huffpost--2020-03-14--I'm So Confused About How To Parent In The Face Of Coronavirus

When I first became a mom five years ago , I struggled to trust my parental instincts because I basically had none .
I was supposed to be the expert on this strange baby ?
Why was his poop that color ?
Did he even like me ?
Yes , it ’ s a huge relief that healthy kids who get COVID-19 generally have milder symptoms .
But we ’ re really in unchartered territory here .
Do my usual instincts about what to do if they get sick still apply ?
What about the fact that my boys ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much experts simply don ’ t know ?
It ’ s maddening to be a parent at this moment because the messaging feels so mixed .
In New York , adults have been urged to work from home if possible and to avoid “ crowded ” subways ( as if there ’ s any other kind ) .
But ― as of right now ― my elder son ’ s public school is still open .
So is my little one ’ s daycare .
I know schools provide essential safety , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids .
But is it not basically magical thinking to hope I can help limit the virus ’ spread by working remotely — while simultaneously sending my boys off every day ?
Even if the schools in your area are open ( which is really changing by the minute across the country ) , experts do say it ’ s most definitely time to practice some degree of social distancing .
That ’ s pretty much what it sounds like : putting space between your family and other people .
“ The key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen in Singapore and South Korea , is social distancing , ” Dr. Peter Jung , an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston , told HuffPost .
“ The better we all practice this , the sooner we can gain a foothold on this pandemic.
” I ’ ve been reminding myself to think of other parents .
I do not have medically complex children .
Many moms and dads do .
Social distancing is one thing we can all do to try and keep those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoiding people altogether .
In King County , Washington , where there is a current outbreak , public health officials are reassuring residents that social distancing doesn ’ t mean people have to stay home .
They ’ re saying now is the time for one-on-one hangs .
So call up your kiddo ’ s BFF and let them play for a bit .
If you haven ’ t already , now is the time to really teach your kids the right way to wash their hands .
Make sure they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and using soap and warm water .
Though it ’ s a battle none of us will ever win , remind them not to touch their faces .
Think about what you ’ ll do when one of them starts coughing .
Call your child ’ s pediatrician , and if you do go in for care , make sure the providers know why ahead of time .
Keep in mind that COVID-19 testing is still pretty limited in the United States and that the CDC is generally calling for people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , except when they need to seek out medical care .
For the past month , my husband and I have been re-sleep training our toddler after a monster sleep regression .
But last night when he woke up and started to fuss , I broke every rule and rushed right in .
I rocked him for a bit until his squishy little body went heavy in my arms — likely undoing weeks of work instantly .
But for those few moments , I felt totally safe and totally at peace .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ d fallen asleep smiling .
Turns out I might still have some parental instincts left after all .

