date who they want , dress as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatments they were n't able to before , access mental health care they were n't able to before ; being out of the home and away at college is a life line for a lot of LGBTQ people . ''
Returning to the family home can be traumatizing all over again , she says , especially if parents or siblings reject them or are even hostile .
She says LGBTQ young people have a high likelihood of having experienced a lot of trauma and stressful life events already ; that means the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically magnified .
`` So what we are most concerned about is seeing increases in anxiety and depression including suicidality , '' Mooney says .
Suicide and crisis hotline calls are now on a rapid rise at The Trevor Project , a large suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people .
CEO Amit Paley says that since the onset of COVID-19 the volume of youth reaching out to The Trevor Project 's crisis services program has increased dramatically at times spiking to more than double the volumes from earlier in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many young people who are impacted and scared and frightened and in unsafe or challenging situations and many of them are reaching out for help and to talk about what they are going through , '' he says .
'You ca n't be gay' A college senior , Mia says that at school she could finally `` be herself '' complete with a gay pride flag in her apartment .
Her friends are accepting and `` feel like family '' she says , `` they love me for who I am . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ name because she fears being ostracized by her family if they found out about her sexuality . )
But her parents are evangelical and the message they gave her , she says , is `` you ca n't be gay ; you have to leave that at the cross if you want to be a Christian . ''
Mia says her Dad is very angry and frustrated with her , and she thinks he suspects that she is gay .
She says she fears that if they knew she was lesbian she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a friend 's parents house because it was not an emotionally toxic place for her .
Her friend 's parents `` are not abusive and they allow you to have different opinions from theirs .
They do not care that I 'm gay .
I am accepted no matter what . ''
Even so , she is saddened that she ca n't be home with her own family .
She misses them , especially her mother .
She says they have `` always been a big part of my life . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from feelings of guilt , shame or fear to worries about their physical safety .
Paley says parents might not realize that these types of rejecting behaviors can put the young person in danger .
`` In fact , the emotional damage that rejecting parents can have is enormous , '' he says .
Paley points out that LGBTQ youth who have rejecting families are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than those who do not have rejecting families , according to a study published in 2009 in the journal Pediatrics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that just having one supportive adult in a young person 's life reduces their risk of suicide by 40 % .
`` And that 's why we really want to make sure that every adult and every family member is really thinking about how they can come from a place of love and support and acceptance because it can literally save lives , '' he says .
Leaving accepting college environments , Paley says , can be especially painful for those who are transgender .
`` You 're forced back into this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't have those normal sources of support but you may have parents who are calling you by a name that is different than the name that you are using in most of your life , who may be referring to you with gender and pronoun markers that are not who you really are '' and that can be incredibly difficult , Paley says .
Of course , there are families that are accepting and supportive , he says , and some that are `` trying their best . ''
But there are heartbreaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejection and hostility .
`` We hear stories about parents who say things to their children that you could n't possibly imagine someone could say , '' he says .
For example , Paley recently took a call from a young person who told him they had just come out to their father and the father said , as Paley recalls , `` you are an abomination before God , you are a disgrace to this family and I will not accept you for being who you are . ''
When you hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` you ca n't help wondering how a parent could reject their own child 's authenticity . ''
He says they routinely hear about parents who say they no longer want the child `` under this roof '' and , especially in the case of transgender children , refuse to call them by their chosen name and even force them to dress in a way that clearly does n't correspond with their gender identity .
The risk of mental health problems for LGBTQ youth is further exacerbated because they can no longer interact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in the college community who were supportive .
`` And now they do n't have any of those sources of support , at least physically and they 're with people who do n't accept them , which leaves a lot of young people feeling completely alone , '' Paley says .
The disparity between how good and supported these young people felt before and how lonely and rejected they might feel at the moment makes the situation even more painful .
