npr--2020-04-02--Seattle-Area Nursing Home Linked to Dozens Of Coronavirus Deaths Faces $600,000 Fine

A Seattle-area nursing home connected to more than two dozen coronavirus deaths is facing more than $ 600,000 in fines and the possibility of losing federal funding after officials documented a series of flaws in the facility 's handling of the outbreak .
The federal government set a September deadline for the Life Care Centers of Kirkland to comply with federal regulations .
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday sent a letter to Life Care Center of Kirkland .
It stated that during inspections of the facility last month , officials `` found the most serious deficiencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeopardy to resident health or safety . ''
The facility , located in a suburb east of Seattle , no longer met the requirements to participate in the Medicare program , according to CMS , which is also assessing per-day fines of $ 13,585 .
Those penalties , effective from Feb. 12 through March 27 , resulted in a total of $ 611,325 .
According to CMS documents dated last month , Life Care Center of Kirkland Executive Director Ellie Basham was notified about several `` immediate jeopardy situations . ''
Those included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24-hours a day or have an emergency plan in place when a physician is `` unavailable to assist with a high volume of residents during a crisis situation . ''
The CMS documents also said the facility failed to have an infection control surveillance program that analyzes and takes steps to mitigate a crisis .
It also said the Kirkland facility failed to provide and forward reports to the State Department of Health in a timely manner .
Officials added the facility failed to `` provide quality care and services for residents during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center of Kirkland said in a statement Thursday it worked with CMS over the weekend to `` remove three Immediate Jeopardy citations . ''
`` The federal administrative process provides a means for us to dispute any findings which we believe are incorrect , and we believe some are here .
However , we will follow CMS ' process and not address our responses in the public , '' the statement continued .
The news of the CMS fines were first reported by the Washington Post , which also found the nursing home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it `` began discouraging visitors on Feb. 10 because of the illness among residents , which it assumed to be seasonal influenza . ''
Life Care Center of Kirkland last month was an early epicenter for coronavirus outbreaks in the U.S. King County , which includes Kirkland , confirms at least 37 people associated with the nursing home have died from COVID-19 related complications .
A March 18 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 129 cases of COVID-19 were associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland .
This included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffers and 14 visitors .
`` Limitations in effective infection control and prevention and staff members working in multiple facilities contributed to intra- and interfacility spread , '' the CDC report found .

Seattle-Area Nursing Home Linked to Dozens Of Coronavirus Deaths Faces $600,000 Fine
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ted S. Warren/AP Ted S. Warren/AP
A Seattle-area nursing home connected to more than two dozen coronavirus deaths is facing more than $600,000 in fines and the possibility of losing federal funding after officials documented a series of flaws in the facility's handling of the outbreak.
The federal government set a September deadline for the Life Care Centers of Kirkland to comply with federal regulations.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday sent a letter to Life Care Center of Kirkland. It stated that during inspections of the facility last month, officials "found the most serious deficiencies to be widespread and constituting in Immediate Jeopardy to resident health or safety."
The facility, located in a suburb east of Seattle, no longer met the requirements to participate in the Medicare program, according to CMS, which is also assessing per-day fines of $13,585.
Those penalties, effective from Feb. 12 through March 27, resulted in a total of $611,325.
According to CMS documents dated last month, Life Care Center of Kirkland Executive Director Ellie Basham was notified about several "immediate jeopardy situations."
Those included failure to have emergency physician services available 24-hours a day or have an emergency plan in place when a physician is "unavailable to assist with a high volume of residents during a crisis situation."
The CMS documents also said the facility failed to have an infection control surveillance program that analyzes and takes steps to mitigate a crisis. It also said the Kirkland facility failed to provide and forward reports to the State Department of Health in a timely manner.
Officials added the facility failed to "provide quality care and services for residents during a respiratory outbreak."
Life Care Center of Kirkland said in a statement Thursday it worked with CMS over the weekend to "remove three Immediate Jeopardy citations."
"The federal administrative process provides a means for us to dispute any findings which we believe are incorrect, and we believe some are here. However, we will follow CMS' process and not address our responses in the public," the statement continued.
The news of the CMS fines were first reported by the Washington Post, which also found the nursing home facility waited more than two weeks after it "began discouraging visitors on Feb. 10 because of the illness among residents, which it assumed to be seasonal influenza."
Life Care Center of Kirkland last month was an early epicenter for coronavirus outbreaks in the U.S. King County, which includes Kirkland, confirms at least 37 people associated with the nursing home have died from COVID-19 related complications.
A March 18 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 129 cases of COVID-19 were associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland. This included at the time 81 residents, 34 staffers and 14 visitors.
"Limitations in effective infection control and prevention and staff members working in multiple facilities contributed to intra- and interfacility spread," the CDC report found.


npr--2020-04-03--China Enters The Next Phase of Its COVID-19 Outbreak: Suppression

China Enters The Next Phase of Its COVID-19 Outbreak : Suppression There are now so few coronavirus cases in China that some days authorities do n't see any local transmission .
China has gone from reporting thousands of cases a day in February to one or two a day now .
Over the last week , officials with China 's National Health Commission reported just 5 new domestic cases .
The total of new cases was higher but almost all of them were imported cases in travelers who 'd recently returned from abroad .
China has driven coronavirus transmission down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some question among international academics about China 's case reporting and whether some cases are being overlooked , it 's generally agreed that they 've suppressed transmission to a very low level ) .
But some undetected cases are still probably floating around , and the virus can always be brought back in from abroad .
So life has not yet returned to normal .
Many restrictions from the health crisis are still in place .
Isolation wards are still open for patients even with mild symptoms .
Quarantine centers are housing suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Testing labs are still running .
And monitoring systems are still on high alert for new cases .
`` We are very aware that there could still be a second wave in China .
That is possible , '' says Kylie Ainslie , a research associate at the MRC Center for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London .
`` However , we have n't seen that occurring yet . ''
Ainslie along with her colleagues has been looking at how China emerges from one of the largest lockdowns in human history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data of human movement to monitor how social restrictions are being eased or tightened in any given area .
`` Areas where the outbreak was less had movement restrictions removed sooner , '' she says .
`` But that did n't mean completely .
It meant first they started major factories and started letting those people who work there go back to work so that they could restart their industries . ''
Movement restrictions – basically orders for people to stay home — are still in place for some areas and some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factories in Wuhan , which was the epicenter of the outbreak , for instance , have not yet cranked up their production lines .
`` One of the things that China is doing is while it is relaxing social distancing measures , it 's not removing them entirely , '' Ainslie says .
`` And it 's not removing them haphazardly . ''
For instance , schools in much of the country remain closed .
In several provinces where reported cases have gotten down to zero or close to zero for some period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers rebound .
But those upticks have primarily been driven by travelers arriving from Europe .
Ben Cowling , an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong says these `` imported '' cases are much easier to contain and do n't pose as much of a threat of wider transmission .
`` There 's less opportunity for infections to get into the general community from those travelers because they ( the travelers ) are being monitored so carefully , '' Cowling says .
Anyone arriving in China now must go in to 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a close eye on their health .
`` So if they do do turn out to be infected , which is a small minority , then they 're isolated .
Their contacts are traced and put into quarantine .
And that 's going to slow down any any leakage into the general community . ''
Cowling says public health officials in China and elsewhere have two sets of tools to contain its outbreak — social distancing and case management .
Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find new people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potential cases individually and then isolates them – and the virus .
China wielded both of these tools aggressively .
`` With a lot of testing capacity , they were able to bring down the numbers of infections quickly , '' Cowling says .
`` I think more quickly than we will find case numbers decline in New York or northern Italy or Spain or France .
And that 's because in China , the lockdown was a more extreme version of a lockdown .
It was a total lockdown . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes and forbidden from traveling .
`` In addition to the lockdown , there was also heavy use of testing , isolation and quarantine , '' Cowling says .
`` So all of those measures are like really , really trying very hard to get the numbers down . ''
China is now in a `` suppression '' phase of the epidemic .
They 've gotten transmission down to nearly zero but some undetected cases are still probably floating around , and the virus can always be brought back in from abroad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't occur , China is experimenting to see how much it can ease off the highly restrictive social distancing while keeping its testing and quarantine apparatus up and running .
`` We 're going to see within a month or two whether it 's possible to get back to relatively normal social mixing and just be able to rely on test testing , tracking , isolating , quarantine '' to keep the virus at an extremely low level in China , he says .
While China is now trying to figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus to come roaring back , this is also a question that European countries and the U.S. hope to address in the coming weeks .
But the U.S. may have a harder time doing this than China .
Cowling says one problem facing the U.S. is that there are many different outbreaks that are being managed primarily at the state level and might peak at different times .
`` It 's possible that New York could be coming out of lock down , having got the numbers to a low level .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're having a lot more infections and it is going to be very difficult to have travel restrictions , '' Cowling says .
`` And the worst case scenario is that infections are kind of bouncing around the U.S. And so , the lockdown is relaxed and then infections come back and then you have to lockdown again and nobody wants that to happen .
So it really is a urgent question to figure out what 's the best way to suppress transmission across the whole of the U.S. '' Watching how China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. and the rest of the world .

