npr--2020-05-06--Federal Rules Give More Protection To Students Accused Of Sexual Assault

Federal Rules Give More Protection To Students Accused Of Sexual Assault New federal regulations on how schools – from kindergarten all the way through college — must respond to cases of sexual assault and harassment are drawing swift and mixed reactions .
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced what she called historic changes Wednesday to Obama-era guidelines that she said will make the process fairer and better protect accused students .
While some welcome the changes to Title IX as long overdue , survivors ' advocates are panning the new rules as a throwback to the days when sexual assault was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are protesting they ca n't possibly implement them by summer , as required .
Among the most significant changes are new regulations aimed at beefing up protections for accused college students , by mandating live hearings by adjudicators who are neither the Title IX coordinator nor the investigator , and real-time cross examination of each student by the other student 's lawyer or representative .
`` Cross examination is an important part of ensuring truth is found , '' said DeVos , adding that `` our rule is very sensitive to not requiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact it specifically prohibits that .
But it 's an important part of ensuring that justice is ultimately served . ''
Under the new regulations , students also have a right to appeal , and schools are allowed to raise the evidentiary standard from `` a preponderance of the evidence '' to `` clear and convincing , '' making it harder to find a student responsible for misconduct .
Also , the definition of sexual harassment narrows , so only that which is `` severe , pervasive and objectively offensive '' warrants investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence and stalking would now be added to the kinds of offenses that schools must respond to .
Devos ' proposed regulations , released last fall , would have given schools no responsibility to deal with off-campus incidents .
But after a torrent of criticism , the final rules clarify that schools must respond to off-campus incidents that are in places or during events that the school is involved with .
So , for example , frat houses would be covered , but a private off-campus apartment , would not .
And a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an alleged incident during a school field trip but not a private house party .
Cynthia Garrett , co-president of Families Advocating for Campus Equality , a group that advocates for the accused , welcomes the changes as long overdue .
`` Anybody who 's accused of something so vile [ as sexual assault ] has to have the opportunity to defend themselves , '' she says .
`` I think that in order to ruin someone 's life [ by expelling them from school ] there has to be a process like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
An accused student who asked to be identified as John Doe , as he was in his court cases , agrees that the new regulations are `` very encouraging . ''
He sued his school for suspending him after a hearing that he says denied him due process , by forcing him to defend himself without his attorney , and not allowing him to question his accuser .
Later , after a federal court ruling in his favor , he reached a settlement with his school that wiped his record clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of what he describes as torment .
`` People do n't realize what these hearings used to look like , '' he says .
`` They ca n't just be a horse and pony show where they go through the motions and the school comes to a predetermined outcome . ''
Survivor advocates , however , say the new regulations will have a chilling effect on reporting , as alleged victims may view it as futile to file a formal complaint , or too retraumatizing , for example , to be subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worrisome , '' says Sage Carson , manager of the survivor advocacy group Know Your IX .
The new regulations `` make it clear to me that DeVos cares more about schools and [ accused students ] than she does about survivors , '' says Carson .
The off-campus exclusion is also a sticking point .
`` We know that a majority of violence does not happen in libraries or in on-campus housing , '' says Carson .
She says she was assaulted in an off-campus apartment years ago , and was allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back then .
But if the rules then were like what DeVos is announcing now , Carson would not have had the option .
`` I would absolutely have dropped out of school , '' she says .
Doe , however , who was accused of an alleged assault during a private weekend jaunt hundreds of miles away from school during summer break , says the new rules prevent that kind of `` overreach . ''
His accuser was n't a student at his college anymore .
He says , `` I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Schools meantime , have objections of their own , first and foremost being forced to play the role of virtual trial courts to adjudicate intensely complex cases .
`` We are not set up to do that , '' says Terry Hartle , senior vice president of the American Council on Education , a trade association representing 2,000 public and private colleges and universities .
`` We do not have the legal authority to do that .
We do n't have the social legitimacy to do that .
We want to teach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run courts . ''
Schools also object to the timing , requiring the changes to be implemented by August 14th , even though schools are already overwhelmed with managing their sudden switch to online learning because of COVID-19 .
`` This is madness , '' says Hartle .
`` This is an extraordinarily complicated piece of work that they have spent more than three years developing .
It 's a mistake to now turn to colleges and universities and say , put it in place in 100 days .
It 's simply not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smaller schools , especially , Hartle says , `` are just overwhelmed .
They do n't know how or where to begin '' to implement these changes .
Anticipating the objections , DeVos insisted that `` civil rights really ca n't wait .
And students cases continue to be decided now . ''
She suggested that this may actually be the best time for schools to make the changes since there are no students on campus .
Hartle says schools will continue pressing for the Department of Education to allow schools more time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the works , so a temporary stay is also a possibility .
That would give schools a reprieve while those cases wind their way through the courts .

Federal Rules Give More Protection To Students Accused Of Sexual Assault
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
New federal regulations on how schools – from kindergarten all the way through college — must respond to cases of sexual assault and harassment are drawing swift and mixed reactions.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced what she called historic changes Wednesday to Obama-era guidelines that she said will make the process fairer and better protect accused students. While some welcome the changes to Title IX as long overdue, survivors' advocates are panning the new rules as a throwback to the days when sexual assault was seldom reported or punished, and schools are protesting they can't possibly implement them by summer, as required.
Among the most significant changes are new regulations aimed at beefing up protections for accused college students, by mandating live hearings by adjudicators who are neither the Title IX coordinator nor the investigator, and real-time cross examination of each student by the other student's lawyer or representative.
"Cross examination is an important part of ensuring truth is found," said DeVos, adding that "our rule is very sensitive to not requiring students to face each other. In fact it specifically prohibits that. But it's an important part of ensuring that justice is ultimately served."
Under the new regulations, students also have a right to appeal, and schools are allowed to raise the evidentiary standard from "a preponderance of the evidence" to "clear and convincing," making it harder to find a student responsible for misconduct.
Also, the definition of sexual harassment narrows, so only that which is "severe, pervasive and objectively offensive" warrants investigation. On the other hand, dating violence and stalking would now be added to the kinds of offenses that schools must respond to.
Devos' proposed regulations, released last fall, would have given schools no responsibility to deal with off-campus incidents. But after a torrent of criticism, the final rules clarify that schools must respond to off-campus incidents that are in places or during events that the school is involved with. So, for example, frat houses would be covered, but a private off-campus apartment, would not. And a school would be obligated to respond to an alleged incident during a school field trip but not a private house party.
Cynthia Garrett, co-president of Families Advocating for Campus Equality, a group that advocates for the accused, welcomes the changes as long overdue.
"Anybody who's accused of something so vile [as sexual assault] has to have the opportunity to defend themselves," she says. "I think that in order to ruin someone's life [by expelling them from school] there has to be a process like this. It shouldn't be easy."
An accused student who asked to be identified as John Doe, as he was in his court cases, agrees that the new regulations are "very encouraging." He sued his school for suspending him after a hearing that he says denied him due process, by forcing him to defend himself without his attorney, and not allowing him to question his accuser. Later, after a federal court ruling in his favor, he reached a settlement with his school that wiped his record clean. But that was after nearly five years of what he describes as torment.
"People don't realize what these hearings used to look like," he says. "They can't just be a horse and pony show where they go through the motions and the school comes to a predetermined outcome."
Survivor advocates, however, say the new regulations will have a chilling effect on reporting, as alleged victims may view it as futile to file a formal complaint, or too retraumatizing, for example, to be subject to cross-examination. "This is extremely worrisome," says Sage Carson, manager of the survivor advocacy group Know Your IX. The new regulations "make it clear to me that DeVos cares more about schools and [accused students] than she does about survivors," says Carson.
The off-campus exclusion is also a sticking point. "We know that a majority of violence does not happen in libraries or in on-campus housing," says Carson.
She says she was assaulted in an off-campus apartment years ago, and was allowed to file a formal Title IX complaint back then. But if the rules then were like what DeVos is announcing now, Carson would not have had the option. "I would absolutely have dropped out of school," she says.
Doe, however, who was accused of an alleged assault during a private weekend jaunt hundreds of miles away from school during summer break, says the new rules prevent that kind of "overreach." His accuser wasn't a student at his college anymore. He says, "I just don't think that's reasonable."
Schools meantime, have objections of their own, first and foremost being forced to play the role of virtual trial courts to adjudicate intensely complex cases.
"We are not set up to do that," says Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education, a trade association representing 2,000 public and private colleges and universities. "We do not have the legal authority to do that. We don't have the social legitimacy to do that. We want to teach students. We don't want to run courts."
Schools also object to the timing, requiring the changes to be implemented by August 14th, even though schools are already overwhelmed with managing their sudden switch to online learning because of COVID-19.
"This is madness," says Hartle. "This is an extraordinarily complicated piece of work that they have spent more than three years developing. It's a mistake to now turn to colleges and universities and say, put it in place in 100 days. It's simply not going to work very well."
Smaller schools, especially, Hartle says, "are just overwhelmed. They don't know how or where to begin" to implement these changes.
Anticipating the objections, DeVos insisted that "civil rights really can't wait. And students cases continue to be decided now." She suggested that this may actually be the best time for schools to make the changes since there are no students on campus.
Hartle says schools will continue pressing for the Department of Education to allow schools more time. Meantime, several legal challenges are in the works, so a temporary stay is also a possibility. That would give schools a reprieve while those cases wind their way through the courts.