Physical distancing does not mean social isolation , he says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ living space that is not supportive but Paley encourages them to reach out to people who are supportive , whether that 's other family members , friends , teachers or organizations like the Trevor Project .
Maintaining social connection is critically important during this crisis , says psychologist Mary Alvord who specializes in teaching resilience and has co authored two books on the topic .
There 's a big difference between being alone and being lonely , she explains .
`` You can be alone and be OK with it , maybe even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
`` The problem is when you feel lonely you feel like you do n't have the support out there , you do n't have the connections and it 's a feeling of being sort of an island unto yourself without somebody there to have your back . ''
Social connection is one of the key protective factors in resilience , she says .
`` First we need to remember that we 're not alone and if we can get support from others and talk with others again , we get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who we are and what we want and what we think is important . ''
Luckily in today 's world , online venues for connection are plentiful , she says .
Young people `` need to connect with a community or at least with friends who accept them for who they are and share their value system , '' says Alvord .
And it 's important to remember , she says that the hopelessness many young people may feel now is not going to last forever .
Social distancing will let up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and eventually the pandemic will end .
`` When we have moments to ourselves we can actually remember the times when we were in a good place and in a good space and our identities were affirmed ; and really keep that in mind that we can go back to that , '' she says .

Home But Not Safe, Some LGBTQ Young People Face Rejection From Families in Lockdown
Enlarge this image Cathryn Virginia for NPR Cathryn Virginia for NPR
Staying home and sheltering in place can be stressful for everyone. But for some college students who identify as LGBTQ, returning to family environments can be very difficult and even psychologically damaging, psychologists say.
"A lot of young people when they make it to college are able, for the first time, really, to live their truth," says psychologist Megan Mooney who works with children, teens and young people and specializes in preventing and treating trauma in LGBTQ youth. Mooney is also President of the Texas Psychological Association. Now, many young people are forced to stay in a home setting that forces them to hide their identity again. And even when stay-at-home orders start to lift, most dorms are closed, and colleges may stay closed for summer and and even fall terms
For many of these young people, Mooney says, college is a refuge from years of rejection and discrimination in high school and even from family members.
"The vast majority of LGBTQ youth in high school experienced name calling on a regular basis, the kinds of names I don't even like to repeat because they are so offensive," Mooney says. In addition, school policies often prohibited the type of clothing they wanted to wear, the restrooms they could use, athletic events they could take part in, as well as participation in special celebrations like prom with their partners.
College is "a life affirming new world," says Mooney, "where these young people can date who they want, dress as they choose, access medical care and treatments they weren't able to before, access mental health care they weren't able to before; being out of the home and away at college is a life line for a lot of LGBTQ people."
Help is available If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless, contact The Trevor Project's TrevorLifeline 24/7 at 1.866.488.7386, via chat every day or by texting "START" to 678-678.
Returning to the family home can be traumatizing all over again, she says, especially if parents or siblings reject them or are even hostile. She says LGBTQ young people have a high likelihood of having experienced a lot of trauma and stressful life events already; that means the impact of returning to an unsupportive home is dramatically magnified.
"So what we are most concerned about is seeing increases in anxiety and depression including suicidality," Mooney says.
Suicide and crisis hotline calls are now on a rapid rise at The Trevor Project, a large suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. CEO Amit Paley says that since the onset of COVID-19 the volume of youth reaching out to The Trevor Project's crisis services program has increased dramatically at times spiking to more than double the volumes from earlier in 2020.
"There are just so many young people who are impacted and scared and frightened and in unsafe or challenging situations and many of them are reaching out for help and to talk about what they are going through," he says.
'You can't be gay'
A college senior, Mia says that at school she could finally "be herself" complete with a gay pride flag in her apartment. Her friends are accepting and "feel like family" she says, "they love me for who I am." (NPR is not using her last name because she fears being ostracized by her family if they found out about her sexuality.)
But her parents are evangelical and the message they gave her, she says, is "you can't be gay; you have to leave that at the cross if you want to be a Christian."