China Enters The Next Phase of Its COVID-19 Outbreak: Suppression
There are now so few coronavirus cases in China that some days, authorities don't see any local transmission. China has gone from reporting thousands of cases a day in February to reporting one or two a day now. Over the past week, officials with China's National Health Commission reported just five new domestic cases. The total of new cases was higher, but almost all of them were imported cases in travelers who had recently returned from abroad.
China has driven coronavirus transmission down to nearly zero. (Although there's some question among international academics about China's case reporting and whether some cases are being overlooked, it's generally agreed that the nation has suppressed transmission to a very low level.) But some undetected cases are still probably floating around, and the virus can always be brought back in from abroad.
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So life has not yet returned to normal. Many restrictions from the health crisis are still in place. Isolation wards are still open for patients even with mild symptoms. Quarantine centers are housing suspected patients and contacts of confirmed patients. Testing labs are still running. And monitoring systems are still on high alert for new cases.
"We are very aware that there could still be a second wave in China. That is possible," says Kylie Ainslie, a research associate at the MRC Center for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London.
"However, we haven't seen that occurring yet."
Ainslie and her colleagues have been looking at how China is emerging from one of the largest lockdowns in human history. They've been analyzing GPS tracking data of human movement to monitor how social restrictions are being eased or tightened in any given area.
"Areas where the outbreak was less had movement restrictions removed sooner," she says. "But that didn't mean completely. It meant first they started major factories and started letting those people who work there go back to work so that they could restart their industries."
Movement restrictions — basically orders for people to stay home — are still in place for some areas, and some people are still considered to be high risk.
Most factories in Wuhan, which was the epicenter of the outbreak, for instance, have not yet cranked up their production lines.
"One of the things that China is doing is while it is relaxing social distancing measures, it's not removing them entirely," Ainslie says. "And it's not removing them haphazardly."
For instance, schools in much of the country remain closed.
In several provinces where reported cases have gotten down to zero or close to zero for some period of time, case numbers have rebounded. But those upticks have primarily been driven by travelers arriving from Europe.
Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, says these "imported" cases are much easier to contain and don't pose as much of a threat of wider transmission.
"There's less opportunity for infections to get into the general community from those travelers because they are being monitored so carefully," Cowling says. Anyone arriving in China must go into 14 days of quarantine where officials can keep a close eye on their health. "So if they do turn out to be infected, which is a small minority, then they're isolated. Their contacts are traced and put into quarantine. And that's going to slow down any any leakage into the general community."
Cowling says public health officials in China and elsewhere have two sets of tools to contain its outbreak — social distancing and case management. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find new people to infect. Case management tracks down cases and potential cases individually and then isolates them – and the virus. China wielded both of these tools aggressively.
"With a lot of testing capacity, they were able to bring down the numbers of infections quickly," Cowling says. "I think more quickly than we will find case numbers decline in New York or northern Italy or Spain or France. And that's because in China, the lockdown was a more extreme version of a lockdown. It was a total lockdown."
People were ordered to stay in their homes and were forbidden from traveling.
"In addition to the lockdown, there was also heavy use of testing, isolation and quarantine," Cowling says. "So all of those measures are like really, really trying very hard to get the numbers down."
China is now in a "suppression" phase of the epidemic. They've gotten transmission down to nearly zero, but some undetected cases are still probably floating around, and the virus can always be brought back in from abroad.
To make sure that another major outbreak doesn't occur, China is experimenting to see how much it can ease off the highly restrictive social distancing while keeping its testing and quarantine apparatus up and running.
"We're going to see within a month or two whether it's possible to get back to relatively normal social mixing and just be able to rely on testing, tracking, isolating, quarantine" to keep the virus at an extremely low level in China, he says.
European countries and the U.S. hope to soon address the challenge of figuring out how to relax social distancing without allowing the virus to come roaring back. But the U.S. may have a harder time doing this than China is. Cowling says one problem facing the U.S. is that there are many different outbreaks that are being managed primarily at the state level and might peak at different times.
"It's possible that New York could be coming out of lockdown, having got the numbers to a low level. But there are other cities where they're having a lot more infections, and it is going to be very difficult to have travel restrictions," Cowling says. "And the worst-case scenario is that infections are kind of bouncing around the U.S. And so, the lockdown is relaxed and then infections come back and then you have to lockdown again and nobody wants that to happen. So it really is a urgent question to figure out what's the best way to suppress transmission across the whole of the U.S."
Watching how China navigates this suppression phase may offer guidance to the U.S. and the rest of the world.


npr--2020-04-03--Coronavirus FAQs: Is A Homemade Mask Effective? And What's The Best Way To Wear One?

Coronavirus FAQs : Is A Homemade Mask Effective ?
And What 's The Best Way To Wear One ?
Since the beginning of the global coronavirus pandemic , Americans have been told by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention not to wear masks unless they are sick , caring for a sick person who is unable to wear one or working in health care .
Numerous reasons have been given : That they do n't offer significant protection from germs .
That the most effective models need special fitting in order to work .
That regular people do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll give people a false sense of security and cause them to be lax about hand-washing and social distancing .
And most of all : that there are n't enough masks and respirators for the health-care workers who desperately need them so leave the masks to them .
Now there are big changes to that policy .
The Trump administration announced Friday that the CDC is now recommending people consider wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain .
Mayors in New York City and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to citizens .
There 's one big reason for the change : There is increasing evidence that the virus can be spread by presymptomatic and asymptomatic carriers .
These new policies come with the vital plea that people do n't use the medical-grade masks that are in short supply in hospitals right now .
That means one thing : The era of the homemade masks and face-coverings is upon us .
With this new attitude come many questions — which we 'll attempt to answer here .
Can face coverings prevent the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of covering your nose and mouth is that you protect others .
While there is still much to be learned about the novel coronavirus , it appears that many people who are infected are shedding the virus – through coughs , sneezes and other respiratory droplets – for 48 hours before they start feeling sick .
And others who have the virus – up to 25 % , according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield — may never feel symptoms but may still play a role in transmitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask even if you do n't feel sick can be a good idea .
If you cough or sneeze , the mask can catch those respiratory droplets so they do n't land on other people or surfaces .
`` So it 's not going to protect you , but it is going to protect your neighbor , '' says Dr. Daniel Griffin at Columbia University , an expert on infectious diseases .
`` If your neighbor is wearing a mask and the same thing happens , they 're going to protect you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to benefit people . ''
The best masks are N95 respirators , but the general public is urged not to use them because they are fiercely needed by health care workers right now .
If you have those , consider donating them immediately to a local hospital or find a drop-off here .
Same goes for surgical masks — those thin blue models -- which offer less protection but are helpful and are also in short supply .
If I 'm wearing a mask and someone sneezes on me , would the mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only if you use the mask properly and do n't touch it with your hands afterward .
Those droplets from a cough or sneeze would hit your mask instead of your mouth and nose — good news .
But the next step is to take the mask off by the ear bands and either wash or discard it – without touching the front of it .
`` That 's what I see all the time , '' says Griffin .
`` That 's why in the studies masks fail — people do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touch the front of it .
They adjust it .
They push it down somehow to get their nose stuck out . ''
If you touch the front of the mask , whatever that person coughed or sneezed on it is now on your hands .
As this video from the World Health Organization shows , you should take off your mask by removing the elastics or straps from behind your ears .
Do n't touch the front , and keep the mask away from your face .
One other thing : Ideally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to keep that stranger 's sneeze from getting in .
Glasses and sunglasses are n't perfect but can help .
As NPR has previously reported , some research has shown that cotton T-shirt material and tea towels might help block respiratory droplets emitting from sick people — though it 's not clear how much protection they provide .
Another study , of health care workers in Vietnam , found that use of cloth masks resulted in greater infection than either those wearing surgical masks or a control group , some of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't yet know exactly how effective homemade masks are , but Griffin thinks they 're a good idea — he 's even taken to wearing one over his N95 respirator .
How often do I need to wash it ?
Griffin says to think of a mask as like underwear : It needs to be washed after each use .
`` You do n't take this dirty mask off , put it in your purse and then stick it back on your face , '' he says .
`` It 's something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either touching your coughs , sneezes or the spray of your speech , or protecting you from the coughs , spray , speech of other people .
And now it 's dirty .
It needs to basically be either discarded or washed . ''
So if you 're wearing a cloth mask , put it into the laundry basket immediately .
If it 's disposable , throw it away .
It 's a big no-no to pull the mask down to eat a snack , then pull it back up : You 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mask on your hands and into your mouth .
Is there one best mask design ?
There is little data so far on cloth or homemade masks in general — let alone data that dictates how many pleats to put on your home-sewn version .
Griffin says the best material to use is a tight-weave cotton .
`` Do n't use a synthetic or a polyester because they 've looked at the virus 's ability to survive on surfaces , and spandex is the worst , '' he says .
Johns Hopkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kaiser Permanente has another design , as well as a video showing how to make a mask using a sewing machine .
Both recommend 100 % woven cotton fabric .
Kaiser recommends washing and drying the fabric two or three times before cutting it , so it does n't shrink later .
You can make a mask out of a t-shirt , no sewing machine required .
You could also try making one out of ( unused ) shop towels .
But no matter what you make it out of , try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face and do n't touch the front of it once you 've started wearing it .
If you use cloth masks , make a number of them so you can wear a fresh one each time you go out .
Probably not as well as a mask that fits closely to your face .
`` You can imagine if you put a loosely knit scarf with lots of holes in it ... that would not be very effective , '' says Dr. Michael Klompas , an infectious disease physician at Brigham and Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a barrier that catches droplets and keeps others from coming in , so you want coverage that is tightly woven and close-fitting .
After you get a handle on making masks , you could keep going – and donate the additional masks to health care centers .
Johns Hopkins University , for instance , is accepting donated masks for non-patient care settings .
It asks that masks not be made in a solid color , especially blue or white , which could be confused with medical-grade masks .
Do masks confer any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an important visual cue , says Joseph Allen , a professor of exposure and assessment science at Harvard University T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
They 're a `` reminder that we need to be taking these precautions and serve as a reminder to people to keep that six foot buffer , '' he says .
`` It should be seen as a badge of honor .
If I 'm wearing a mask out in public , it means I 'm concerned about you , I 'm concerned about my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the chance that I 'm infectious .
I want to do my part in limiting how I might impact you . ''
Klompas agrees — and says that it can also give the wearer a welcome sense of security .
`` It feels like you 're behind a shield , '' he says , `` and I think that in itself can be reassuring . ''
And for the others around you , it 's a warning .
`` It says : Watch out .
There 's a public health crisis right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around , we need to be on top guard , '' says Klompas .
`` I think it can actually be a reinforcer , a reminder of the state of crisis that we face in society . ''
But he says that masks are not a replacement for all the other steps we need to take right now to protect ourselves from the coronavirus – especially social distancing and good hand hygiene .