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc via Getty Images Wondering how to be the best parent for your kid during the coronavirus pandemic? Here are some things to keep in mind.
When I first became a mom five years ago, I struggled to trust my parental instincts because I basically had none. I was supposed to be the expert on this strange baby? Why was his poop that color? Did he even like me?
I’ve since had another kid and learned to trust my gut. I haven’t felt that kind of paralyzing parental indecision for years — until the new coronavirus hit my home city of New York. Now I second-guess everything.
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Yes, it’s a huge relief that healthy kids who get COVID-19 generally have milder symptoms. But we’re really in unchartered territory here. Do my usual instincts about what to do if they get sick still apply? What about the fact that my boys’ pediatrician readily admits that there’s so much experts simply don’t know?
Feeling equally confused and wondering how to be the best parent for your kid in spite of the chaos? Here are a few basics we know right now.
It’s time for social distancing.
It’s maddening to be a parent at this moment because the messaging feels so mixed. In New York, adults have been urged to work from home if possible and to avoid “crowded” subways (as if there’s any other kind). But ― as of right now ― my elder son’s public school is still open. So is my little one’s daycare. I know schools provide essential safety, stability and food for millions of American kids. But is it not basically magical thinking to hope I can help limit the virus’ spread by working remotely — while simultaneously sending my boys off every day?
Even if the schools in your area are open (which is really changing by the minute across the country), experts do say it’s most definitely time to practice some degree of social distancing. That’s pretty much what it sounds like: putting space between your family and other people.
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“The key to slowing this pandemic down, as seen in Singapore and South Korea, is social distancing,” Dr. Peter Jung, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, told HuffPost. “The better we all practice this, the sooner we can gain a foothold on this pandemic.”
I’ve been reminding myself to think of other parents. I do not have medically complex children. Many moms and dads do. Social distancing is one thing we can all do to try and keep those kids safe.
That does NOT mean avoiding people altogether.
Yes, experts seem pretty conflicted about what social distancing actually means in practice. However, they generally agree it is NOT a form of self-quarantine.
“Any public place where large number of people gather and touch things is a sure breeding ground for COVID-19,” Jung said. “Ideally, these types of venues should be avoided until further notice from public health officials.”
That means places like amusement parks, playgrounds and museums (many of which are closing anyway) should probably be avoided. But does that mean my son’s three-person martial arts class is also a “no”? Or playdates?
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“Realistically, we are social creatures so people are going to meet,” Jung said. “Should this happen, the smaller the group, the better.”
In King County, Washington, where there is a current outbreak, public health officials are reassuring residents that social distancing doesn’t mean people have to stay home. They’re saying now is the time for one-on-one hangs. So call up your kiddo’s BFF and let them play for a bit.
Don’t forget the basics.
Yes, social distancing can certainly help to “flatten the curve,” said Dr. Kristin Dean, medical director at Doctor On Demand, but hand-washing continues to be an absolute priority as well.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to really teach your kids the right way to wash their hands. Make sure they’re doing it for at least 20 seconds, and using soap and warm water. Though it’s a battle none of us will ever win, remind them not to touch their faces.
“Teaching your kids is really step number one before you start thinking about ‘Should I send them to karate class, or should I send them to school?’” Dean said.
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Think about what you’ll do when one of them starts coughing.
Health experts say it’s not atypical for a kid to get up to 10 respiratory viruses during a standard cold and flu season. So, as ever, expect sniffles and coughs. Have a thermometer handy and don’t freak out.
“Just like any other cold or flu season, you want to keep your kids home if they’re exhibiting fevers,” Dean said.
Call your child’s pediatrician, and if you do go in for care, make sure the providers know why ahead of time. Keep in mind that COVID-19 testing is still pretty limited in the United States and that the CDC is generally calling for people who have mild symptoms to isolate at home, except when they need to seek out medical care.
Now’s also a good time to take stock of what you already have in your kitchen. I, for example, have an odd amount of jelly, and not enough whole grains or oats.
Prepping a bit — by making a loose plan for what I’ll do if my kids start coughing, and getting my home in order — has made me feel a bit less helpless. As this all unfolds, I’m also just trying to be gentle with myself and my kids.
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For the past month, my husband and I have been re-sleep training our toddler after a monster sleep regression. But last night when he woke up and started to fuss, I broke every rule and rushed right in. I rocked him for a bit until his squishy little body went heavy in my arms — likely undoing weeks of work instantly. But for those few moments, I felt totally safe and totally at peace. And when I looked down, I saw he’d fallen asleep smiling. Turns out I might still have some parental instincts left after all.


huffpost--2020-03-14--This Netflix Show Calls Jared Kushner The 'Slumlord Millionaire'

What ’ s up : Netflix ’ s “ Dirty Money ” is a docuseries focused on corruption and capitalism @ @ @ @ @ episodes of the second season focus on subjects such as Wells Fargo and Jared Kushner @ @ @ @ @ The first episode focuses on the various Wells Fargo scandals of the last decade .
@ @ @ @ @ in which bankers at local branches would open accounts for people without telling them , @ @ @ @ @ The first scene shows a man ( whom the viewer later discovers is a whistleblower @ @ @ @ @ room overlooking the United States Capitol .
In what looks like a staged scene , @ @ @ @ @ pages of a speech while ominous yet hopeful music plays .