npr--2020-05-07--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Virus Mutations And The Future Of Work

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions : Virus Mutations And The Future Of Work On this broadcast of The National Conversation , @ @ @ @ @ your questions about taking care of your mental health during the pandemic .
We 'll @ @ @ @ @ mutations of the virus and the future of work .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Virus Mutations And The Future Of Work
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
On this broadcast of The National Conversation, a therapist answers some of your questions about taking care of your mental health during the pandemic. We'll also answer your questions about mutations of the virus and the future of work.


npr--2020-05-07--Former Georgia Police Officer And His Son Arrested In The Death Of Ahmaud Arbery

Former Georgia Police Officer And His Son Arrested In The Death Of Ahmaud Arbery The Georgia Bureau of Investigations announced @ @ @ @ @ two white men in the death of Ahmaud Arbery , a 25-year-old unarmed black man @ @ @ @ @ in February while jogging on a residential street in Brunswick , Ga. Gregory McMichael and @ @ @ @ @ murder and aggravated assault , according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigations press release .
@ @ @ @ @ a former investigator with the Brunswick district attorney 's office and the father of Travis @ @ @ @ @ father and son have been taken into Glynn County Jail , according to that release @ @ @ @ @ videos have circulated online that show the McMichaels confronting Arbery .
The arrest comes after @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday residents gathered at the local sheriff 's office in protest and the District @ @ @ @ @ Georgia Bureau of Investigations investigate Arbery 's killing .

Former Georgia Police Officer And His Son Arrested In The Death Of Ahmaud Arbery
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Rayford/Getty Images Sean Rayford/Getty Images
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday that it has arrested two white men in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old unarmed black man who was shot and killed in February while jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Glynn County, Ga.
Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael are charged with murder and aggravated assault, according to a GBI press release. Gregory McMichael, 64, is a former investigator with the Brunswick district attorney's office and the father of Travis McMichael, 34.
The father and son have been booked into the Glynn County Jail, according to that release.
In recent days, a graphic video has circulated online that show the McMichaels confronting Arbery.
The arrest comes after calls for action mounted. On Wednesday, residents gathered at the local sheriff's office in protest and the district attorney's office requested the GBI investigate Arbery's killing.


npr--2020-05-07--EU Officials' Opinion Piece In Chinese Newspaper Censored On Coronavirus Origin

The European Union 's attempt to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the bloc 's diplomatic relationship with China fell flat after an opinion piece co-authored by the EU 's 27 ambassadors ran afoul of Beijing 's censors .
The piece published in Wednesday 's China Daily was notably different from the one posted on the EU embassy 's website .
The version on the website included a sentence that made reference to the origins of the coronavirus outbreak , which is believed to have started in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .
`` But the outbreak of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months , has meant that our preexisting plans have been temporarily side-tracked , '' the original version of the piece read .
However , the edited version published in China Daily omitted the words , `` in China , and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months . ''
Nicolas Chapuis , the EU 's ambassador to China , described the edit as `` regrettable . ''
But he declined to comment on why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters .
The European Commission in Brussels confirmed later that its Beijing delegation agreed to the change .
`` The EU delegation decided nevertheless to proceed with publication of the op-ed with considerable reluctance as it was considered important to communicate on key EU policies , '' the Commission said during its daily news briefing .
Others in Europe were less pleased about the delegation 's decision to back down to Chinese censorship .
`` I am shocked not once but twice : First the # EU ambassadors generously adopt # Chinese narratives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepts Chinese censorship of the joint op-ed , '' German politician Norbert Röttgen said on Twitter .
`` Speaking with one voice is important , but it has to reflect our shared European values and interests ! ''
Röttgen , who is the chairman of the German parliament 's Foreign Affairs committee , did not specify what Chinese narratives he was referring to in his tweet .
The EU 's decision to agree to the edit came less than a week after the celebration of World Press Freedom Day .
`` Press freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media professionals , but of each and every one of us , '' Josep Borrell , the EU 's High Representative for Foreign Affairs , wrote on Sunday .
The United States and China have also clashed in recent weeks over the global narrative surrounding the coronavirus outbreak .
President Trump has publicly stated that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory .
Chinese officials have repeatedly noted that there has been no conclusion on its exact origin .

EU Officials' Opinion Piece In Chinese Newspaper Censored On Coronavirus Origin
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jason Lee/Reuters Jason Lee/Reuters
The European Union's attempt to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the bloc's diplomatic relationship with China fell flat after an opinion piece co-authored by the EU's 27 ambassadors ran afoul of Beijing's censors.
The piece published in Wednesday's China Daily was notably different from the one posted on the EU embassy's website. The version on the website included a sentence that made reference to the origins of the coronavirus outbreak, which is believed to have started in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
"But the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months, has meant that our preexisting plans have been temporarily side-tracked," the original version of the piece read.
However, the edited version published in China Daily omitted the words, "in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months."
Nicolas Chapuis, the EU's ambassador to China, described the edit as "regrettable." But he declined to comment on why the words were deleted, according to Reuters. The European Commission in Brussels confirmed later that its Beijing delegation agreed to the change.
"The EU delegation decided nevertheless to proceed with publication of the op-ed with considerable reluctance as it was considered important to communicate on key EU policies," the Commission said during its daily news briefing.
Others in Europe were less pleased about the delegation's decision to back down to Chinese censorship.
"I am shocked not once but twice: First the #EU ambassadors generously adopt #Chinese narratives & then the EU representation on top accepts Chinese censorship of the joint op-ed," German politician Norbert Röttgen said on Twitter. "Speaking with one voice is important, but it has to reflect our shared European values and interests!"
Röttgen, who is the chairman of the German parliament's Foreign Affairs committee, did not specify what Chinese narratives he was referring to in his tweet.
The EU's decision to agree to the edit came less than a week after the celebration of World Press Freedom Day. "Press freedom is a right, not just of media professionals, but of each and every one of us," Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, wrote on Sunday.
The United States and China have also clashed in recent weeks over the global narrative surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. President Trump has publicly stated that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory. Chinese officials have repeatedly noted that there has been no conclusion on its exact origin.


npr--2020-05-07--CDC Guidance For Reopening Schools, Child Care And Summer Camps Is Leaked

CDC Guidance For Reopening Schools , Child Care And Summer Camps Is Leaked No field trips .
No game rooms .
No teddy bears .
These are some of the CDC 's guidelines for reopening schools , childcare centers and day camps safely in places where coronavirus cases are on the decline .
The guidance , which also covers restaurants , churches and other public places , was obtained by The Associated Press , which reports that the White House tried to keep it from coming to light .
The New York Times quoted Mark Meadows , the chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines were `` overly prescriptive . ''
The CDC does not have authority to enforce its guidance , which is intended for public information only ; the actual policy decisions are up to state and local governments .
Schools are closed through the end of the school year throughout much of the country , with the exception of Montana , which welcomed a handful of students back this week .
Child care protocols are different in different states .
But millions of parents need child care so they can work , and socialization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confined to home by lockdowns for weeks on end .
This is the guidance that summer camps and day cares have been waiting for to make decisions about reopening safely .
The guidance says that where coronavirus is spreading rapidly , child care should only serve the children of essential workers .
This is the case today in much of the country , which the guidelines refer to as `` Phase 1 '' .
In Phase 2 , programs can expand to serve all children with enhanced social distancing measures , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social distancing will continue .
Six-foot distance `` if possible , '' head-to-toe positioning with bedding ; As much outdoor air as possible — open windows , fans ; Restricting visitors , and staggering dropoffs and pickups to reduce contact among parents ; Limiting sharing of materials like art supplies or toys .
Disinfecting them in between use .
; Avoiding soft toys that ca n't be easily disinfected ; Not using common areas like dining halls or playgrounds if possible .
If it is necessary , stagger visits and disinfect in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendance at such programs local , to limit children bringing the disease from high to low transmission areas .