Coronavirus FAQs: Is A Homemade Mask Effective? And What's The Best Way To Wear One?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Noam Galai/Getty Images Noam Galai/Getty Images
Since the beginning of the global coronavirus pandemic, Americans have been told by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention not to wear masks unless they are sick, caring for a sick person who is unable to wear one or working in health care.
Numerous reasons have been given: that they don't offer significant protection from germs, that the most effective models need special fitting in order to work, that regular people don't typically wear them correctly, that they'll give people a false sense of security and cause them to be lax about hand-washing and social distancing.
And most of all: that there aren't enough masks and respirators for the health-care workers who desperately need them so leave the masks to them.
Now there are big changes to that policy.
The Trump administration announced Friday that the CDC is now recommending people consider wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Mayors in New York City and Los Angeles have already offered similar advice to citizens.
There's one big reason for the change: There is increasing evidence that the virus can be spread by presymptomatic and asymptomatic carriers.
These new policies come with the vital plea that people don't use the medical-grade masks that are in short supply in hospitals right now. That means one thing: The era of the homemade masks and face coverings is upon us.
With this new attitude come many questions — which we'll attempt to answer here.
Can face coverings prevent the spread of the virus?
The primary benefit of covering your nose and mouth is that you protect others. While there is still much to be learned about the novel coronavirus, it appears that many people who are infected are shedding the virus – through coughs, sneezes and other respiratory droplets – for 48 hours before they start feeling sick. And others who have the virus – up to 25%, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield — may never feel symptoms but may still play a role in transmitting it.
That's why wearing a mask even if you don't feel sick can be a good idea.
If you cough or sneeze, the mask can catch those respiratory droplets so they don't land on other people or surfaces. "So it's not going to protect you, but it is going to protect your neighbor," says Dr. Daniel Griffin at Columbia University, an expert on infectious diseases. "If your neighbor is wearing a mask and the same thing happens, they're going to protect you. So masks worn properly have the potential to benefit people."
The best masks are N95 respirators, but the general public is urged not to use them because they are fiercely needed by health care workers right now. If you have those, consider donating them immediately to a local hospital or find a drop-off here. Same goes for surgical masks — those thin blue models-- which offer less protection but are helpful and are also in short supply.
If I'm wearing a mask and someone sneezes on me, would the mask offer some protection?
Yes. But only if you use the mask properly and don't touch it with your hands afterward.
Those droplets from a cough or sneeze would hit your mask instead of your mouth and nose — good news. But the next step is to take the mask off by the ear bands and either wash or discard it — without touching the front of it.
"That's what I see all the time," says Griffin. "That's why in the studies, masks fail — people don't use them [correctly]. They touch the front of it. They adjust it. They push it down somehow to get their nose stuck out."
If you touch the front of the mask, whatever that person coughed or sneezed on it is now on your hands.
As this video from the World Health Organization shows, you should take off your mask by removing the elastics or straps from behind your ears. Don't touch the front, and keep the mask away from your face.
One other thing: Ideally you would have eye protection, too, to keep that stranger's sneeze from getting in. Glasses and sunglasses aren't perfect but can help.
What about homemade masks?
As NPR has previously reported, some research has shown that cotton T-shirt material and tea towels might help block respiratory droplets emitting from sick people — though it's not clear how much protection they provide.
Another study, of health care workers in Vietnam, found that use of cloth masks resulted in greater infection than either those wearing surgical masks or a control group, some of whom also wore surgical masks.
We don't yet know exactly how effective homemade masks are, but Griffin thinks they're a good idea — he has even taken to wearing one over his N95 respirator.
How often do I need to wash it?
Griffin says to think of a mask as like underwear: It needs to be washed after each use.
"You don't take this dirty mask off, put it in your purse and then stick it back on your face," he says. "It's something that once you put on, is potentially either touching your coughs, sneezes or the spray of your speech, or protecting you from the coughs, spray, speech of other people. And now it's dirty. It needs to basically be either discarded or washed."
So if you're wearing a cloth mask, put it into the laundry basket immediately. If it's disposable, throw it away.
It's a big no-no to pull the mask down to eat a snack, then pull it back up: You've just gotten whatever dirty stuff is on the mask on your hands and into your mouth.
Is there one best mask design?
There is little data so far on cloth or homemade masks in general — let alone data that dictates how many pleats to put on your home-sewn version.
Griffin says the best material to use is a tight-weave cotton. "Don't use a synthetic or a polyester because they've looked at the virus's ability to survive on surfaces, and spandex is the worst," he says.
Johns Hopkins Medicine has one design you might try. Kaiser Permanente has another design, as well as a video showing how to make a mask using a sewing machine. Both recommend 100% woven cotton fabric. Kaiser recommends washing and drying the fabric two or three times before cutting it, so it doesn't shrink later.
You can make a mask out of a T-shirt, no sewing machine required. You could also try making one out of (unused) shop towels. But no matter what you make it out of, try to make it fit closely to your face and don't touch the front of it once you've started wearing it.
If you use cloth masks, make a number of them so you can wear a fresh one each time you go out.
Would a scarf work?
Probably not as well as a mask that fits closely to your face.
"You can imagine if you put a loosely knit scarf with lots of holes in it ... that would not be very effective," says Dr. Michael Klompas, an infectious disease physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The goal is to create a barrier that catches droplets and keeps others from coming in, so you want coverage that is tightly woven and close-fitting.
Can I donate masks to hospitals?
After you get a handle on making masks, you could keep going – and donate the additional masks to health care centers. Johns Hopkins University, for instance, is accepting donated masks for nonpatient care settings. It asks that masks not be made in a solid color, especially blue or white, which could be confused with medical-grade masks.
Do masks confer any other benefits?
Masks can also function as an important visual cue, says Joseph Allen, an assistant professor of exposure and assessment science at Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
They're a "reminder that we need to be taking these precautions and serve as a reminder to people to keep that 6-foot buffer," he says. "It should be seen as a badge of honor. If I'm wearing a mask out in public, it means I'm concerned about you, I'm concerned about my neighbors, I'm concerned about strangers on the chance that I'm infectious. I want to do my part in limiting how I might impact you."
Klompas agrees — and says that it can also give the wearer a welcome sense of security.
"It feels like you're behind a shield," he says, "and I think that in itself can be reassuring."
And for the others around you, it's a warning. "It says: Watch out. There's a public health crisis right now, there's a virus going around, we need to be on top guard," says Klompas. "I think it can actually be a reinforcer, a reminder of the state of crisis that we face in society."
But he says that masks are not a replacement for all the other steps we need to take right now to protect ourselves from the coronavirus — especially social distancing and good hand hygiene.


npr--2020-04-03--Walmart To Limit Number Of People Shopping At One Time Because Of Coronavirus

Walmart To Limit Number Of People Shopping At One Time Because Of Coronavirus Walmart on Saturday will begin limiting how many people are allowed inside its stores at one time , reducing its capacity to roughly 20 % , as a way to enforce social distancing .
The retail giant joins Target , Costo and other supermarket chains in deciding to count and restrict the number of visitors to keep shoppers at least six feet apart — from each other and from the workers — hoping to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
`` While many of our customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical community regarding social distancing and safety , we have been concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people , '' Walmart 's Dacona Smith said in a post on Friday .
Smith , chief operating officer of Walmart U.S. , also cited states and cities setting `` varying policies regarding crowd control . ''
Walmart says it will allow no more than five shoppers per 1,000 square feet of space at a given time .
Target , whose shopper restrictions also kick in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but said it `` will actively monitor and , when needed , meter guest traffic . ''
Retailers have been urging people to go shopping as rarely as possible , in the smallest groups possible and as quickly as possible .
Supermarkets remind patrons to keep a distance from others both while shopping and while standing in line .
Walmart says it will begin using only one entryway at each store , keeping track of visitors and reminding them to stay a proper distance while they wait to go in , especially before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walmart previously said it would also switch to one-way aisles to keep shoppers moving efficiently and away from each other .
It 's also one of many retailers that have been limiting their store hours and designating special `` senior shopping hours '' for vulnerable customers .