Mia says her Dad is very angry and frustrated with her, and she thinks he suspects that she is gay. She says she fears that if they knew she was lesbian she would be disowned.
She decided to shelter at a friend's parents house because it was not an emotionally toxic place for her. Her friend's parents "are not abusive and they allow you to have different opinions from theirs. They do not care that I'm gay. I am accepted no matter what."
Even so, she is saddened that she can't be home with her own family. She misses them, especially her mother. She says they have "always been a big part of my life."
The impact on the young person ranges from feelings of guilt, shame or fear to worries about their physical safety. Paley says parents might not realize that these types of rejecting behaviors can put the young person in danger. "In fact, the emotional damage that rejecting parents can have is enormous," he says.
Paley points out that LGBTQ youth who have rejecting families are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than those who do not have rejecting families, according to a study published in 2009 in the journal Pediatrics. Conversely, a recent Trevor Project survey found that just having one supportive adult in a young person's life reduces their risk of suicide by 40%.
"And that's why we really want to make sure that every adult and every family member is really thinking about how they can come from a place of love and support and acceptance because it can literally save lives," he says.
Facing rejection and hostility
Leaving accepting college environments, Paley says, can be especially painful for those who are transgender. "You're forced back into this home environment where not only you don't have those normal sources of support but you may have parents who are calling you by a name that is different than the name that you are using in most of your life, who may be referring to you with gender and pronoun markers that are not who you really are" and that can be incredibly difficult, Paley says.
Of course, there are families that are accepting and supportive, he says, and some that are "trying their best." But there are heartbreaking stories, he says, of extreme rejection and hostility. "We hear stories about parents who say things to their children that you couldn't possibly imagine someone could say," he says.
For example, Paley recently took a call from a young person who told him they had just come out to their father and the father said, as Paley recalls, "you are an abomination before God, you are a disgrace to this family and I will not accept you for being who you are." When you hear something like this, says Paley and "you can't help wondering how a parent could reject their own child's authenticity."
He says they routinely hear about parents who say they no longer want the child "under this roof" and, especially in the case of transgender children, refuse to call them by their chosen name and even force them to dress in a way that clearly doesn't correspond with their gender identity.
Staying connected
The risk of mental health problems for LGBTQ youth is further exacerbated because they can no longer interact on a daily basis with all those people in the college community who were supportive. "And now they don't have any of those sources of support, at least physically and they're with people who don't accept them, which leaves a lot of young people feeling completely alone," Paley says. The disparity between how good and supported these young people felt before and how lonely and rejected they might feel at the moment makes the situation even more painful.
Physical distancing does not mean social isolation, he says. Young people may be in a small living space that is not supportive but Paley encourages them to reach out to people who are supportive, whether that's other family members, friends, teachers or organizations like the Trevor Project.
Maintaining social connection is critically important during this crisis, says psychologist Mary Alvord who specializes in teaching resilience and has co authored two books on the topic. There's a big difference between being alone and being lonely, she explains.
"You can be alone and be OK with it, maybe even feeling a sense of calm," she says. "The problem is when you feel lonely you feel like you don't have the support out there, you don't have the connections and it's a feeling of being sort of an island unto yourself without somebody there to have your back."
Social connection is one of the key protective factors in resilience, she says. "First we need to remember that we're not alone and if we can get support from others and talk with others again, we get perspective and we get the validation of who we are and what we want and what we think is important."
Luckily in today's world, online venues for connection are plentiful, she says. Young people "need to connect with a community or at least with friends who accept them for who they are and share their value system," says Alvord.
And it's important to remember, she says that the hopelessness many young people may feel now is not going to last forever. Social distancing will let up, schools will open again sooner or later, and eventually the pandemic will end. "When we have moments to ourselves we can actually remember the times when we were in a good place and in a good space and our identities were affirmed; and really keep that in mind that we can go back to that," she says.