CDC Guidance For Reopening Schools, Child Care And Summer Camps Is Leaked
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nati Harnik/AP Nati Harnik/AP
No field trips. No game rooms. No teddy bears. These are some of the CDC's guidelines for reopening schools, childcare centers and day camps safely in places where coronavirus cases are on the decline.
The guidance, which also covers restaurants, churches and other public places, was obtained by The Associated Press, which reports that the White House tried to keep it from coming to light. The New York Times quoted Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, as being concerned that the guidelines were "overly prescriptive."
The CDC does not have authority to enforce its guidance, which is intended for public information only; the actual policy decisions are up to state and local governments. Schools are closed through the end of the school year throughout much of the country, with the exception of Montana, which welcomed a handful of students back this week. Child care protocols are different in different states.
But millions of parents need child care so they can work, and socialization and stimulation for children who have been confined to home by lockdowns for weeks on end. This is the guidance that summer camps and day cares have been waiting for to make decisions about reopening safely.
The guidance says that where coronavirus is spreading rapidly, child care should only serve the children of essential workers. This is the case today in much of the country, which the guidelines refer to as "Phase 1".
In Phase 2, programs can expand to serve all children with enhanced social distancing measures, and in Phase 3, with a lower risk, social distancing will continue.
Recommended measures include:
Handwashing;
Cloth masks for staff;
Regular disinfection of all surfaces;
Six-foot distance "if possible," head-to-toe positioning with bedding;
As much outdoor air as possible — open windows, fans;
Restricting mixing of groups;
Restricting visitors, and staggering dropoffs and pickups to reduce contact among parents;
Limiting sharing of materials like art supplies or toys. Disinfecting them in between use.;
Avoiding soft toys that can't be easily disinfected;
Not using common areas like dining halls or playgrounds if possible. If it is necessary, stagger visits and disinfect in between;
Adjust operations based on local health data;
Monitor absenteeism.
The guidelines also emphasize keeping attendance at such programs local, to limit children bringing the disease from high to low transmission areas.


npr--2020-05-07--No Emmys For Films On TV If They're Eligible For Oscars

No Emmys For Films On TV If They 're Eligible For Oscars Feature films will no longer be able to @ @ @ @ @ Oscars and the Emmys , says the Television Academy .
In a statement , the @ @ @ @ @ recent decision by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board of governors .
@ @ @ @ @ its rules for the 2021 Oscars in response to movie theaters being closed during the @ @ @ @ @ this year 's feature films that were originally slated for the big screen and are @ @ @ @ @ demand will be eligible for the Oscars .
But those same nominees will no longer @ @ @ @ @ , according to rules the Television Academy laid out Thursday .
In recent years , @ @ @ @ @ television has been blurring .
Last year , the National Geographic documentary feature Free Solo @ @ @ @ @ Emmy Awards .

No Emmys For Films On TV If They're Eligible For Oscars
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Feature films will no longer be able to double dip from both the Oscars and the Emmys, says the Television Academy. In a statement, the academy said it supports a recent decision by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board of governors. That board decided to relax its rules for the 2021 Oscars in response to movie theaters being closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, this year's feature films that were originally slated for the big screen and are being streamed or available on demand will be eligible for the Oscars. But those same nominees will no longer be considered for the Emmys, according to rules the Television Academy laid out Thursday.
In recent years, the line between film and television has been blurring. Last year, the National Geographic documentary feature Free Solo won an Oscar and two Emmy Awards.


npr--2020-05-07--States Nearly Doubled Plans For Contact Tracers Since NPR Surveyed Them 10 Days Ago

States Nearly Doubled Plans For Contact Tracers Since NPR Surveyed Them 10 Days Ago Note : This story was originally published on April 28 .
We 've updated it throughout to reflect updates and new data from several states .
In late April , NPR surveyed all 50 states , Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to ask them about their contact tracing workforce .
That survey showed that states had , or planned to have , around 36,000 workers in total focused on contact tracing , a key strategy to contain the spread of the coronavirus and prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first published the results of this survey , we 've received responses from several more states ; in addition some states with big populations announced new plans to increase contact tracing .
In all , 44 states and the District of Columbia now have plans to expand their contact tracing workforce , reaching a total of 66,197 workers — an increase by 30,000 of the number that were planned last week when we first published .
Public health leaders widely agree that communities need to ramp up their capacity to test , trace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease up on social distancing measures and allow people to get back to work .
The idea behind this public health strategy is simple : Keep the virus in check by having teams of public health workers — epidemiologists , nurses , trained citizens — identify each new positive case , track down their contacts and help both the sick person and those who were exposed isolate themselves .
This is the strategy that 's been proven to work in other countries , including China , South Korea , and Germany .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states and local communities will need ample testing and they 'll need to expand their public health workforce .
By a lot .
An influential group of former government officials released a letter last week calling for a contact tracing workforce of 180,000 around the country .
Other estimates of how many contact tracers are needed range from 100,000 to 300,000 .
Of 44 states and the District of Columbia for which we now have data , states reported having at least 11,142 contact tracers working now .
( Figures for most states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total number may be higher . )
But states seem to be moving fast to increase staffing .
Among the recent updates to states plans , California announced a partnership with UCSF to put 3,000 people a week through its 20-hour contact tracing training , with a goal of ultimately having 20,000 contact tracers .
New York state also announced a plan to hire as many as 17,000 workers , in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies , the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the nonprofit Resolve To Save Lives .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population size , the number of positive cases , and whether measures like social distancing have effectively limited the contacts for each case , says Dr. Tom Frieden , a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , who leads Resolve To Save Lives .
According to the National Association of County and City Health Officials , which recently issued a position statement on contact tracing , 15 health workers per 100,000 people is a baseline number during normal times , and during a pandemic , this number should double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Policymakers in several states including New York and Illinois have mentioned this benchmark in announcing their staffing goals .
Still , the calculus for how many tracers are needed may not be as simple as looking at population size — the size of a community 's outbreak and the number of contacts per case would also influence the number of contact tracers needed .
Melaney Arnold , a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health , noted in her response to NPR that the hiring decisions are complicated and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be tested and isolated affect their projected staffing numbers .
Several contact tracer workforce worksheets are now available to policymakers : One calculator was unveiled Thursday from two public health heavyweights — the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and National Association of County and City Health Officials — and the Mullan Institute at the George Washington University .
And another calculator is published by Resolve to Save Lives .
Big hiring efforts , but not everywhere Several states that took our survey are making big efforts to shore up their contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kentucky , which are both planning to hire 700 people ; Texas , which has 1,150 contact tracers and is hiring another 2,850 to start ; and Kansas , which plans to bring on 400 .
`` I am really happy to see that there are a lot of places here that are thinking this through , and really putting a lot of effort into that next step , '' says Crystal Watson , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a lead author of the center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of the places that responded to NPR or have released this information in press releases , eight are positioned to surpass that 30 workers per 100,000 threshold : Alaska , California , the District of Columbia , Illinois , Michigan , Nebraska , New York and North Dakota .
In fact , North Dakota and Alaska stand out dramatically from the pack : after the planned hiring surge North Dakota will have 66 contact tracers on staff per 100,000 residents , and Alaska will have 68 .
`` North Dakota leadership believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact tracing infrastructure are key components to rising above this current health challenge , '' Vern Dosch , contact tracing administrator for North Dakota wrote in a statement to NPR .
`` We are committed to investing in the human resources and technology needed to make it happen .
We are building tomorrow on facts , not fear . ''
Granted , North Dakota and Alaska have among the smallest populations of all states — hiring several hundred contact tracers to meet the need is certainly easier than onboarding 20,000 in California .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ average rate of contact tracers among the states we had data from would be 17 per 100,000 people – just above the estimated need during normal times , and half of what 's projected to be needed during the coronavirus pandemic .
The median is fewer : nine contact tracers per 100,000 .
Watson warns states against playing this by ear .
`` This is really something we should n't undershoot , '' she says .
Of course , public health officials need to keep a close eye on transmission and cases — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracers — but Watson says investing in contact tracing now is the smart move .
`` We 're spending trillions of dollars on the economic aspects of this , which is important , '' she says .
`` But if we 're not willing to put in that same effort to the public health side to actually control this and to reduce the economic impacts — fighting this at its source — that does n't make sense to me . ''
A patchwork of staff and plans in flux Not every state responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states – including Idaho and Virginia — did respond , but said they were not able to provide statewide numbers of contact tracers , because contact tracing is done by local health departments .
A spokesperson for the Michigan health department explained that state employees assist `` certain local health departments with case investigation and contact elicitation , which is the first step in the process of contact tracing , '' but the number of county staff that work to trace contacts was not available .
Other states that rely on county health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to provide estimates of county staffing levels .
Oklahoma 's spokesperson explained that the 150 number of tracers they provided `` is a ballpark as we have county nurses who do multiple jobs including contact tracing . ''
Another state that was not able to provide contact tracer numbers was Georgia , which has already begun to ease social distancing measures .
Spokesperson Nancy Nydam of the Georgia Department of Public Health told NPR that `` the total number of contact tracers will vary widely by [ health ] district , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exact number to it . ''
She added that the state was engaging with medical students and possibly the National Guard , and that more information would be available in the coming days .
In the survey , several states noted that their plans were very much in flux .
`` As we are developing our plans , we are hiring and training an initial group of epidemiologists , '' a spokesperson for Colorado 's Joint Information Center responded to NPR in the survey , noting they are starting with 50 epidemiologists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming weeks .
A few states , including Minnesota , indicated they do not have current plans to hire more contact tracers .
Andrea Ahneman , a spokesperson for the COVID-19 Response in Minnesota , wrote that the state had more than 100 staffers now and that `` this is plenty of capacity for current needs . ''
Minnesota later clarified to NPR that although it does not plan to hire new workers to do contact tracing , it does plan to reassign current state and local public health workers to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaching over 1,000 contact tracers over the next few weeks .
States that said they 're seeking to expand contact tracing capacity are getting creative about finding the workforce .
Nevada said it was recruiting volunteers for `` a dramatic expansion '' of its contact tracing capacity .
Oklahoma is training fourth-year medical residents to do contact tracing .
Maine has recruited some recently retired epidemiologists .
Georgia and Iowa are planning to call on the National Guard .
About half of states surveyed indicated they were considering the use of smartphone or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Few had decided on a specific app , but several mentioned the Google app that 's in development .
Some states indicated that they hoped the federal government could assist with the cost of licensing these apps .
How the federal government can help Asked what support each state could use from the federal government , several states — including Hawaii , Maine and Nevada — mentioned the need for funding to hire or train new contact tracers .
A spokeswoman for the District of Columbia said that D.C. could use `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers . ''
On the federal level , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides staff to support local contact tracing efforts .
Director Robert Redfield told NPR last month that the agency has about 500 staff currently deployed to help state and local health departments , and that it would support another 650 positions with $ 45 million in funds .
He has acknowledged decades of underfunding for public health and said that the federal government needs to `` augment personnel substantially . ''
He also mentioned that his agency is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with big boots-on-the-ground workforces to expand capacity .
A group of Democratic senators sent a letter to the CDC asking for details on these plans , but a congressional staffer tells NPR they have not received a response .
Numerous groups and experts are calling for more action and funds from the federal government .
The group of former federal officials who wrote a letter last week calling for increased contact tracing hires also say $ 46 billion in federal funding is needed to pay for the hires and resources to help infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill introduced in the House of Representatives Thursday calls for $ 55 billion to hire a national `` Health Force '' to do contact tracing and other public health work .
Scott Gottlieb , a former Food and Drug Administration chief for President Trump , told NPR that although assembling as many as 180,000 contact tracers nationally may be daunting , it 's doable .
`` We already see the states making efforts to bring on thousands of new public health workers to do contact tracing , '' he said .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people if we want to enter into the fall with the kinds of resources we need to try to trace infection to prevent large outbreaks . ''
Federal leadership on contact tracing is important , says Watson of the Center for Health Security .
`` This is unprecedented — this is not something we 've done before as a nation , '' she says .
`` It may be hard for some states to even think about how they get started on this , so guidance from the federal level is definitely needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Natalie Krebs , Nicole Leonard , Aviva Okeson-Haberman , Sebastián Martinez Valdivia , Anh Nguyen , Bonnie Petrie , Paige Pfleger and Carmel Wroth contributed to this report .