Walmart To Limit Number Of People Shopping At One Time Because Of Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Julio Cortez/AP Julio Cortez/AP
Walmart on Saturday will begin limiting how many people are allowed inside its stores at one time, reducing its capacity to roughly 20%, as a way to enforce social distancing.
The retail giant joins Target, Costo and other supermarket chains in deciding to count and restrict the number of visitors to keep shoppers at least six feet apart — from each other and from the workers — hoping to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
"While many of our customers have been following the advice of the medical community regarding social distancing and safety, we have been concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people," Walmart's Dacona Smith said in a post on Friday.
Smith, chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., also cited states and cities setting "varying policies regarding crowd control."
Walmart says it will allow no more than five shoppers per 1,000 square feet of space at a given time. Target, whose shopper restrictions also kick in on Saturday, did not specify the number but said it "will actively monitor and, when needed, meter guest traffic."
Retailers have been urging people to go shopping as rarely as possible, in the smallest groups possible and as quickly as possible. Supermarkets remind patrons to keep a distance from others both while shopping and while standing in line.
Walmart says it will begin using only one entryway at each store, keeping track of visitors and reminding them to stay a proper distance while they wait to go in, especially before the store opens in the morning.
Walmart previously said it would also switch to one-way aisles to keep shoppers moving efficiently and away from each other. It's also one of many retailers that have been limiting their store hours and designating special "senior shopping hours" for vulnerable customers.


npr--2020-04-03--Senator Asks FTC To Investigate Zoom's 'Deceptive' Security Claims

A powerful Senate Democrat is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Zoom for deceptive practices , adding to the growing chorus of concerns over the popular video chat software 's privacy and security flaws .
Several state attorneys general are also probing Zoom , after users , including government officials , reported harassment , known as `` Zoombombing , '' on the platform .
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown , the ranking member of the Banking , Housing and Urban Affairs Committee , sent a letter Friday to the FTC .
In the letter , obtained by NPR , Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims to users that their communications would remain private .
Brown said Zoom incorrectly suggested its service offered end-to-end data encryption , which means that communications could n't be accessed by anyone other than the sender and the recipient at any point .
Zoom walked back on Wednesday its claim of end-to-end encryption .
In a statement , it said , `` While we never intended to deceive any of our customers , we recognize that there is a discrepancy between the commonly accepted definition of end-to-end encryption and how we were using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom CEO Eric Yuan on Friday asking for details on the company 's encryption and security practices by April 10 .
With so many people stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic , Zoom has become the go-to venue for millions to connect with co-workers , friends , family , teachers and students .
The company says 200 million people used its video conferencing service daily last month , up from the previous peak of 10 million in December .
But the sudden popularity has highlighted the software 's shortcomings .
Zoombombing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech and offensive images , has become a new form of harassment .
Software flaws have left users vulnerable to hackers .
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Friday that he and Connecticut 's lieutenant governor , Susan Bysiewicz , were `` Zoombombed '' early this week during a virtual town hall .
Trolls posted racist , sexist and pornographic comments in the meeting 's chat section .
On Friday , he became the latest attorney general — along with those in New York , Florida and other states — to seek information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'm joining with other attorneys general across the country in calling on Zoom to provide information about what it 's doing to keep all of us safe , '' Tong said at a press conference .
A Zoom spokesperson said of the inquiries from the attorneys general : `` We appreciate the outreach we have received on these issues from various elected officials and look forward to engaging with them . ''
Bysiewicz said several other town halls she held this week were also attacked .
She said she asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top federal prosecutor in the state — to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stop Zoombombing .
The FBI warned schools in particular to be careful using Zoom , after receiving multiple reports of attacks .
Sen. Richard Blumenthal , D-Conn. , has also asked Zoom for information on how it handles users ' data .
Zoom says it has taken steps to fix the security flaws that have been uncovered and is educating users on how to safeguard their meetings .
On Wednesday , the company said it would halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus on security and privacy .

Senator Asks FTC To Investigate Zoom's 'Deceptive' Security Claims
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
A powerful Senate Democrat is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Zoom for deceptive practices, adding to the growing chorus of concerns over the popular video chat software's privacy and security flaws.
Several state attorneys general are also probing Zoom, after users, including government officials, reported harassment, known as "Zoombombing," on the platform.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the ranking member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, sent a letter Friday to the FTC.
In the letter, obtained by NPR, Brown said Zoom had made "deceptive" claims to users that their communications would remain private. Brown said Zoom incorrectly suggested its service offered end-to-end data encryption, which means that communications couldn't be accessed by anyone other than the sender and the recipient at any point.
Zoom walked back on Wednesday its claim of end-to-end encryption. In a statement, it said, "While we never intended to deceive any of our customers, we recognize that there is a discrepancy between the commonly accepted definition of end-to-end encryption and how we were using it."
Brown also wrote to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan on Friday asking for details on the company's encryption and security practices by April 10.
With so many people stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, Zoom has become the go-to venue for millions to connect with co-workers, friends, family, teachers and students. The company says 200 million people used its video conferencing service daily last month, up from the previous peak of 10 million in December.
But the sudden popularity has highlighted the software's shortcomings. Zoombombing, in which intruders hijack meetings with hate speech and offensive images, has become a new form of harassment. Software flaws have left users vulnerable to hackers.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Friday that he and Connecticut's lieutenant governor, Susan Bysiewicz, were "Zoombombed" early this week during a virtual town hall. Trolls posted racist, sexist and pornographic comments in the meeting's chat section.
On Friday, he became the latest attorney general — along with those in New York, Florida and other states — to seek information on Zoom's privacy and security practices.
"I'm joining with other attorneys general across the country in calling on Zoom to provide information about what it's doing to keep all of us safe," Tong said at a press conference.
A Zoom spokesperson said of the inquiries from the attorneys general: "We appreciate the outreach we have received on these issues from various elected officials and look forward to engaging with them."
Bysiewicz said several other town halls she held this week were also attacked. She said she asked the U.S. attorney for Connecticut — the top federal prosecutor in the state — to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stop Zoombombing.
The FBI warned schools in particular to be careful using Zoom, after receiving multiple reports of attacks.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has also asked Zoom for information on how it handles users' data.
Zoom says it has taken steps to fix the security flaws that have been uncovered and is educating users on how to safeguard their meetings. On Wednesday, the company said it would halt work on new features for 90 days to focus on security and privacy.
Editor's note: Zoom is among NPR's sponsors.


npr--2020-04-03--In Russia, Health Services Struggle As Exasperation Grows Over Coronavirus Aid Abroad

In Russia , Health Services Struggle As Exasperation Grows Over Coronavirus Aid Abroad Nearly a dozen Russian military planes filled with medical supplies landed in Serbia on Friday — the latest in a series of controversial Kremlin humanitarian aid missions carried out amid the global spread of the coronavirus .
`` Now we have everything to fight the virus , '' said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in a statement released by Russia 's Defense Ministry .
`` I want to say a big thank you to the Russian people . ''
Indeed , to some Russians , these airlifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country pitching in during a time of global need .
But others see the Kremlin pursuing wider foreign policy and propaganda goals .
Delivery of the Serbian aid was preceded by another mission to virus-ravaged Italy , where Russian had already delivered over 15 planeloads of medical supplies along with a team of contagion specialists .
Moscow dubbed the effort `` From Russia With Love . ''
Then there 's the Russian military transport plane that arrived in New York on Wednesday , under an agreement between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipment included 60 tons of ventilators , masks , respirators and other items .
The Trump administration said it was grateful for the help .
`` The U.S. is committed to the global fight against COVID-19 and we are cooperating closely with many countries to ensure we have the supplies we need , '' State Department 's Morgan Ortagus tweeted .
`` The purchase of personal protection equipment and ventilators from Russia will help shore up supplies in New York . ''
The arrival of the Russian planes in New York was covered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channel , which described the cargo as Russian humanitarian aid .
Even though Washington insists it paid for the medical supplies , the shipment was controversial for another reason : The parent company of the lab that produced the ventilators , Rostex , is currently on U.S. sanctions lists .
Back in Russia , there 's growing public exasperation over giving away vital lifesaving equipment , even as Russia 's own health services struggle to prepare .
On Friday , a Russian government task force reported suspected cases of COVID-19 had exceeded 4,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent medical workers union , has been among those arguing that Russian hospitals lack basic supplies to combat the virus .
On Thursday , the group 's leader , Anastasia Vasilyeva , was arrested and beaten while trying to deliver protective masks to a regional hospital .
Meanwhile , social media and Russia 's now-pervasive Telegram messaging app channels routinely carry images of wretched hospital facilities , and medical personnel handcrafting masks out of gauze and rubber bands .
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny reacted Friday on Twitter to the shipments to Serbia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he tweeted .
`` Does Putin plan to leave Russia with any doctors or medical equipment at all ? ''