What’s up: Netflix’s “Dirty Money” is a docuseries focused on corruption and capitalism gone awry. The six episodes of the second season focus on subjects such as Wells Fargo and Jared Kushner.
How it starts: The first episode focuses on the various Wells Fargo scandals of the last decade. The account fraud scandal, in which bankers at local branches would open accounts for people without telling them, gets the central narrative.
The first scene shows a man (whom the viewer later discovers is a whistleblower) in a dark hotel room overlooking the United States Capitol. In what looks like a staged scene, the man flips through the pages of a speech while ominous yet hopeful music plays.


huffpost--2020-03-14--White House Widens European Travel Ban To Include U.K., Ireland

Moments before , President Donald Trump told reporters that he was considering domestic travel restrictions but did not offer additional details .
Pence later reiterated that the administration was considering a wide range of domestic options .
Public health officials have repeatedly stressed that social distancing is crucial to helping prevent the health care system from being overloaded .
The coronavirus is already a grave public health danger in the U.S. , with thousands of people infected and dozens of deaths ― and the numbers are only going to increase as the virus spreads through communities .
But at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address the primary problem : a catastrophic lack of available testing .
Both the president and vice president have made varying claims about the availability of tests ; Trump claimed Friday that a million tests would be available by “ early next week.
” Late Friday night , White House and congressional leadership finally came to an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill to deal with the testing gap and some of the financial fallout many American families are facing amid the crisis .
Both Trump and Pence praised the coronavirus relief deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pass the Senate next week .
“ If you ’ re sick , stay home .
You ’ re not going to miss a paycheck because of the legislation moving through the Congress , ” Pence said .
The bill , however , does not apply to a significant portion of American workers .
It creates a national paid sick leave program for one year , providing two weeks ’ leave for workers affected by the coronavirus and reimbursing 100 % of the cost to employers .
But it does not help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also makes it easier for people to be tested for COVID-19 , which is the name of the illness caused by the coronavirus , regardless of insurance status .
“ This legislation is about testing , testing , testing , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said in a statement Friday night .
The White House has also claimed to be working on a website for Americans worried they might have the virus that would provide health care information .
Trump said Friday that his team was working with Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company later said in a statement that such a website was only in the early stages of development and would only serve people living in the Bay Area of California .
On Saturday , Pence once again asserted that a website was in the works , promising more details Sunday evening .
White House data counts 2,226 official reported COVID-19 cases across the country , with 50 deaths .
“ We have not reached our peak , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , the infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he added .
“ We will see more suffering and death.
” Trump declared a national emergency over the outbreak on Friday , allocating $ 50 million in disaster relief funding .
He spent much of the press conference , however , explicitly refusing to take responsibility for testing failures and the federal government ’ s sluggish initial response .

Moments before, President Donald Trump told reporters that he was considering domestic travel restrictions but did not offer additional details. Pence later reiterated that the administration was considering a wide range of domestic options. Public health officials have repeatedly stressed that social distancing is crucial to helping prevent the health care system from being overloaded.
The coronavirus is already a grave public health danger in the U.S., with thousands of people infected and dozens of deaths ― and the numbers are only going to increase as the virus spreads through communities. But at this point a travel ban does nothing to address the primary problem: a catastrophic lack of available testing.
Both the president and vice president have made varying claims about the availability of tests; Trump claimed Friday that a million tests would be available by “early next week.”
Late Friday night, White House and congressional leadership finally came to an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill to deal with the testing gap and some of the financial fallout many American families are facing amid the crisis.
Both Trump and Pence praised the coronavirus relief deal on Saturday, signaling they expected it to pass the Senate next week.
“If you’re sick, stay home. You’re not going to miss a paycheck because of the legislation moving through the Congress,” Pence said.
The bill, however, does not apply to a significant portion of American workers. It creates a national paid sick leave program for one year, providing two weeks’ leave for workers affected by the coronavirus and reimbursing 100% of the cost to employers. But it does not help companies with more than 500 employees.
It also makes it easier for people to be tested for COVID-19, which is the name of the illness caused by the coronavirus, regardless of insurance status.
“This legislation is about testing, testing, testing,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement Friday night. The White House has also claimed to be working on a website for Americans worried they might have the virus that would provide health care information. Trump said Friday that his team was working with Google to develop the site, but the company later said in a statement that such a website was only in the early stages of development and would only serve people living in the Bay Area of California. On Saturday, Pence once again asserted that a website was in the works, promising more details Sunday evening.
White House data counts 2,226 official reported COVID-19 cases across the country, with 50 deaths.
“We have not reached our peak,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health.
“We will see more cases,” he added. “We will see more suffering and death.”
Trump declared a national emergency over the outbreak on Friday, allocating $50 million in disaster relief funding. He spent much of the press conference, however, explicitly refusing to take responsibility for testing failures and the federal government’s sluggish initial response.


huffpost--2020-03-13--Coronavirus Fears Could Depress Voter Turnout In Coming Primaries