States Nearly Doubled Plans For Contact Tracers Since NPR Surveyed Them 10 Days Ago
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ryan Kellman/NPR Ryan Kellman/NPR
Note: The graphic in this story is no longer being updated. For more recent data, go to our new post on this topic.
Updated May 7, 5:36 p.m. ET: This story was originally published on April 28. We've updated it throughout to reflect updates and new data from several states.
In late April, NPR surveyed all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to ask them about their contact tracing workforce. That survey showed that states had, or planned to have, around 36,000 workers in total focused on contact tracing, a key strategy to contain the spread of the coronavirus and prevent outbreaks.
In ten days since NPR first published the results of this survey, we've received responses from several more states; in addition some states with big populations announced new plans to increase contact tracing.
In all, 44 states and the District of Columbia now have plans to expand their contact tracing workforce, reaching a total of 66,197 workers — an increase by 30,000 of the number that were planned last week when we first published.
Public health leaders widely agree that communities need to ramp up their capacity to test, trace and isolate, in order to safely ease up on social distancing measures and allow people to get back to work.
The idea behind this public health strategy is simple: Keep the virus in check by having teams of public health workers — epidemiologists, nurses, trained citizens — identify each new positive case, track down their contacts and help both the sick person and those who were exposed isolate themselves.
This is the strategy that's been proven to work in other countries, including China, South Korea, and Germany. For it to work in the U.S., states and local communities will need ample testing and they'll need to expand their public health workforce. By a lot.
An influential group of former government officials released a letter last week calling for a contact tracing workforce of 180,000 around the country. Other estimates of how many contact tracers are needed range from 100,000 to 300,000.
Of 44 states and the District of Columbia for which we now have data, states reported having at least 11,142 contact tracers working now. (Figures for most states originally surveyed have not been updated so the total number may be higher.) But states seem to be moving fast to increase staffing.
Among the recent updates to states plans, California announced a partnership with UCSF to put 3,000 people a week through its 20-hour contact tracing training, with a goal of ultimately having 20,000 contact tracers. New York state also announced a plan to hire as many as 17,000 workers, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the nonprofit Resolve To Save Lives.
The raw numbers each state needs varies by population size, the number of positive cases, and whether measures like social distancing have effectively limited the contacts for each case, says Dr. Tom Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who leads Resolve To Save Lives.
According to the National Association of County and City Health Officials, which recently issued a position statement on contact tracing, 15 health workers per 100,000 people is a baseline number during normal times, and during a pandemic, this number should double to 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people. Policymakers in several states including New York and Illinois have mentioned this benchmark in announcing their staffing goals.
Still, the calculus for how many tracers are needed may not be as simple as looking at population size — the size of a community's outbreak and the number of contacts per case would also influence the number of contact tracers needed. Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, noted in her response to NPR that the hiring decisions are complicated and that the speed with which positive COVID-19 cases can be tested and isolated affect their projected staffing numbers.
Several contact tracer workforce worksheets are now available to policymakers: One calculator was unveiled Thursday from two public health heavyweights — the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and National Association of County and City Health Officials — and the Mullan Institute at the George Washington University. And another calculator is published by Resolve to Save Lives.
Big hiring efforts, but not everywhere
Several states that took our survey are making big efforts to shore up their contact tracing workforces. Notable examples include Louisiana and Kentucky, which are both planning to hire 700 people; Texas, which has 1,150 contact tracers and is hiring another 2,850 to start; and Kansas, which plans to bring on 400.
"I am really happy to see that there are a lot of places here that are thinking this through, and really putting a lot of effort into that next step," says Crystal Watson, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a lead author of the center's white paper on contact tracing capacity.
Of the places that responded to NPR or have released this information in press releases, eight are positioned to surpass that 30 workers per 100,000 threshold: Alaska, California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, New York and North Dakota.
In fact, North Dakota and Alaska stand out dramatically from the pack: after the planned hiring surge North Dakota will have 66 contact tracers on staff per 100,000 residents, and Alaska will have 68.
"North Dakota leadership believes widespread testing capacity paired with a robust contact tracing infrastructure are key components to rising above this current health challenge," Vern Dosch, contact tracing administrator for North Dakota wrote in a statement to NPR. "We are committed to investing in the human resources and technology needed to make it happen. We are building tomorrow on facts, not fear."
Granted, North Dakota and Alaska have among the smallest populations of all states — hiring several hundred contact tracers to meet the need is certainly easier than onboarding 20,000 in California.
Including all planned staff additions, the average rate of contact tracers among the states we had data from would be 17 per 100,000 people – just above the estimated need during normal times, and half of what's projected to be needed during the coronavirus pandemic. The median is fewer: nine contact tracers per 100,000.
Watson warns states against playing this by ear. "This is really something we shouldn't undershoot," she says. Of course, public health officials need to keep a close eye on transmission and cases — more cases means you need more contact tracers — but Watson says investing in contact tracing now is the smart move.
"We're spending trillions of dollars on the economic aspects of this, which is important," she says. "But if we're not willing to put in that same effort to the public health side to actually control this and to reduce the economic impacts — fighting this at its source — that doesn't make sense to me."
A patchwork of staff and plans in flux
Not every state responded to NPR's request. A few states – including Idaho and Virginia — did respond, but said they were not able to provide statewide numbers of contact tracers, because contact tracing is done by local health departments.
A spokesperson for the Michigan health department explained that state employees assist "certain local health departments with case investigation and contact elicitation, which is the first step in the process of contact tracing," but the number of county staff that work to trace contacts was not available.
Other states that rely on county health departments to do contact tracing were only able to provide estimates of county staffing levels. Oklahoma's spokesperson explained that the 150 number of tracers they provided "is a ballpark as we have county nurses who do multiple jobs including contact tracing."
Another state that was not able to provide contact tracer numbers was Georgia, which has already begun to ease social distancing measures. Spokesperson Nancy Nydam of the Georgia Department of Public Health told NPR that "the total number of contact tracers will vary widely by [health] district, so we are not yet able to put an exact number to it." She added that the state was engaging with medical students and possibly the National Guard, and that more information would be available in the coming days.
In the survey, several states noted that their plans were very much in flux. "As we are developing our plans, we are hiring and training an initial group of epidemiologists," a spokesperson for Colorado's Joint Information Center responded to NPR in the survey, noting they are starting with 50 epidemiologists for now but may add more in the coming weeks.
A few states, including Minnesota, indicated they do not have current plans to hire more contact tracers. Andrea Ahneman, a spokesperson for the COVID-19 Response in Minnesota, wrote that the state had more than 100 staffers now and that "this is plenty of capacity for current needs." Minnesota later clarified to NPR that although it does not plan to hire new workers to do contact tracing, it does plan to reassign current state and local public health workers to do contact tracing, with a goal of reaching over 1,000 contact tracers over the next few weeks.
States that said they're seeking to expand contact tracing capacity are getting creative about finding the workforce. Nevada said it was recruiting volunteers for "a dramatic expansion" of its contact tracing capacity. Oklahoma is training fourth-year medical residents to do contact tracing. Maine has recruited some recently retired epidemiologists. Georgia and Iowa are planning to call on the National Guard.
About half of states surveyed indicated they were considering the use of smartphone or online apps to assist with contact tracing. Few had decided on a specific app, but several mentioned the Google app that's in development. Some states indicated that they hoped the federal government could assist with the cost of licensing these apps.
How the federal government can help
Asked what support each state could use from the federal government, several states — including Hawaii, Maine and Nevada — mentioned the need for funding to hire or train new contact tracers. A spokeswoman for the District of Columbia said that D.C. could use "manpower and expertise, especially for training volunteers."
On the federal level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides staff to support local contact tracing efforts. Director Robert Redfield told NPR last month that the agency has about 500 staff currently deployed to help state and local health departments, and that it would support another 650 positions with $45 million in funds. He has acknowledged decades of underfunding for public health and said that the federal government needs to "augment personnel substantially." He also mentioned that his agency is in talks with other agencies and organizations with big boots-on-the-ground workforces to expand capacity.
A group of Democratic senators sent a letter to the CDC asking for details on these plans, but a congressional staffer tells NPR they have not received a response.
Numerous groups and experts are calling for more action and funds from the federal government. The group of former federal officials who wrote a letter last week calling for increased contact tracing hires also say $46 billion in federal funding is needed to pay for the hires and resources to help infected and exposed people stay isolated. A bill introduced in the House of Representatives Thursday calls for $55 billion to hire a national "Health Force" to do contact tracing and other public health work.
Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration chief for President Trump, told NPR that although assembling as many as 180,000 contact tracers nationally may be daunting, it's doable. "We already see the states making efforts to bring on thousands of new public health workers to do contact tracing," he said. "We're going to need this number of people if we want to enter into the fall with the kinds of resources we need to try to trace infection to prevent large outbreaks."
Federal leadership on contact tracing is important, says Watson of the Center for Health Security. "This is unprecedented — this is not something we've done before as a nation," she says. "It may be hard for some states to even think about how they get started on this, so guidance from the federal level is definitely needed."
Stephanie Adeline, Martha Bebinger, Natalie Krebs, Nicole Leonard, Aviva Okeson-Haberman, Sebastián Martinez Valdivia, Anh Nguyen, Bonnie Petrie, Paige Pfleger and Carmel Wroth contributed to this report.