In Russia, Health Services Struggle As Exasperation Grows Over Coronavirus Aid Abroad
Enlarge this image toggle caption TASS via Getty Images TASS via Getty Images
Nearly a dozen Russian military planes filled with medical supplies landed in Serbia on Friday — the latest in a series of controversial Kremlin humanitarian aid missions carried out amid the global spread of the coronavirus.
"Now we have everything to fight the virus," said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in a statement released by Russia's Defense Ministry. "I want to say a big thank you to the Russian people."
Indeed, to some Russians, these airlifts are examples of generosity and show the country pitching in during a time of global need. But others see the Kremlin pursuing wider foreign policy and propaganda goals.
Delivery of the Serbian aid was preceded by another mission to virus-ravaged Italy, where Russian had already delivered over 15 planeloads of medical supplies along with a team of contagion specialists. Moscow dubbed the effort "From Russia With Love."
Then there's the Russian military transport plane that arrived in New York on Wednesday, under an agreement between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
A U.S. official said the shipment included 60 tons of ventilators, masks, respirators and other items.
The Trump administration said it was grateful for the help. "The U.S. is committed to the global fight against COVID-19 and we are cooperating closely with many countries to ensure we have the supplies we need," State Department's Morgan Ortagus tweeted. "The purchase of personal protection equipment and ventilators from Russia will help shore up supplies in New York."
The arrival of the Russian planes in New York was covered live on Russia's RT international news channel, which described the cargo as Russian humanitarian aid.
Even though Washington insists it paid for the medical supplies, the shipment was controversial for another reason: The parent company of the lab that produced the ventilators, Rostex, is currently on U.S. sanctions lists.
Back in Russia, there's growing public exasperation over giving away vital lifesaving equipment, even as Russia's own health services struggle to prepare. On Friday, a Russian government task force reported suspected cases of COVID-19 had exceeded 4,000.
The Alliance of Doctors, an independent medical workers union, has been among those arguing that Russian hospitals lack basic supplies to combat the virus.
On Thursday, the group's leader, Anastasia Vasilyeva, was arrested and beaten while trying to deliver protective masks to a regional hospital.
Meanwhile, social media and Russia's now-pervasive Telegram messaging app channels routinely carry images of wretched hospital facilities, and medical personnel handcrafting masks out of gauze and rubber bands.
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny reacted Friday on Twitter to the shipments to Serbia. "Now it's really getting interesting," he tweeted. "Does Putin plan to leave Russia with any doctors or medical equipment at all?"


npr--2020-04-03--CDC Now Recommends Americans Consider Wearing Cloth Face Coverings In Public

CDC Now Recommends Americans Consider Wearing Cloth Face Coverings In Public President Trump said Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that people wear cloth or fabric face coverings , which can be made at home , when entering public spaces such as grocery stores and public transit stations .
It is mainly to prevent those people who have the virus — and might not know it — from spreading the infection to others .
The guidelines do not give many details about coverings beyond : `` cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be used as an additional , voluntary public health measure . ''
Trump emphasized that wearing masks in public is voluntary and said he will not be doing so .
U.S. health authorities had discouraged healthy Americans from wearing facial coverings for weeks , saying they were likely to do more harm than good in the fight against the coronavirus — but now , as researchers have learned more about how the highly contagious virus spreads , officials have changed their recommendations .
U.S. health authorities have long maintained that face masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and patients suffering from COVID-19 , the deadly disease caused by the coronavirus .
The CDC had based this recommendation on the fact that such coverings offer little protection for wearers , and the need to conserve the country 's alarmingly sparse supplies of personal protective equipment .
Still , as the virus spread to every state in the U.S. , it has become clear that people can contract and spread the virus without showing symptoms , rendering it difficult — if not impossible — to distinguish healthy from infected individuals without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect other people who come into contact with the unknowing individual .
And the mask need not be professional-grade to offer some benefit .
In fact , officials say it probably should n't be : The CDC recommends constructing your own cloth mask , so as to help ensure that doctors and nurses can obtain access to medical-grade surgical or N95 masks amid a widespread shortage of supplies .
With this announcement , the U.S. is following the lead of a number of other countries that have been urging — or outright ordering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
The expanding list includes China and South Korea , where officials have even taken the step of distributing masks .
And while the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to discourage the use of face masks , some European countries , such as Austria and the Czech Republic , have told their residents to cover up their mouths and noses before entering a store .
This week , the mayors of Los Angeles and New York City also urged residents to do the same .

CDC Now Recommends Americans Consider Wearing Cloth Face Coverings In Public
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 8:35 p.m. ET
President Trump said Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that people wear cloth or fabric face coverings, which can be made at home, when entering public spaces such as grocery stores and public transit stations. It is mainly to prevent those people who have the virus — and might not know it — from spreading the infection to others.
The guidelines do not give many details about coverings beyond: "cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure."
Trump emphasized that wearing masks in public is voluntary and said he will not be doing so.
A federal official tells NPR that the White House pressured the agency to limit the scope of the wording of the new guidance. The CDC wanted to emphasize that the recommendation could be helpful for Americans in all parts of the country, given that it is becoming increasing difficult to designate particular areas as "hot spots," since the virus is present in so many areas of the country. In the end, this source tells NPR, the White House insisted the guidance emphasize the use of face coverings in areas where there is widespread community transmission of the virus.
U.S. health authorities had discouraged healthy Americans from wearing facial coverings for weeks, saying they were likely to do more harm than good in the fight against the coronavirus — but now, as researchers have learned more about how the highly contagious virus spreads, officials have changed their recommendations.
U.S. health authorities have long maintained that face masks should be reserved only for medical professionals and patients suffering from COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the coronavirus. The CDC had based this recommendation on the fact that such coverings offer little protection for wearers, and the need to conserve the country's alarmingly sparse supplies of personal protective equipment.
Still, as the virus spread to every state in the U.S., it has become clear that people can contract and spread the virus without showing symptoms, rendering it difficult — if not impossible — to distinguish healthy from infected individuals without a formal test. So, it may protect other people who come into contact with the unknowing individual.
And the mask need not be professional-grade to offer some benefit. In fact, officials say it probably shouldn't be: The CDC recommends constructing your own cloth mask, so as to help ensure that doctors and nurses can obtain access to medical-grade surgical or N95 masks amid a widespread shortage of supplies.
With this announcement, the U.S. is following the lead of a number of other countries that have been urging — or outright ordering — their residents to don masks in public. The expanding list includes China and South Korea, where officials have even taken the step of distributing masks.
And while the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to discourage the use of face masks, some European countries, such as Austria and the Czech Republic, have told their residents to cover up their mouths and noses before entering a store.
This week, the mayors of Los Angeles and New York City also urged residents to do the same.


npr--2020-04-03--Whaddaya Knead? Yeast And Baking Powder Top America's Shopping Lists

Yeast , baking powder and spiral hams were big hits in America 's shopping carts last week .
As the @ @ @ @ @ for the long haul — under stay-at-home orders , baking projects appear to be a @ @ @ @ @ purchasing of some products seems to be subsiding .
Sales are still up significantly compared @ @ @ @ @ And shelf-stable foods , meats , produce and snacks are all flying off shelves at @ @ @ @ @ many products , the remarkable sales spikes from early March have started to subside .
@ @ @ @ @ of course .
We 're still buying four times as much oat milk as we @ @ @ @ @ six times as much .
Here 's more of Nielsen 's data on what Americans @ @ @ @ @ full week of March .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .

Whaddaya Knead? Yeast And Baking Powder Top America's Shopping Lists
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images
Yeast, baking powder and spiral hams were big hits in America's shopping carts last week.
As the country settles in — possibly for the long haul — under stay-at-home orders, baking projects appear to be a common distraction, while panic purchasing of some products seems to be subsiding.
Sales are still up significantly compared to a normal week. And shelf-stable foods, meats, produce and snacks are all flying off shelves at unusual rates.
But for many products, the remarkable sales spikes from early March have started to subside.
It's all relative, of course. We're still buying four times as much oat milk as we used to — just not six times as much.
Here's more of Nielsen's data on what Americans were buying in the last full week of March.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.


npr--2020-04-03--One More Coronavirus Problem: Accurate Weather Forecasts

Widespread cancellations of commercial flights are creating problems for meteorologists around the world .
That 's because weather forecasting models rely on temperature and wind data gathered by thousands of planes flying overhead .
The National Weather Service uses more than 250 million measurements from aircraft every year , which are fed into complex weather computer models .
As of the end of March , meteorological data provided by U.S. aircraft had dropped by half .
The World Meteorological Organization says it 's `` concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quantity and quality of weather observations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say while it 's still too early to tell , the drop wo n't necessarily lead to less accurate weather reports since they 're finding ways to compensate .
`` While there is a reduction of commercial passenger flights , we still receive valuable aircraft data from overnight cargo and package carriers , '' says NOAA spokesperson Lauren Gaches .
`` We also collect billions of Earth observations from other sources that feed into our models , such as weather balloons , surface weather observation network , radar , satellites and buoys .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same decline .
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reports a 80 % drop in meteorological readings due to cancellations of commercial flights .
According to their study , removing all aircraft data from weather models reduces accuracy by 15 % .
Other parts of the world are also at risk .
Most U.S. weather monitoring stations on the ground send information automatically , but in many developing nations , that data is collected manually by observers .
Radar stations are still few and far between in some countries .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant decrease in the availability of this type of manual observations over the last two weeks , '' potentially a big concern if the coronavirus pandemic drags on through seasons of floods , hurricanes , and other weather-related disasters where early warnings are critical .