The growing coronavirus pandemic is affecting every facet of American life , and it could soon have a serious impact on U.S. elections too .
On Friday , Louisiana became the first state to postpone its 2020 primary over the outbreak , moving it from April 4 to June 20 .
The state ’ s top election official said he was doing so out of an abundance of caution to protect both poll workers and voters themselves , adding that moving entirely to absentee ballots was not possible this close to the election .
Meanwhile , officials in Arizona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which are holding primaries on March 17 , this coming Tuesday ― said that they do not plan to delay their elections .
“ Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past , ” the secretaries of state said in a joint statement on Friday , “ and based on the best information we have from public health officials , we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election.
” Voters in all four states can still cast their vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Illinois and Florida has already passed .
Still , there are growing concerns that some voters , particularly older people , may stay home on Election Day to avoid long lines and crowded rooms .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that older people , especially , are more vulnerable to COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
The health agency has urged people to avoid gatherings and crowds to help fight the spread of the disease .
David Barker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he expected lower voter turnout in coming primaries this year due to fears of the coronavirus and the fact that former Vice President Joe Biden appears to have a commanding delegate lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) in the race for the Democratic nomination .
“ It will be impossible to know what combination of those factors is responsible for what I expect to be substantially reduced turnout on Tuesday ( and especially beyond ) , ” Barker , who studies voting behavior , told HuffPost in an email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which saw a particularly large number of coronavirus cases at nursing homes and senior facilities , are expecting to confirm a record voter turnout in its primary earlier this week .
But many of the state ’ s ballots were mailed in weeks before the outbreak worsened across the country and before the cancellations of major sporting and cultural events and other public gatherings .
There is evidence that Biden ’ s campaign is paying attention to how coronavirus fears may impact the election .
Exit poll after exit poll has shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmingly supporting Biden in recent primaries .
On Friday , senior Biden campaign adviser Kate Bedingfield issued a statement urging individuals who may be at risk for the virus or who may present a risk to others to vote by absentee ballot .
“ If voters are feeling healthy , not exhibiting symptoms , and don ’ t believe they ’ ve been exposed to COVID-19 , please vote on Tuesday .
If voters are members of an at-risk population , exhibiting symptoms , or have been exposed to a diagnosed case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballots and vote by mail options , ” Bedingfield said in a statement .
Lawmakers and election experts are also starting to call for instituting an automatic vote-by-mail program in all 50 states ahead of the November general election .
On Wednesday , Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) proposed allowing all Americans to vote by mail in case of an emergency , asking $ 500 million to help states get ready for any voter disruptions caused by the coronavirus .
“ If we think of the country as at war with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the war effort we should put plans in place to insure that voters may cast their ballots easily and freely in November , ” Hasen wrote in Slate on Friday .
“ If Congress does not act , millions of people who live in states without no-excuse absentee balloting face the risk of disenfranchisement .
”

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Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.
The growing coronavirus pandemic is affecting every facet of American life, and it could soon have a serious impact on U.S. elections too.
On Friday, Louisiana became the first state to postpone its 2020 primary over the outbreak, moving it from April 4 to June 20. The state’s top election official said he was doing so out of an abundance of caution to protect both poll workers and voters themselves, adding that moving entirely to absentee ballots was not possible this close to the election.
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Meanwhile, officials in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio ― all of which are holding primaries on March 17, this coming Tuesday ― said that they do not plan to delay their elections.
“Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past,” the secretaries of state said in a joint statement on Friday, “and based on the best information we have from public health officials, we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election.” Voters in all four states can still cast their vote by mail-in ballot ― although the official deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Illinois and Florida has already passed.
Still, there are growing concerns that some voters, particularly older people, may stay home on Election Day to avoid long lines and crowded rooms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that older people, especially, are more vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The health agency has urged people to avoid gatherings and crowds to help fight the spread of the disease.
David Barker, a professor of government at American University, said he expected lower voter turnout in coming primaries this year due to fears of the coronavirus and the fact that former Vice President Joe Biden appears to have a commanding delegate lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the race for the Democratic nomination.
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“It will be impossible to know what combination of those factors is responsible for what I expect to be substantially reduced turnout on Tuesday (and especially beyond),” Barker, who studies voting behavior, told HuffPost in an email Friday.
Election officials in Washington state, which saw a particularly large number of coronavirus cases at nursing homes and senior facilities, are expecting to confirm a record voter turnout in its primary earlier this week. But many of the state’s ballots were mailed in weeks before the outbreak worsened across the country and before the cancellations of major sporting and cultural events and other public gatherings.
There is evidence that Biden’s campaign is paying attention to how coronavirus fears may impact the election. Exit poll after exit poll has shown older voters ― 65 and up ― overwhelmingly supporting Biden in recent primaries.
On Friday, senior Biden campaign adviser Kate Bedingfield issued a statement urging individuals who may be at risk for the virus or who may present a risk to others to vote by absentee ballot.
“If voters are feeling healthy, not exhibiting symptoms, and don’t believe they’ve been exposed to COVID-19, please vote on Tuesday. If voters are members of an at-risk population, exhibiting symptoms, or have been exposed to a diagnosed case of COVID-19, we encourage them to explore absentee ballots and vote by mail options,” Bedingfield said in a statement.
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Lawmakers and election experts are also starting to call for instituting an automatic vote-by-mail program in all 50 states ahead of the November general election. On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) proposed allowing all Americans to vote by mail in case of an emergency, asking $500 million to help states get ready for any voter disruptions caused by the coronavirus.
Instituting such a program would be complicated and take time, meaning Congress should act now in order to prepare state voting systems, University of California, Irvine law professor Rick Hasen said.