npr--2020-05-07--Amtrak To Require Masks Starting Monday To Avoid Spread Of The Coronavirus

Amtrak To Require Masks Starting Monday To Avoid Spread Of The Coronavirus Amtrak is the latest transportation provider to require all passengers to wear facial coverings or masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus , beginning Monday .
The intercity passenger rail agency joins most of the nation 's passenger airlines and many public transit systems in requiring coverings or face masks on passengers .
Customers will have to `` wear a facial covering over their nose and mouth while in stations , on trains and [ Thruway ] buses , '' Amtrak said in a news release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when customers are eating in designated areas , in their private rooms , or seated alone or with a travel companion in their own pair of seats .
Small children who are not able to maintain a facial covering are exempt from this requirement . ''
`` The safety of Amtrak 's customers and employees is our top priority , '' Amtrak President and CEO Bill Flynn said in a statement , `` and requiring a facial covering is one more way we can protect everyone . ''
To maintain physical distancing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of each train 's normal capacity , making it easier for passengers to sit farther apart .
Amtrak is also temporarily going cashless in stations and on trains — to limit contact between customers and employees .
In addition , Amtrak is taking extra steps in cleaning and sanitizing trains and stations .

Amtrak To Require Masks Starting Monday To Avoid Spread Of The Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Rourke/AP Matt Rourke/AP
Amtrak is the latest transportation provider to require all passengers to wear facial coverings or masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, beginning Monday.
The intercity passenger rail agency joins most of the nation's passenger airlines and many public transit systems in requiring coverings or face masks on passengers.
Customers will have to "wear a facial covering over their nose and mouth while in stations, on trains and [Thruway] buses," Amtrak said in a news release. "Facial coverings can be removed when customers are eating in designated areas, in their private rooms, or seated alone or with a travel companion in their own pair of seats. Small children who are not able to maintain a facial covering are exempt from this requirement."
"The safety of Amtrak's customers and employees is our top priority," Amtrak President and CEO Bill Flynn said in a statement, "and requiring a facial covering is one more way we can protect everyone."
To maintain physical distancing on trains, Amtrak is limiting bookings to half of each train's normal capacity, making it easier for passengers to sit farther apart. Amtrak is also temporarily going cashless in stations and on trains — to limit contact between customers and employees.
In addition, Amtrak is taking extra steps in cleaning and sanitizing trains and stations.


npr--2020-05-07--Will Antibodies After COVID-19 Illness Prevent Reinfection?