One More Coronavirus Problem: Accurate Weather Forecasts
Enlarge this image toggle caption Silas Stein/DPA/AFP via Getty Images Silas Stein/DPA/AFP via Getty Images
Widespread cancellations of commercial flights are creating problems for meteorologists around the world. That's because weather forecasting models rely on temperature and wind data gathered by thousands of planes flying overhead.
The National Weather Service uses more than 250 million measurements from aircraft every year, which are fed into complex weather computer models. As of the end of March, meteorological data provided by U.S. aircraft had dropped by half.
The World Meteorological Organization says it's "concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quantity and quality of weather observations and forecasts."
But NOAA officials say while it's still too early to tell, the drop won't necessarily lead to less accurate weather reports since they're finding ways to compensate.
"While there is a reduction of commercial passenger flights, we still receive valuable aircraft data from overnight cargo and package carriers," says NOAA spokesperson Lauren Gaches. "We also collect billions of Earth observations from other sources that feed into our models, such as weather balloons, surface weather observation network, radar, satellites and buoys."
Weather forecasters in Europe are facing the same decline. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reports a 80% drop in meteorological readings due to cancellations of commercial flights. According to their study, removing all aircraft data from weather models reduces accuracy by 15%.
Other parts of the world are also at risk. Most U.S. weather monitoring stations on the ground send information automatically, but in many developing nations, that data is collected manually by observers. Radar stations are still few and far between in some countries.
The World Meteorological Organization reports seeing "a significant decrease in the availability of this type of manual observations over the last two weeks," potentially a big concern if the coronavirus pandemic drags on through seasons of floods, hurricanes, and other weather-related disasters where early warnings are critical.


npr--2020-04-03--Children May Miss Meals As School Food Service Workers Fall Ill

In Clark County , Nev. , the nation 's fifth-largest school district , a school food service worker has reportedly died of COVID-19 .
That death is one of around 40 recorded in the state of Nevada as of Friday afternoon .
Just a few weeks ago NPR reported on the swift efforts to continue to get meals to children and their families , as schools shut their doors in response to the spreading coronavirus .
The school lunch program in typical times feeds nearly 30 million U.S. children .
Now those efforts seem to be faltering .
Across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mo.
, Tonganoxie , Kan. , Pasadena , Calif. , Memphis , Tenn. , and Kanawha County , W.Va. , school districts have stopped or scaled back meal distribution to families in need , at least temporarily , as their food service workers test positive or are suspected of having coronavirus .
Houston Independent School District is relaunching its service with new safety protocols .
Memphis schools haves partnered with the YMCA to resume food service there .
Some districts in Louisiana and Texas are getting help from a program out of Baylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to families .
In other places , districts say they 're scaling back food offerings simply because they 've run out of money .
St. Landry Parish in rural Louisiana said they were looking for partners to keep feeding families .
The $ 2 trillion federal coronavirus rescue package includes $ 8.8 billion for child nutrition programs , but it 's unclear exactly when or how that will be distributed .
Ann Cooper , director of food services for the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado , tells NPR her workers ' safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear is that people can get sick and then we wo n't be able to service the community . ''
She says she 's divided her workers up into three teams with no crossover , limiting who is exposed to whom .
Workers ' temperatures are taken as they come into the kitchen , and they also are asked to take their own temperature twice a day and report it in a Google Doc .
Food safety , packing and distribution rules are as stringent as possible , and the staff does a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the crisis drags on , Cooper says she 's worried about her people 's mental health .
`` What kind of emotional toll is that going to take on people ?
And what happens when the first people get sick and other people have to step in ? ''
School lunch staff are now , essentially , first responders , she says .
`` And that 's just not something that most people signed up for when you become a lunch lady . ''

Children May Miss Meals As School Food Service Workers Fall Ill
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Amon/Connecticut Public/NENC Joe Amon/Connecticut Public/NENC
In Clark County, Nev., the nation's fifth-largest school district, a school food service worker has reportedly died of COVID-19. That death is one of around 40 recorded in the state of Nevada as of Friday afternoon.
Just a few weeks ago NPR reported on the swift efforts to continue to get meals to children and their families, as schools shut their doors in response to the spreading coronavirus. The school lunch program in typical times feeds nearly 30 million U.S. children.
Now those efforts seem to be faltering. Across the country, in Detroit, Raytown, Mo., Tonganoxie, Kan., Pasadena, Calif., Memphis, Tenn., and Kanawha County, W.Va., school districts have stopped or scaled back meal distribution to families in need, at least temporarily, as their food service workers test positive or are suspected of having coronavirus.
Houston Independent School District is relaunching its service with new safety protocols. Memphis schools haves partnered with the YMCA to resume food service there. Some districts in Louisiana and Texas are getting help from a program out of Baylor University that is mailing shelf-stable food directly to families.
In other places, districts say they're scaling back food offerings simply because they've run out of money. St. Landry Parish in rural Louisiana said they were looking for partners to keep feeding families. The $2 trillion federal coronavirus rescue package includes $8.8 billion for child nutrition programs, but it's unclear exactly when or how that will be distributed.
Ann Cooper, director of food services for the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, tells NPR her workers' safety was her greatest concern. "My fear is that people can get sick and then we won't be able to service the community."
She says she's divided her workers up into three teams with no crossover, limiting who is exposed to whom. Workers' temperatures are taken as they come into the kitchen, and they also are asked to take their own temperature twice a day and report it in a Google Doc. Food safety, packing and distribution rules are as stringent as possible, and the staff does a video chat with a nurse every morning.
As the crisis drags on, Cooper says she's worried about her people's mental health. "What kind of emotional toll is that going to take on people? And what happens when the first people get sick and other people have to step in?"
School lunch staff are now, essentially, first responders, she says. "And that's just not something that most people signed up for when you become a lunch lady."


npr--2020-04-03--After Outcry Over Navy Captain Relieved Of Command, Assurances He Won't Be Expelled

After Outcry Over Navy Captain Relieved Of Command , Assurances He Wo n't Be Expelled A day after U.S. Navy Captain Brett Crozier was abruptly removed from his post as commanding officer of the coronavirus-infected aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt , a Navy official confirms to NPR that acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly intends for Crozier to be reassigned rather than dismissed from the Navy .
It was Modly who relieved Crozier of his command on Thursday — a decision the navy secretary insists was his own — two days after an alarmed letter the captain wrote describing the dismal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a furor after being leaked to The San Francisco Chronicle .
Modly had said Wednesday that the fact that Crozier wrote to his chain of command to express his concerns `` would absolutely not result in any type of retaliation , '' adding that it was `` what we want our commanding officers to be able to do . ''
But on Thursday Modly , who was named acting navy secretary after Richard Spencer was forced out as the Navy 's top civilian late last year , said Crozier had shown `` poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email to up to 30 people , but not to his immediate superior on the warship .
`` I could reach no other conclusion than that Capt .
Crozier had allowed the complexity of his challenge with the covid outbreak on his ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally , when acting professionally was what was needed most at the time , '' Modly told reporters at the Pentagon .
`` It creates a panic , and it creates the perception that the Navy is not on the job , the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's just not true . ''
Modly revealed on Friday to Reuters that Crozier is being reassigned rather than discharged .
His disclosure followed an outpouring of expressions of support for Crozier and condemnation of his being fired .
A Change.org online petition demanding Crozier 's reinstatement as the Roosevelt 's commanding officer had garnered more than 86,000 signatures by midday Friday .
`` Captain Crozier was unjustly relieved of duty , '' the petition reads .
`` His crime was asking for help regarding the safety of his crew when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many lives .
Although he was fired , his plan to safely remove crew members was still implemented .
He is a hero who should be rewarded . ''
Several personal videos of Crozier 's nighttime departure from the aircraft carrier that were posted online show crew members on the deck cheering their sacked commander .
He salutes them from the warship 's brow before walking down a gangway alone , a knapsack slung over his shoulder , to a vehicle waiting on the pier .
In one of those videos , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the captain and repeatedly chants `` Cap-tain !
Cro-zier ! ''
Another video showing his exit from the Roosevelt is accompanied by the message , `` the whole ship came out to say goodbye to Captain Crozier , '' followed by `` # crozierforpresident '' .
There was also condemnation of Crozier 's removal from former Vice President Joe Biden , President Trump 's likely Democratic challenger in November .
`` Donald Trump 's Acting Navy Secretary shot the messenger — a commanding officer who was faithful to both his national security mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sailors , and who rightly focused attention on a broader concern about how to maintain military readiness during this pandemic , '' Biden said in a statement to Reuters .
`` And the Navy sent a chilling message to the rest of the fleet about speaking truth to power , '' he said .
`` The poor judgment here belongs to the Trump Administration , not a courageous officer trying to protect his sailors . ''
In a tweet reacting to Crozier 's removal , Rep. Seth Moulton , D-Mass.
, also had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I learned on my first day in the Marines that having the courage to speak truth to power is grounds for respect not grounds for relief , '' said the former Marines officer and Iraq war veteran who sits on the House Armed Services Committee .
`` This is far from the first time in the last several years that Congress is going to have a lot of questions for Navy leadership—on leadership . ''
A joint statement from four other Democrats on the House Armed Services panel , including Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more nuanced .
It gives measured support to Modly 's contention that Crozier improperly went outside of the chain of command with his denunciation of dire conditions aboard the Roosevelt .
`` Captain Crozier was justifiably concerned about the health and safety of his crew , but he did not handle the immense pressure appropriately , '' the committee members write .
`` However , relieving him of his command is an overreaction . ''
`` Throwing the commanding officer overboard without a thorough investigation is not going to solve the growing crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the lawmakers add .
`` Dismissing a commanding officer for speaking out on issues critical to the safety of those under their command discourages others from raising similar concerns . ''
Modly said Thursday that Adm. Robert Burke , the vice chief of naval operations , will be leading an investigation into the actions that led to Crozier being relieved of his command , as well as an examination of the Pacific fleet 's command climate .
In addition to the approximately 1,000 crew members of the Roosevelt who disembarked at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , another 2,700 are expected to have left the ship by this weekend to be quarantined in local hotels .
The Guam Daily Post reported Friday that the first 180 of those sailors had been transferred to an oceanside hotel and within 24 hours up to another 500 more would follow .
Expedited removal of the sailors from the virus-infested aircraft carrier to quarantine-worthy quarters was the central demand Crozier made in his leaked letter to his superiors .
Every sailor put in quarantine on the U.S. territory of Guam , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have first tested negative for the coronavirus , according to Rear Adm. John Menoni , commander of Joint Region Marianas .
More than 100 crew members have tested positive for coronavirus , a number which Modly predicts could rise to the hundreds as testing of every crew member continues .