huffpost--2020-03-13--No Visits To Federal Prisons, Immigration Centers For Next 30 Days

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Inmates at all 122 federal correctional facilities across the country will no longer be allowed visits from family , friends or attorneys for the next 30 days , in response to the threat of the coronavirus , officials told The Associated Press on Friday .
The restrictions , now in effect , were portrayed as a precaution , since no federal inmates or Bureau of Prisons staff members have tested positives for COVID-19 .
It was unclear if any inmates have been tested .
The officials said some exceptions could be made for legal visits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , curtail staff travel and pause inmate transfers is part of the bureau ’ s action plan for concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus for the 175,000 inmates in Bureau of Prisons custody .
Correctional officers and other Bureau of Prisons staff members who work in facilities in areas with “ sustained community transmission ” or at medical referral centers — which provide advanced care for inmates with chronic or acute medical conditions — would be subject to enhanced health screenings .
Those include having their temperature taken before they report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , described in an action plan obtained by the AP , will remain in effect for 30 days and then will be re-evaluated .
Unlike a security lockdown , inmates will not be locked in cells .
The restrictions come as courts have suspended or delayed trials and as classes , sports events , concerts and conferences are canceled across the nation in an effort to stop the spread of the virus .
Separately on Friday , Immigration and Customs Enforcement also said it would temporarily suspend social visits at all of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were no detainees who had confirmed cases of COVID-19 and that canceling visitation was precautionary to “ further safeguard those in our care.
” But unlike prisons , where inmates are sent by judges , ICE has discretion on when to release immigrants as their deportation cases wind through court , and advocates called for vulnerable populations to be released , including pregnant women , those over 60 , and people with compromised immune systems .
“ Although immigration detainees are in civil , not criminal , custody , they are held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doctors have reported that a COVID-19 outbreak in these conditions is inevitable , ” said Greer Millard , a spokesman with the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project in Arizona .
Under the new Bureau of Prisons plan , there would be no social visits at any bureau facilities , but inmates would be eligible for an additional 200 minutes of phone time per month .
Legal visits are also being suspended , though officials said accommodations could be made on a case-by-case basis .
The new plan was being put into place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creates a risk of infection and transmission for inmates and staff , ” it said .
As part of the plan , all new inmates are screened for the risk factors of COVID-19 .
Those who are asymptomatic but have risk factors would be quarantined and those who showed symptoms and also had risk factors would be isolated and tested for COVID-19 .
Visits by volunteers , as well as official staff travel , and training will also be suspended , with limited exceptions .
Inmates will still be able to speak privately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of outbreaks in jails and prisons , which are ideal environments for virus outbreaks : Inmates share small cells with total strangers , use toilets just a few feet from their beds , and are herded into day rooms where they spend hours at a time together .
The union that represents correctional officers lauded the Bureau of Prisons ’ plans , saying they were “ swift , decisive , and unprecedented actions taken to combat the COVID-19 virus and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s federal prisons.
” “ These extensive measures will help ensure the safety and security of our facilities while protecting our federal law enforcement officers that walk the toughest neighborhoods in America , ” said Shane Fausey , the president of the National Council of Prison Locals .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people recover from the virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe cases may take three to six weeks to recover .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Inmates at all 122 federal correctional facilities across the country will no longer be allowed visits from family, friends or attorneys for the next 30 days, in response to the threat of the coronavirus, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
The restrictions, now in effect, were portrayed as a precaution, since no federal inmates or Bureau of Prisons staff members have tested positives for COVID-19. It was unclear if any inmates have been tested. The officials said some exceptions could be made for legal visits.
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The plan to temporarily suspend visitation, curtail staff travel and pause inmate transfers is part of the bureau’s action plan for concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus for the 175,000 inmates in Bureau of Prisons custody.