Most people infected with the novel coronavirus develop antibodies in response .
But scientists do n't know whether people who have been exposed to the coronavirus will be immune for life , as is usually the case for the measles , or if the disease will return again and again , like the common cold .
`` This to me is one of the big unanswered questions that we have , '' says Jeffrey Shaman , a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University , `` because it really says , 'What is the full exit strategy to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be contending with it ? '
`` He 's one of many scientists on a quest for answers .
And the pieces are starting to fall into place .
Antibodies , which are proteins found in the blood as part of the body 's immune response to infection , are a sign that people could be developing immunity .
But antibodies are by no means a guarantee a person will be protected for life — or even for a year .
Shaman has been studying four coronaviruses that cause the common cold .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people seem to get them quite often , '' Shaman says .
Ninety percent of people develop antibodies to those viruses , at least in passing , but `` our evidence is those antibodies are not conferring protection . ''
That may be simply because colds are relatively mild , so the immune system does n't mount a full-blown response , suggests Stanley Perlman , a pediatrician who studies immunology and microbiology at the University of Iowa .
`` That 's why people get colds over and over again , '' he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the immune response that much . ''
He 's studied one of the most severe coronaviruses , the one that causes SARS , and he 's found that the degree of immunity depended on the severity of the disease .
Sicker people remained immune for much longer , in some cases many years .
For most people exposed to the novel coronavirus , `` I think in the short term you 're going to get some protection , '' Perlman says .
`` It 's really the time of the protection that matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people the symptoms of COVID-19 are no worse than a cold , while for others they are severe .
`` That 's why it 's tricky , '' he says , to predict the breadth of an immune response .
And it 's risky to assume that experiences with other coronaviruses are directly applicable to the new one .
`` Unfortunately , we can not really generalize what kind of immunity is needed to get protection against a virus unless we really learn more about the virus , '' says Akiko Iwasaki , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Yale University School of Medicine .
An immunobiologist , she is part of a rapidly expanding effort to figure this out .
She and her colleagues are already studying the immune response in more than 100 patients in the medical school hospital .
She 's encouraged that most people who recover from the coronavirus have developed antibodies that neutralize the coronavirus in a petri dish .
`` Whether that 's happening inside the body we do n't really know , '' she cautions .
Research like hers will answer that question , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective .
Iwasaki says some can actually contribute to the disease process and make the illness worse .
These antibodies can contribute to inflammation and lead the body to overreact .
That overreaction can even be deadly .
`` Which types of antibodies protect the host versus those that enhance the disease ?
We really need to figure that out , '' she says .
The studies at Yale will follow patients for at least a year , to find out how slowly or quickly immunity might fade .
`` I wish there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` but we may not need to wait a year to understand what type of antibodies are protective . ''
That 's because she and other immunologists are looking for patterns in the immune response that will identify people who have long-term immunity .
Researchers long ago figured out what biological features in the blood ( called biomarkers ) correlate with immunity to other diseases , says Kari Nadeau , a pediatrician and immunologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine .
She expects researchers will be able to do the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on several studies , including one that seeks to recruit 1,000 people who were previously exposed to the coronavirus .
One goal is to identify people who produce especially strong , protective antibody responses .
She says the antibody-producing cells from those people can potentially be turned into vaccines .
Another critical question she 's zeroing in on is whether people who become immune are still capable of spreading the virus .
`` Because you might be immune , you might have protected yourself against the virus , '' she says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your body and you 're giving it to others . ''
It would have huge public health implications if it turns out people can still spread the disease after they 've recovered .
Studies from China and South Korea seemed to suggest this was possible , though further studies have cast doubt on that as a significant feature of the disease .
Nadeau is also trying to figure out what can be said about the antibody blood-tests that are now starting to flood the market .
There are two issues with these tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a false-positive result , so it may be necessary to run a confirmatory test to get a credible answer .
Second , it 's not clear that a true positive test result really indicates a person is immune and , if so , for how long .
Companies would like to be able to use these tests to identify people who can return to work without fear of spreading the coronavirus .
`` I see a lot of business people wanting to do the best for their employees , and for good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we can never say you 're fully protected until we get enough [ information ] .
But right now we 're working hard to get the numbers we need to be able to see what constitutes protection and what does not . ''
It could be a matter of life or death to get this right .
Answers to these questions are likely to come with the accumulation of information from many different labs .
Fortunately , scientists around the world are working simultaneously to find answers .
You can contact NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ npr.org .

Will Antibodies After COVID-19 Illness Prevent Reinfection?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pablo Monsalve/VIEW press/Corbis via Getty Images Pablo Monsalve/VIEW press/Corbis via Getty Images
Most people infected with the novel coronavirus develop antibodies in response.
But scientists don't know whether people who have been exposed to the coronavirus will be immune for life, as is usually the case for the measles, or if the disease will return again and again, like the common cold.
"This to me is one of the big unanswered questions that we have," says Jeffrey Shaman, a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University, "because it really says, 'What is the full exit strategy to this and how long are we going to be contending with it?' "
He's one of many scientists on a quest for answers. And the pieces are starting to fall into place.
Antibodies, which are proteins found in the blood as part of the body's immune response to infection, are a sign that people could be developing immunity. But antibodies are by no means a guarantee a person will be protected for life — or even for a year.
Shaman has been studying four coronaviruses that cause the common cold. "They're very common and so people seem to get them quite often," Shaman says. Ninety percent of people develop antibodies to those viruses, at least in passing, but "our evidence is those antibodies are not conferring protection."
That may be simply because colds are relatively mild, so the immune system doesn't mount a full-blown response, suggests Stanley Perlman, a pediatrician who studies immunology and microbiology at the University of Iowa. "That's why people get colds over and over again," he says. "It doesn't really tickle the immune response that much."
He's studied one of the most severe coronaviruses, the one that causes SARS, and he's found that the degree of immunity depended on the severity of the disease. Sicker people remained immune for much longer, in some cases many years.
For most people exposed to the novel coronavirus, "I think in the short term you're going to get some protection," Perlman says. "It's really the time of the protection that matters."
Perlman notes that for some people the symptoms of COVID-19 are no worse than a cold, while for others they are severe. "That's why it's tricky," he says, to predict the breadth of an immune response.
And it's risky to assume that experiences with other coronaviruses are directly applicable to the new one.
"Unfortunately, we cannot really generalize what kind of immunity is needed to get protection against a virus unless we really learn more about the virus," says Akiko Iwasaki, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the Yale University School of Medicine.
An immunobiologist, she is part of a rapidly expanding effort to figure this out. She and her colleagues are already studying the immune response in more than 100 patients in the medical school hospital. She's encouraged that most people who recover from the coronavirus have developed antibodies that neutralize the coronavirus in a petri dish.
"Whether that's happening inside the body we don't really know," she cautions.
Research like hers will answer that question, eventually.
But not all antibodies are protective. Iwasaki says some can actually contribute to the disease process and make the illness worse. These antibodies can contribute to inflammation and lead the body to overreact. That overreaction can even be deadly.
"Which types of antibodies protect the host versus those that enhance the disease? We really need to figure that out," she says.
The studies at Yale will follow patients for at least a year, to find out how slowly or quickly immunity might fade. "I wish there was a shortcut," Iwasaki says, "but we may not need to wait a year to understand what type of antibodies are protective."
That's because she and other immunologists are looking for patterns in the immune response that will identify people who have long-term immunity.
Researchers long ago figured out what biological features in the blood (called biomarkers) correlate with immunity to other diseases, says Kari Nadeau, a pediatrician and immunologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She expects researchers will be able to do the same for the new coronavirus.
Nadeau is working on several studies, including one that seeks to recruit 1,000 people who were previously exposed to the coronavirus. One goal is to identify people who produce especially strong, protective antibody responses. She says the antibody-producing cells from those people can potentially be turned into vaccines.
Another critical question she's zeroing in on is whether people who become immune are still capable of spreading the virus.
"Because you might be immune, you might have protected yourself against the virus," she says, "but it still might be in your body and you're giving it to others."
It would have huge public health implications if it turns out people can still spread the disease after they've recovered. Studies from China and South Korea seemed to suggest this was possible, though further studies have cast doubt on that as a significant feature of the disease.
Nadeau is also trying to figure out what can be said about the antibody blood-tests that are now starting to flood the market. There are two issues with these tests. First, a positive test may be a false-positive result, so it may be necessary to run a confirmatory test to get a credible answer. Second, it's not clear that a true positive test result really indicates a person is immune and, if so, for how long.
Companies would like to be able to use these tests to identify people who can return to work without fear of spreading the coronavirus.
"I see a lot of business people wanting to do the best for their employees, and for good reason," Nadeau says. "And we can never say you're fully protected until we get enough [information]. But right now we're working hard to get the numbers we need to be able to see what constitutes protection and what does not."
It could be a matter of life or death to get this right. Answers to these questions are likely to come with the accumulation of information from many different labs. Fortunately, scientists around the world are working simultaneously to find answers.
You can contact NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris@npr.org.


npr--2020-05-07--Grocery Worker Has Never Seen Shelves Being Emptied Like This

Grocery Worker Has Never Seen Shelves Being Emptied Like This Michelle Lee , a cashier at a Safeway in Alexandria , Va. , has kept working through this pandemic .
In fact , she 's been working harder than ever .
`` My back is hurting a little bit , but I 'm doing all right , '' she told NPR in March .
`` It 's been really , really busy .
The lines are really long .
Customers are buying $ 200 , $ 300 , $ 400 worth of groceries .
And it 's constant .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 32 years with Safeway , she 's never seen shelves being emptied like they have been during this pandemic .
She wished more customers would be patient when they encountered shortages .
Most are understanding , she said , but not everyone .
`` A couple of the customers were upset , because we have n't had toilet paper and paper towels in over a week and they ca n't understand why they keep coming back and we do n't have it , '' she said .
Still , Lee has felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel like , sometimes , I ca n't do enough , '' she said .
`` But I 've realized that I can only take care of one customer at a time . ''
And not working is n't an option .
`` People have to eat , '' she said .
`` And so we have to be there . ''
Lee is particularly proud of the fact that workers like her have been designated essential during the pandemic .
`` This is n't something they 're going to forget right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of the people — the police officers , the nurses , the doctors , the grocery workers — I think they will remember for a long time that we was there when they needed us all the most . ''
Read more stories in Faces Of The Coronavirus Recession .