After Outcry Over Navy Captain Relieved Of Command, Assurances He Won't Be Expelled
toggle caption U.S. Navy
A day after U.S. Navy Captain Brett Crozier was abruptly removed from his post as commanding officer of the coronavirus-infected aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Navy official confirms to NPR that acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly intends for Crozier to be reassigned rather than dismissed from the Navy.
It was Modly who relieved Crozier of his command on Thursday — a decision the navy secretary insists was his own — two days after an alarmed letter the captain wrote describing the dismal circumstances of his 4,865 crew members sparked a furor after being leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
Modly had said Wednesday that the fact that Crozier wrote to his chain of command to express his concerns "would absolutely not result in any type of retaliation," adding that it was "what we want our commanding officers to be able to do."
But on Thursday Modly, who was named acting navy secretary after Richard Spencer was forced out as the Navy's top civilian late last year, said Crozier had shown "poor judgment" by sending his letter by email to up to 30 people, but not to his immediate superior on the warship.
"I could reach no other conclusion than that Capt. Crozier had allowed the complexity of his challenge with the covid outbreak on his ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally, when acting professionally was what was needed most at the time," Modly told reporters at the Pentagon. "It creates a panic, and it creates the perception that the Navy is not on the job, the government's not on the job, and it's just not true."
Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said Captain Brett Crozier exercised poor judgement in writing the letter about coronavirus outbreak on USS Theodore Roosevelt and has been removed from command https://t.co/chh7OXnhtu pic.twitter.com/HXN4uMi5Py — Reuters (@Reuters) April 2, 2020
Modly revealed on Friday to Reuters that Crozier is being reassigned rather than discharged. His disclosure followed an outpouring of expressions of support for Crozier and condemnation of his being fired.
A Change.org online petition demanding Crozier's reinstatement as the Roosevelt's commanding officer had garnered more than 86,000 signatures by midday Friday.
"Captain Crozier was unjustly relieved of duty," the petition reads. "His crime was asking for help regarding the safety of his crew when a covid-19 outbreak. His actions possibly saved many lives. Although he was fired, his plan to safely remove crew members was still implemented. He is a hero who should be rewarded."
Several personal videos of Crozier's nighttime departure from the aircraft carrier that were posted online show crew members on the deck cheering their sacked commander. He salutes them from the warship's brow before walking down a gangway alone, a knapsack slung over his shoulder, to a vehicle waiting on the pier.
In one of those videos, a large crowd of crew members applauds the captain and repeatedly chants "Cap-tain! Cro-zier!"
Another video showing his exit from the Roosevelt is accompanied by the message "the whole ship came out to say goodbye to Captain Crozier," followed by "#crozierforpresident."
There was also condemnation of Crozier's removal from former Vice President Joe Biden, President Trump's likely Democratic challenger in November.
"Donald Trump's Acting Navy Secretary shot the messenger — a commanding officer who was faithful to both his national security mission and his duty to care for his sailors, and who rightly focused attention on a broader concern about how to maintain military readiness during this pandemic," Biden said in a statement to Reuters.
"And the Navy sent a chilling message to the rest of the fleet about speaking truth to power," he said. "The poor judgment here belongs to the Trump Administration, not a courageous officer trying to protect his sailors."
In a tweet reacting to Crozier's removal, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., also had sharp words for the Navy's leaders.
"I learned on my first day in the Marines that having the courage to speak truth to power is grounds for respect not grounds for relief," said the former Marine officer and Iraq war veteran who sits on the House Armed Services Committee. "This is far from the first time in the last several years that Congress is going to have a lot of questions for Navy leadership—on leadership."
A joint statement from four other Democrats on the House Armed Services panel, including Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., is somewhat more nuanced. It gives measured support to Modly's contention that Crozier improperly went outside of the chain of command with his denunciation of dire conditions aboard the Roosevelt.
"Captain Crozier was justifiably concerned about the health and safety of his crew, but he did not handle the immense pressure appropriately," the committee members write. "However, relieving him of his command is an overreaction."
"Throwing the commanding officer overboard without a thorough investigation is not going to solve the growing crisis aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt," the lawmakers add. "Dismissing a commanding officer for speaking out on issues critical to the safety of those under their command discourages others from raising similar concerns."
Modly said Thursday that Adm. Robert Burke, the vice chief of naval operations, will be leading an investigation into the actions that led to Crozier being relieved of his command, as well as an examination of the Pacific fleet's command climate.
In addition to the approximately 1,000 crew members of the Roosevelt who disembarked at a U.S. naval base in Guam earlier this week, another 2,700 are expected to have left the ship by this weekend to be quarantined in local hotels.
The Guam Daily Post reported Friday that the first 180 of those sailors had been transferred to an oceanside hotel and within 24 hours up to another 500 more would follow.
Expedited removal of the sailors from the virus-infested aircraft carrier to quarantine-worthy quarters was the central demand Crozier made in his leaked letter to his superiors.
Every sailor put in quarantine on the U.S. territory of Guam, where the Roosevelt is docked, will have to have first tested negative for the coronavirus, according to Rear Adm. John Menoni, commander of Joint Region Marianas.
More than 100 crew members have tested positive for coronavirus, a number which Modly predicts could rise to the hundreds as testing of every crew member continues.


npr--2020-04-03--'We Are Swamped': Coronavirus Propels Interest In Raising Backyard Chickens For Eggs

'We Are Swamped ' : Coronavirus Propels Interest In Raising Backyard Chickens For Eggs The coronavirus pandemic is heightening interest in raising young chickens for a reliable supply of eggs , with hatcheries saying they 're seeing a flood of new customers .
`` We are swamped with orders , '' says Nancy Smith , owner of the Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon , Mo .
`` We ca n't answer all the phone calls , and we are booked out several weeks on most breeds . ''
For families adapting to disruptions brought on by COVID-19 , raising hens is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the availability of staple items at grocery stores .
Starting a backyard flock could also be a rewarding project for Americans who now face the prospect of spending weeks or months at home , with schools closed and workers either laid off , furloughed , or working remotely .
Folks who are feeling cooped up , in other words , may want to start a coop of their own .
`` People are at home so they 're looking for something for their families to do while they 're home , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hatchery in Lancaster County , Pa. `` The other reason is the security of having food in their backyard . ''
Fox says he has seen `` a pretty large increase '' in people wanting to raise their own chickens .
The new customers are all over the U.S. , he says , adding that the small orders are bringing a much-needed boost at a time when many large orders are being canceled by farmers who supply restaurants and processed food plants .
`` A lot of the stores and processing plants in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Fox says , `` and a lot of our birds end up there . ''
The idea of raising chickens of one 's own might conjure an image of pastoral bliss , of a simpler life that clucks along outdoors .
But throngs of people are now rushing to acquire that lifestyle .
`` We 've never seen anything like this and I 've been here since 1964 , '' Smith says , describing the spike in her business .
Suggesting that some customers might be affected by the stress millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds , `` Everyone is very anxious , and in some cases very impatient . ''
While most newbie farmers are turning to chickens for eggs , some also plan to raise birds for their meat .
`` Our most popular breed is the Freedom Ranger , a slower growing colored broiler ( meat bird ) , '' Fox says .
To learn more about what people should consider when starting their own flock of chickens , I spoke to John Monaco , president of the American Poultry Association .
The group – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization in North America – maintains lists of standard breeds and also sanctions poultry shows .
The new public interest in raising chickens is part of a broader pattern , Monaco says .
`` Backyard poultry has been on the upswing all over , especially in the rural areas , for the last five or 10 years , '' Monaco says .
`` Raising your own chickens and even your own broilers — it 's become a lot more fashionable to do it . ''
He adds , `` In our area in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people that have just small backyard flocks , that raise their own eggs . ''
As for what breeds people might look for , Monaco says , `` It depends on what you want .
There 's egg layers , that are strictly for egg-laying .
There 's dual-purpose , which are egg layers but they 're also meat birds . ''
`` For egg layers , you have Leghorns and for dual-purpose birds , you have Rhode Island Reds , Plymouth Rocks , '' he says , adding that the birds are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on visits to farms , or our grandparents ' houses .
`` Those are the type of breeds that most people want , '' Monaco says .
`` Some of these breeds have been in our standards since 1874 . ''
He then laid out some of the differences between them : The number of eggs a hen can lay each week usually depends on the sun , Monaco says .
`` It all goes by the amount of light during the day — the more light there is during the day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
`` So during the summer months they lay more , and you can get one egg a day out of some of them .
The older birds lay less , of course .
`` But there 've been chickens that have laid over 300 eggs in a year , '' he says .
For the average citizen farmer who might keep half a dozen chickens during the summer , Monaco says , `` you would get plenty of eggs for the family . ''
Starting a flock does n't have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that people can get started by buying some chicks from a feed store .
`` For the people that are just looking for a few birds for their backyard , it 's just a fun hobby , '' he says .
`` They 're fun to watch . ''