Correctional officers and other Bureau of Prisons staff members who work in facilities in areas with “sustained community transmission” or at medical referral centers — which provide advanced care for inmates with chronic or acute medical conditions — would be subject to enhanced health screenings. Those include having their temperature taken before they report for duty each day.
The restrictions, described in an action plan obtained by the AP, will remain in effect for 30 days and then will be re-evaluated. Unlike a security lockdown, inmates will not be locked in cells.
The restrictions come as courts have suspended or delayed trials and as classes, sports events, concerts and conferences are canceled across the nation in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
Advertisement
Separately on Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement also said it would temporarily suspend social visits at all of its detention facilities across the U.S. Officials said there were no detainees who had confirmed cases of COVID-19 and that canceling visitation was precautionary to “further safeguard those in our care.”
ICE is holding about 37,888 immigrants in more than 130 facilities including local jails and prisons.
But unlike prisons, where inmates are sent by judges, ICE has discretion on when to release immigrants as their deportation cases wind through court, and advocates called for vulnerable populations to be released, including pregnant women, those over 60, and people with compromised immune systems.
“Although immigration detainees are in civil, not criminal, custody, they are held in close contact inside prison-like facilities. Doctors have reported that a COVID-19 outbreak in these conditions is inevitable,” said Greer Millard, a spokesman with the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project in Arizona.
Under the new Bureau of Prisons plan, there would be no social visits at any bureau facilities, but inmates would be eligible for an additional 200 minutes of phone time per month. Legal visits are also being suspended, though officials said accommodations could be made on a case-by-case basis.
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“Access to legal counsel remains a paramount requirement in the BOP but like social visiting, the BOP is mitigating the risk of exposure created by external visitors,” the agency said in a statement.
The new plan was being put into place because “the population density of prisons creates a risk of infection and transmission for inmates and staff,” it said. As part of the plan, all new inmates are screened for the risk factors of COVID-19. Those who are asymptomatic but have risk factors would be quarantined and those who showed symptoms and also had risk factors would be isolated and tested for COVID-19.
Visits by volunteers, as well as official staff travel, and training will also be suspended, with limited exceptions. Inmates will still be able to speak privately with religious advisers by phone.
Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of outbreaks in jails and prisons, which are ideal environments for virus outbreaks: Inmates share small cells with total strangers, use toilets just a few feet from their beds, and are herded into day rooms where they spend hours at a time together.
The union that represents correctional officers lauded the Bureau of Prisons’ plans, saying they were “swift, decisive, and unprecedented actions taken to combat the COVID-19 virus and its ominous threat that it poses to our nation’s federal prisons.”
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“These extensive measures will help ensure the safety and security of our facilities while protecting our federal law enforcement officers that walk the toughest neighborhoods in America,” said Shane Fausey, the president of the National Council of Prison Locals.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and even death.
The vast majority of people recover from the virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe cases may take three to six weeks to recover.
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Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York and Astrid Galvan in Phoenix contributed to this report.
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huffpost--2020-03-14--What Does 'Social Distancing' Actually Mean? Here's What To Avoid.

What is social distancing , and how does it stop the spread of coronavirus ?
1 .
Is it OK to take domestic flights ?
3 .
Is it safe to go to the grocery store or pharmacy ?
4 .
Can I still eat at restaurants , go to the movies , etc.
?
5 .
Can I still go to the gym ?
6 .
How should I handle activities with my kids ?
Are birthday parties and playdates safe ?
7 .
What can I do if I ’ m concerned about sending my kids to school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wedding over the coronavirus ?
9 .
How seriously do I need to take all of this , really ?
“ The science behind doing this now is pretty urgent .
Because again , not having the medications , not having the vaccine ... the goal is really to try to flatten the bell-shaped curve of people [ who are infected ] so that not as many people get sick at one time , ” Benjamin said .
If we can do that , he added , then our health system should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need it .