Grocery Worker Has Never Seen Shelves Being Emptied Like This
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robert Lee Robert Lee
Michelle Lee, a cashier at a Safeway in Alexandria, Va., has kept working through the pandemic. In fact, she has been working harder than ever.
"My back is hurting a little bit, but I'm doing all right," she told NPR in March. "It's been really, really busy. The lines are really long. Customers are buying $200, $300, $400 worth of groceries. And it's constant. It's nonstop."
In her 32 years with Safeway, Lee said, she has never seen shelves being emptied the way they have been during this crisis.
She said she wished more customers would be patient when they encountered shortages. Most are understanding, she said, but not everyone.
FACES OF THE CORONAVIRUS RECESSION Jobs lost. Businesses in peril. Meetings gone virtual. Faces Of The Coronavirus Recession offers snapshots of working Americans whose lives have been upended by the pandemic.
"A couple of the customers were upset, because we haven't had toilet paper and paper towels in over a week, and they can't understand why they keep coming back and we don't have it," she said.
Still, Lee has felt the strain of extra work. "I feel like, sometimes, I can't do enough," she said. "But I've realized that I can only take care of one customer at a time."
And not working isn't an option.
"People have to eat," she said. "And so we have to be there."
Lee said she's proud that workers such as herself have been designated essential during the coronavirus crisis.
"This isn't something they're going to forget right away," she said. "All of the people — the police officers, the nurses, the doctors, the grocery workers — I think they will remember for a long time that we was there when they needed us all the most."
Read more stories in Faces Of The Coronavirus Recession.


npr--2020-05-07--Zoom To Crack Down on Zoombombing, In Deal With NY Attorney General

Zoom To Crack Down on Zoombombing , In Deal With NY Attorney General Zoom has agreed to do more to prevent hackers from disrupting video conferencing sessions and to protect users ' data , according to a deal announced on Thursday by New York Attorney General Letitia James .
The coronavirus pandemic has unleashed incredible growth for Zoom .
Daily use of the remote-meeting service ballooned to 300 million from about 10 million in a matter of months .
As more people logged on , Zoom 's security and privacy flaws became evident .
Hackers began disrupting online school classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other events in a trend that became known as Zoombombing .
Federal law enforcement and state investigators across the country started paying attention .
`` Our lives have inexorably changed over the past two months , and while Zoom has provided an invaluable service , it unacceptably did so without critical security protections , '' James said in a statement released by her office .
`` This agreement puts protections in place so that Zoom users have control over their privacy and security , and so that workplaces , schools , religious institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry while participating in a video call . ''
Zoom has pledged to take more steps to block hackers from gaining access to chat sessions and user accounts .
It must now run a `` vulnerability management program '' to identify and avert breaches into livestreaming conversations on the video platform , New York regulators wrote in the deal .
Reported bad actors will now be investigated by Zoom , and the company will ban those who violate Zoom 's anti-abuse policies , the state regulators said .
Zoom began as a communication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrutiny on Zoom intensified , security experts found that the company did not use end-to-end encryption , as it had claimed .
Zoom officials later admitted as much .
Such encryption all but ensures that the content of a conversation is confidential .
Now , according to the agreement , Zoom will encrypt `` all personal information in transit except where the user fails to utilize a Zoom app or Zoom software for the transmission . ''
Zoom is also taking steps under the agreement to stop sharing user data with Facebook and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversies , Zoom has hired outside security consultants and has announced that it has acquired Keybase , a company that specializes in encryption products .
Zoom officials say the acquisition was made in order to strengthen user privacy .
Before the announcement of Thursday 's deal with New York regulators , Zoom had taken steps to respond to public outcry .
The company said it in early April that it was halting work on all other projects to devote resources to beefing up security and privacy .
Among other changes , Zoom began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meetings by default .
In a statement , a Zoom spokesperson said Thursday that the company is pleased it has reached an accord with New York regulators , saying the out-of-court settlement `` recognizes the substantial work that Zoom has completed as part of our 90-day security and privacy plan , including making a number of our pre-existing security features on by default and also introducing new security enhancements . ''
As Zoom 's popularity and problems mounted , two tech giants spied an opportunity .
Facebook has announced a new competitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rooms .
Google has made its existing videoconferencing tool , called Meet , free and easier to access from Gmail .

Zoom To Crack Down on Zoombombing, In Deal With NY Attorney General
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Chiu/AP Jeff Chiu/AP
Updated Thursday at 6:51 p.m. ET
Zoom has agreed to do more to prevent hackers from disrupting video conferencing sessions and to protect users' data, according to a deal announced on Thursday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The coronavirus pandemic has unleashed incredible growth for Zoom. Daily use of the remote-meeting service ballooned to 300 million from about 10 million in a matter of months. As more people logged on, Zoom's security and privacy flaws became evident.
Hackers began disrupting online school classes, government meetings, cocktail hours and other events in a trend that became known as Zoombombing.
Federal law enforcement and state investigators across the country started paying attention.
"Our lives have inexorably changed over the past two months, and while Zoom has provided an invaluable service, it unacceptably did so without critical security protections," James said in a statement released by her office. "This agreement puts protections in place so that Zoom users have control over their privacy and security, and so that workplaces, schools, religious institutions, and consumers don't have to worry while participating in a video call."
Zoom has pledged to take more steps to block hackers from gaining access to chat sessions and user accounts. It must now run a "vulnerability management program" to identify and avert breaches into livestreaming conversations on the video platform, New York regulators wrote in the deal.
Reported bad actors will now be investigated by Zoom, and the company will ban those who violate Zoom's anti-abuse policies, the state regulators said.
Zoom began as a communication tool geared toward businesses. But as scrutiny on Zoom intensified, security experts found that the company did not use end-to-end encryption, as it had claimed. Zoom officials later admitted as much. Such encryption all but ensures that the content of a conversation is confidential.
Now, according to the agreement, Zoom will encrypt "all personal information in transit except where the user fails to utilize a Zoom app or Zoom software for the transmission."
Zoom is also taking steps under the agreement to stop sharing user data with Facebook and LinkedIn.
In response to its swirling controversies, Zoom has hired outside security consultants and has announced that it has acquired Keybase, a company that specializes in encryption products. Zoom officials say the acquisition was made in order to strengthen user privacy.
Before the announcement of Thursday's deal with New York regulators, Zoom had taken steps to respond to public outcry.
The company said it in early April that it was halting work on all other projects to devote resources to beefing up security and privacy. Among other changes, Zoom began to require passwords for creating or joining a meetings by default.
In a statement, a Zoom spokesperson said Thursday that the company is pleased it has reached an accord with New York regulators, saying the out-of-court settlement "recognizes the substantial work that Zoom has completed as part of our 90-day security and privacy plan, including making a number of our pre-existing security features on by default and also introducing new security enhancements."
As Zoom's popularity and problems mounted, two tech giants spied an opportunity. Facebook has announced a new competitor to Zoom, a feature called Messenger Rooms. Google has made its existing videoconferencing tool, called Meet, free and easier to access from Gmail.


npr--2020-05-07--U.N. Humanitarian Aid Request Due To COVID-19 More Than Triples

U.N. Humanitarian Aid Request Due To COVID-19 More Than Triples The United Nations is calling on members to contribute more to a global plan to fight the effects of coronavirus in `` fragile countries . ''
As part of its Global Humanitarian Response Plan , the U.N. is requesting $ 6.7 billion in aid — more than tripling the $ 2 billion it requested in late March .
Most of the countries that would receive the aid are located in Africa , the Middle East , Latin America .
In total , the aid would reach 63 countries .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be long-lasting .
It said that in some countries , the disease may not peak for another three to six months .
`` The COVID-19 pandemic is hurting us all , '' U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said in a statement .
`` But the most devastating and destabilizing effects will be felt in the world 's poorest countries .
In the poorest countries we can already see economies contracting as export earnings , remittances and tourism disappear . ''
`` Unless we take action now , we should be prepared for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and poverty , '' he added .
The U.N. plans to tailor the aid to the needs of different regions — for example , targeting high levels of food insecurity in Africa , job losses in Asia and the Middle East , and the recent exodus of millions from Venezuela as regional focuses .
It also said it will prioritize helping `` the most vulnerable '' in these countries , including the elderly , people with disabilities , and women and girls .
`` If we do not support the poorest people – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups - as they battle the pandemic and impacts of the global recession , we will all be dealing with the spillover effects for many years to come , '' Lowcock said .
`` That would prove even more painful , and much more expensive , for everyone . ''
The U.N. says it has raised about $ 1 billion for the plan since late March .