'We Are Swamped': Coronavirus Propels Interest In Raising Backyard Chickens For Eggs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mike Segar/Reuters Mike Segar/Reuters
The coronavirus pandemic is heightening interest in raising young chickens for a reliable supply of eggs, with hatcheries saying they're seeing a flood of new customers.
"We are swamped with orders," says Nancy Smith, owner of the Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Mo. "We can't answer all the phone calls, and we are booked out several weeks on most breeds."
For families adapting to disruptions brought on by COVID-19, raising hens is seen as an answer to vexing questions about the availability of staple items at grocery stores. Starting a backyard flock could also be a rewarding project for Americans who now face the prospect of spending weeks or months at home, with schools closed and workers laid off, furloughed, or working remotely.
Folks who are feeling cooped up, in other words, may want to start a coop of their own.
"People are at home so they're looking for something for their families to do while they're home," says Kendall Fox of the Freedom Ranger Hatchery in Lancaster County, Pa. "The other reason is the security of having food in their backyard."
Fox says he has seen "a pretty large increase" in people wanting to raise their own chickens. The new customers are all over the U.S., he says, adding that the small orders are bringing a much-needed boost at a time when many large orders are being canceled by farmers who supply restaurants and processed food plants.
"A lot of the stores and processing plants in New York City have closed as well," Fox says, "and a lot of our birds end up there."
The idea of raising chickens of one's own might conjure an image of pastoral bliss, of a simpler life that clucks along outdoors. But throngs of people are now rushing to acquire that lifestyle.
"We've never seen anything like this and I've been here since 1964," Smith says, describing the spike in her business.
Suggesting that some customers might be affected by the stress millions of people are now feeling, she adds, "Everyone is very anxious, and in some cases very impatient."
While most newbie farmers are turning to chickens for eggs, some also plan to raise birds for their meat.
"Our most popular breed is the Freedom Ranger, a slower growing colored broiler (meat bird)," Fox says.
To learn more about what people should consider when starting their own flock of chickens, I spoke to John Monaco, president of the American Poultry Association. The group — Monaco says it's the oldest livestock organization in North America — maintains lists of standard breeds and also sanctions poultry shows.
The new public interest in raising chickens is part of a broader pattern, Monaco says.
"Backyard poultry has been on the upswing all over, especially in the rural areas, for the last five or 10 years," Monaco says. "Raising your own chickens and even your own broilers — it's become a lot more fashionable to do it."
He adds, "In our area in Southern California, there's thousands of people that have just small backyard flocks, that raise their own eggs."
As for what breeds people might look for, Monaco says, "It depends on what you want. There's egg layers, that are strictly for egg-laying. There's dual-purpose, which are egg layers but they're also meat birds."
"For egg layers, you have Leghorns and for dual-purpose birds, you have Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks," he says, adding that the birds are what many of us might have seen on visits to farms, or our grandparents' houses.
"Those are the type of breeds that most people want," Monaco says. "Some of these breeds have been in our standards since 1874."
He then laid out some of the differences between them:
"Leghorns are good egg-layers. They're a medium-sized Mediterranean breed, been around for years, there's different varieties, all different colors. They're a medium-sized bird, but they lay a big egg. "You get into the Rhode Island Reds and the Plymouth Rocks, they're American breeds, they lay a decent-sized egg, but they're a bigger bird. They're also a meat bird."
The number of eggs a hen can lay each week usually depends on the sun, Monaco says.
"It all goes by the amount of light during the day — the more light there is during the day, the more that they lay," he says. "So during the summer months they lay more, and you can get one egg a day out of some of them. The older birds lay less, of course.
"But there've been chickens that have laid over 300 eggs in a year," he says.
For the average citizen farmer who might keep half a dozen chickens during the summer, Monaco says, "you would get plenty of eggs for the family."
Starting a flock doesn't have to be expensive, Monaco says, adding that people can get started by buying some chicks from a feed store.
"For the people that are just looking for a few birds for their backyard, it's just a fun hobby," he says. "They're fun to watch."


npr--2020-04-03--Pandemic Claims The Lives Of Doctors In The Philippines At Startling Rates

Pandemic Claims The Lives Of Doctors In The Philippines At Startling Rates In the Philippines , doctors who have treated patients with COVID-19 are dying in alarming numbers .
Fourteen physicians who died tested positive for the virus and four more are suspected of succumbing to it , according to the Philippine Medical Association .
As the pandemic sweeps through the Philippines , confirmed cases of COVID-19 are rising by the hundreds each day .
On Friday , 385 new cases were reported , and 29 deaths , the highest for a single day .
Total confirmed cases have crossed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
But the toll on the country 's physicians in particular is heightening fears that the magnitude of the outbreak may be much worse than is being officially reported .
Physicians comprise more than 1 in 10 of those who have been reported to have died of the coronavirus in the Philippines .
Dr. Oscar Tinio , the spokesman and former president of the Philippine Medical Association , told NPR there are many reasons , but chiefly it is the same shortcoming that has afflicted countries around the world , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most doctors got the disease because we lacked the necessary protective equipment to be used against it .
And I think some doctors also felt invincible .
...
But basically , I think we failed to protect ourselves — completely . ''
Tinio , 63 , says his 100-bed St. Dominic Medical Center in Cavite outside Manila has only enough PPE to last another eight days .
The government has provided only meager amounts of supplies .
He says the full-body suits his staff must wear when treating coronavirus patients `` are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assess whether they can afford to stay open .
Two major hospitals less than 3 miles from Tinio 's medical center have already closed because staff had to be quarantined and because they did n't have enough facilities and equipment to meet patient needs , he says .
In Manila , premier private hospitals are already filled to capacity and turning people away .
Local media report that data from the University of the Philippines predict the virus will infect 660,000 to 1.4 million people in the country , with 80 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distressing , says Tinio , is the way some patients have `` lied to doctors about their travel history or whether they were exposed to the virus . ''
He says they could well have transmitted the deadly virus to their attending physician .
The Philippine Medical Association is pushing a message on social media encouraging patients to be truthful : `` If you lie , I die . ''
Tinio says he 's feeling a mix of emotions , `` because I 'm in the middle of the battle . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the three things I have in my in my chest .
... Why were n't we prepared ? ''

Pandemic Claims The Lives Of Doctors In The Philippines At Startling Rates
Enlarge this image toggle caption Maria Tan/AFP via Getty Images Maria Tan/AFP via Getty Images
In the Philippines, doctors who have treated patients with COVID-19 are dying in alarming numbers. Fourteen physicians who died tested positive for the virus and four more are suspected of succumbing to it, according to the Philippine Medical Association.
As the pandemic sweeps through the Philippines, confirmed cases of COVID-19 are rising by the hundreds each day. On Friday, 385 new cases were reported, and 29 deaths, the highest for a single day. Total confirmed cases have crossed the 3,000 mark, with 136 total deaths.
But the toll on the country's physicians in particular is heightening fears that the magnitude of the outbreak may be much worse than is being officially reported.
Physicians comprise more than 1 in 10 of those who have been reported to have died of the coronavirus in the Philippines. Dr. Oscar Tinio, the spokesman and former president of the Philippine Medical Association, told NPR there are many reasons, but chiefly it is the same shortcoming that has afflicted countries around the world, including the U.S.: personal protective equipment.
"Most doctors got the disease because we lacked the necessary protective equipment to be used against it. And I think some doctors also felt invincible. ... But basically, I think we failed to protect ourselves — completely."
Tinio, 63, says his 100-bed St. Dominic Medical Center in Cavite outside Manila has only enough PPE to last another eight days. The government has provided only meager amounts of supplies. He says the full-body suits his staff must wear when treating coronavirus patients "are very expensive."
Shortages are forcing hospitals to assess whether they can afford to stay open. Two major hospitals less than 3 miles from Tinio's medical center have already closed because staff had to be quarantined and because they didn't have enough facilities and equipment to meet patient needs, he says. In Manila, premier private hospitals are already filled to capacity and turning people away.
Local media report that data from the University of the Philippines predict the virus will infect 660,000 to 1.4 million people in the country, with 80% of cases in Metro Manila.
Particularly distressing, says Tinio, is the way some patients have "lied to doctors about their travel history or whether they were exposed to the virus." He says they could well have transmitted the deadly virus to their attending physician.
The Philippine Medical Association is pushing a message on social media encouraging patients to be truthful: "If you lie, I die."
Tinio says he's feeling a mix of emotions, "because I'm in the middle of the battle."
"Sadness, grief and anger. Those are the three things I have in my in my chest. ... Why weren't we prepared?"