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Cases of coronavirus infection continue to spread. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a number of recommendations to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Many local governments have followed suit, placing limits on public gatherings as part of what’s known as “social distancing.”
In California, for instance, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordered that gatherings of 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled at least through the end of March. Similarly, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced an indefinite ban on all gatherings of 500 or more.
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These numbers aren’t based on any one set of data; they’re general estimates meant to put the kibosh on major events that could spread the new virus in an explosive fashion. That doesn’t mean that a gathering of, say, 249 people is free and clear from risk of exposure or that hosting an intimate dinner party is automatically a good idea.
“There is no specific number of the people to say, ’All right, yes, you can go to a gathering where there are only five or 10 people, for example,” said Muhiuddin Haider, a clinical professor of global health at the University of Maryland. “The major principle is that we are trying to reduce the transmission.”
So if you want to do your part to slow the spread of the coronavirus, you might be wondering what is and isn’t safe to do. Here’s a look at how careful you really need to be and what plans you should cancel.
What is social distancing, and how does it stop the spread of coronavirus?
dowell via Getty Images The purpose of social distancing is to separate everyone enough so that the chain of infectivity is broken. Entertainment and nonessential activities should be avoided completely.
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Right now, we don’t have any vaccine or antiviral medication to treat COVID-19 if people do get the disease. “So what we do is try to keep people away from one another and try to keep it from spreading in a variety of ways,” said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
Those measures, known as non-pharmacological interventions, include handwashing, using hand sanitizer and social distancing.
“We know that, at least for this disease as has been described so far, every person who is sick right now appears to infect about two other people, on average,” Benjamin said. The goal, then, is to try to break that cycle. “That includes a more aggressive concept of social distancing.”
For people who have already been exposed to the virus, that’s isolation or quarantine.
For the rest of us, we should be keeping away from other people as much as possible. Because most people have not been tested for the virus, there’s no way to know who is potentially both infected and infectious. “In some cases, there are people out there who look perfectly well but are terribly infectious,” Benjamin said.
The idea of social distancing is to separate everyone enough so that the chain of infectivity is broken.
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“A lot of this stuff is important but not essential,” Benjamin said. So, in general, if you do need to go out into the public, try to limit it to important reasons. And if you are wondering what’s considered essential or important, here are answers to some of those questions.
1. Is it OK to take domestic flights?
International travel is pretty much off the table right now, but what if you need to fly domestically for work or personal reasons? Deciding whether or not to go is best approached by asking yourself a few questions, according to Pamela Aaltonen, professor emerita of nursing at Purdue University and past president of the American Public Health Association.
First, she says, consider how essential the travel really is. You should also find out what’s currently known about the number of cases at both ends of the travel (including layovers). Of course, “this is very challenging now because we’re not yet doing widespread testing,” Aaltonen said.
If it’s reasonable to use an alternative means of traveling, such as by car, that would be the preferred option. And if you’re part of a high-risk group ― you’re older in age and/or have a compromised immune system ― or the party you’re traveling to includes a high-risk individual that you don’t want to potentially expose, it’s probably best to call off the trip.
If you must travel, Aaltonen says you should wipe down arm rests, seat back tables, light switches and vent knobs before touching them.
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2. Should I stop using public transportation?
If your employer hasn’t instituted a work-from-home policy or you need to get around town to run errands, transportation can be another tricky situation. Public transportation exposes you to many people and germs. But for many people, there is no other option.
“Try to keep as much distance from one another as you can,” Aaltonen said, noting 6 to 10 feet is ideal. It also helps to travel at non-peak hours, if possible. “Minimize touching surfaces on public transportation,” she added. “Carry wipes or hand sanitizer if available (these are in short supply in many areas of the country) and use on frequently touched surfaces if you, too, are going to touch these surfaces.”
And though it might be a tough habit to break, Aaltonen said you shouldn’t shake hands or hug anyone you know along the way.
3. Is it safe to go to the grocery store or pharmacy?
Benjamin said this is a risk-based decision. If you need food or medication, there’s really no getting around it.