U.N. Humanitarian Aid Request Due To COVID-19 More Than Triples
Enlarge this image toggle caption K.M. Chaudary/AP K.M. Chaudary/AP
The United Nations is calling on members to contribute more to a global plan to fight the effects of coronavirus in "fragile countries."
As part of its Global Humanitarian Response Plan, the U.N. is requesting $6.7 billion in aid — more than tripling the $2 billion it requested in late March. Most of the countries that would receive the aid are located in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America. In total, the aid would reach 63 countries.
The U.N. said the effects on poorer countries could be long-lasting. It said that in some countries, the disease may not peak for another three to six months.
"The COVID-19 pandemic is hurting us all," U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said in a statement. "But the most devastating and destabilizing effects will be felt in the world's poorest countries. In the poorest countries we can already see economies contracting as export earnings, remittances and tourism disappear."
"Unless we take action now, we should be prepared for a significant rise in conflict, hunger and poverty," he added.
The U.N. plans to tailor the aid to the needs of different regions — for example, targeting high levels of food insecurity in Africa, job losses in Asia and the Middle East, and the recent exodus of millions from Venezuela as regional focuses.
It also said it will prioritize helping "the most vulnerable" in these countries, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and women and girls.
"If we do not support the poorest people – especially women and girls and other vulnerable groups - as they battle the pandemic and impacts of the global recession, we will all be dealing with the spillover effects for many years to come," Lowcock said. "That would prove even more painful, and much more expensive, for everyone."
The U.N. says it has raised about $1 billion for the plan since late March.


npr--2020-05-07--Justice Department Is Dropping Case Against Ex-Trump Adviser Michael Flynn

The Justice Department is dropping its case against President Trump 's first national security adviser , Michael Flynn , who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia 's then-ambassador to the United States .
The about-face by the department brings to a close the long-running case against Flynn brought by former special counsel Robert Mueller during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
It also deepened questions about the independence of the Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr , who has long expressed skepticism about the Mueller probe .
`` A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Barr said on CBS News on Thursday evening .
`` They did not have a basis for a counter-intelligence investigation against Flynn at that stage . ''
Trump hailed the move on Thursday in remarks to reporters at the White House .
`` He was an innocent man ... Now , in my book , he 's an even greater warrior , '' Trump said .
The president faulted former President Barack Obama 's administration and said : `` They 're human scum ...
It 's treason . ''
Flynn pleaded guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation with Russia 's ambassador during the transition as Trump 's camp was preparing to take the place of Obama 's in the White House .
He cooperated with authorities for months during the Russia investigation , and prosecutors hailed what they called the value of his contributions .
Flynn admitted his wrongdoing in court and appeared for a time to be on track to be sentenced — with a recommendation in hand from prosecutors that he be treated leniently in view of his cooperation .
But no sentence ever was issued .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's trajectory : He shook up his legal team , and his new counselors advised that he break with prosecutors and fight the case .
He withdrew a plea of guilty about actions he had admitted before a judge .
And revelations about missteps by the Justice Department and FBI in the Russia investigation changed the political environment in Washington , along with the arrival of Attorney General William Barr , who viewed the Mueller legacy warily .
A Justice Department review of Flynn 's case ordered by Barr concluded that the interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going ahead with the prosecution , according to information from the department on Thursday .
D.C. United States Attorney Timothy Shea wrote in a brief that the government now considers Flynn 's false statements `` not 'material ' to any bona fide investigation , '' and that accordingly , it is asking to dismiss the case .
Separately , Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said another U.S. attorney brought into the matter , Jeff Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri , recommended that the Flynn case be spiked .
Thursday 's developments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr , whom Democrats have called too eager to please Trump and too reluctant to be an independent officer of the law .
`` The decision to drop the charges against General Flynn is outrageous , '' said Rep. Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , chairman of the House Judiciary Committee .
`` The evidence against General Flynn is overwhelming .
He pleaded guilty to lying to investigators .
And now a politicized and thoroughly corrupt Department of Justice is going to let the president 's crony simply walk away .
Americans are right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued erosion of our rule of law . ''
In February , Barr interceded in sentencing recommendations in the case of another figure from the Russia imbroglio , political consultant Roger Stone , not long after Trump complained about what he called the harsh punishment contemplated in the matter .
Justice Department officials said Trump had n't directed Barr to intercede but the involvement by the agency 's headquarters with a politically sensitive case was criticized as an improper overreach by the president and a concession by Barr .
The attorney general went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to comment about pending cases — but the president has continued to do so .
For Trump and supporters , Flynn was a victim of malicious overreach — by an FBI they said ran amok under Director James Comey .
Although the broad findings of the bureau about Russia 's interference in 2016 and since have been validated and revalidated , Trump and Republicans have highlighted Flynn 's case and other examples of what they call abuse by investigators or prosecutors .

Justice Department Is Dropping Case Against Ex-Trump Adviser Michael Flynn
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 8:27 p.m. ET
The Justice Department is dropping its case against President Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia's then-ambassador to the United States.
The about-face by the department brings to a close the long-running case against Flynn brought by former special counsel Robert Mueller during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
It also deepened questions about the independence of the Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr, who has long expressed skepticism about the Mueller probe.
"A crime can not be established here," Barr said on CBS News on Thursday evening. "They did not have a basis for a counter-intelligence investigation against Flynn at that stage."
Trump hailed the move on Thursday in remarks to reporters at the White House.
"He was an innocent man ... Now, in my book, he's an even greater warrior," Trump said.
The president faulted former President Barack Obama's administration and said: "They're human scum ... It's treason."
Long, strange trip
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversation with Russia's ambassador during the transition as Trump's camp was preparing to take the place of Obama's in the White House.
He cooperated with authorities for months during the Russia investigation, and prosecutors hailed what they called the value of his contributions.
Flynn admitted his wrongdoing in court and appeared for a time to be on track to be sentenced — with a recommendation in hand from prosecutors that he be treated leniently in view of his cooperation.
But no sentence ever was issued.
Instead a combination of events changed Flynn's trajectory: He shook up his legal team, and his new counselors advised that he break with prosecutors and fight the case. He withdrew a plea of guilty about actions he had admitted before a judge.
And revelations about missteps by the Justice Department and FBI in the Russia investigation changed the political environment in Washington, along with the arrival of Attorney General William Barr, who viewed the Mueller legacy warily.
A Justice Department review of Flynn's case ordered by Barr concluded that the interests of justice would not be served by going ahead with the prosecution, according to information from the department on Thursday.
D.C. United States Attorney Timothy Shea wrote in a brief that the government now considers Flynn's false statements "not 'material' to any bona fide investigation," and that accordingly, it is asking to dismiss the case.
Separately, Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said another U.S. attorney brought into the matter, Jeff Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri, recommended that the Flynn case be spiked.
Attorney General Barr
Thursday's developments were expected to bring more criticism of Barr, whom Democrats have called too eager to please Trump and too reluctant to be an independent officer of the law.
"The decision to drop the charges against General Flynn is outrageous," said Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
"The evidence against General Flynn is overwhelming. He pleaded guilty to lying to investigators. And now a politicized and thoroughly corrupt Department of Justice is going to let the president's crony simply walk away. Americans are right to be furious and worried about the continued erosion of our rule of law."
In February, Barr interceded in sentencing recommendations in the case of another figure from the Russia imbroglio, political consultant Roger Stone, not long after Trump complained about what he called the harsh punishment contemplated in the matter.
Justice Department officials said Trump hadn't directed Barr to intercede but the involvement by the agency's headquarters with a politically sensitive case was criticized as an improper overreach by the president and a concession by Barr.
The attorney general went so far as to plead with Trump not to comment about pending cases — but the president has continued to do so.
For Trump and supporters, Flynn was a victim of malicious overreach — by an FBI they said ran amok under Director James Comey.
Although the broad findings of the bureau about Russia's interference in 2016 and since have been validated and revalidated, Trump and Republicans have highlighted Flynn's case and other examples of what they call abuse by investigators or prosecutors.