However, if you’re over the age of 60 or are immunocompromised, consider having someone run these types of errands for you.
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If that’s not a possibility (and you are not under isolation or quarantine, of course), try to go during off-peak hours when fewer people are around.
“It is not only desirable but highly recommended that we reduce our contact with humans.” - Muhiuddin Haider, clinical professor of global health at the University of Maryland
Other errands, such as going to the gas station to ensure you have a full tank of gas in case of emergency, are also pretty essential. But your dry cleaning should really wait.
4. Can I still eat at restaurants, go to the movies, etc.?
Considering that the goal right now is to limit our exposure to large crowds and places where many people congregate, entertainment and nonessential activities should really be avoided completely. Movie theaters, restaurants, football games ― all these hold a large number of people. “So the probability [of exposure] is very high, particularly when we don’t know who has been tested,” Haider said. “It is not only desirable but highly recommended that we reduce our contact with humans.”
5. Can I still go to the gym?
If you have a fitness routine that you’d like to stick to, you might wonder if the gym is a safe space. After all, it’s easy to assume that most regular patrons are in superior health and at less risk of falling seriously ill.
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“Certainly, it is helpful to be healthy if one contracts the virus, since you’re likely to have a better recovery, but this virus infects healthy as well as unhealthy persons,” Aaltonen said.
The problem here is that even if you are healthy, you can become infected but show no symptoms and then spread the virus to others unknowingly. Aaltonen suggested asking yourself some of the same questions as when deciding to travel. Are there high-risk people living in your household or that you come into contact with at work? How essential is it really for you to be in the gym?
Again, if you do decide to go, you should ask the staff about what sanitation measures they’ve instituted and wipe down all the equipment before and after using it. If possible, though, you’re better off with an at-home workout routine until we have a better handle on the virus.
6. How should I handle activities with my kids? Are birthday parties and playdates safe?
Again, people need to make a risk-based decision when it comes to children’s activities. “A small party might be OK,” Benjamin said. “But kids are little incubators.”
So far, there haven’t been any cases of children falling very ill due to exposure to coronavirus. But as evidenced by flu season, they tend to spread germs easily to parents, grandparents and other people in the household.
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“That’s the thing ― you’ve got to decide whether or not it’s important,” Benjamin said. “A birthday party can probably be rescheduled. Obviously, you have to properly educate your kid and make sure they understand why.”
His personal recommendation? As you can probably guess, it would be to err on the side of caution.
7. What can I do if I’m concerned about sending my kids to school?
Each school district will weigh a few important factors when deciding whether or not to close, according to Haider. That includes how many cases have been identified in the area, how many people have died (if any) and the estimated possibility of getting the virus. “Again, since our population is not all tested, we live in uncertainty,” Haider said.
Many school districts have decided to err on the side of caution and shut down so that children remain at home. However, not all have. If that’s the case for your kids, you may be wondering if it’s safe for them to continue attending school or if you should pull them out.
“It is better to keep the kids at home, or at least maintain a certain distance from the larger crowds to reduce the probability of transmission,” Haider said. However, he noted that’s easier said than done, as many working parents can’t take time off to care for children at home, and 22 million children rely on school-provided meals each day.
If it’s reasonable for your family, however, keeping your kids out of school for the next few weeks will help to protect them and prevent transmission in general.
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8. Should I postpone my wedding over the coronavirus?
Things can get particularly hairy if you have a major event like a wedding planned for the upcoming weeks. Postponing a wedding last-minute can definitely be a headache.
“It demands radical change in our lifestyle.” - Muhiuddin Haider
Whether to reschedule will come down to the number of guests, their ages and health status, the location of the wedding and more. “I would certainly think about scaling things down if you want to get married in the next four to six weeks,” Aaltonen said. If you’re not comfortable with scaling back the activities, you might as well postpone, she said.
9. How seriously do I need to take all of this, really?
“The science behind doing this now is pretty urgent. Because again, not having the medications, not having the vaccine... the goal is really to try to flatten the bell-shaped curve of people [who are infected] so that not as many people get sick at one time,” Benjamin said. If we can do that, he added, then our health system should be able to handle treating those who really need it.
As tempting as it is to try to maintain the same lifestyle during this pandemic, the hard truth is that we all need to make some sacrifices now to protect each other. “It is not an easy time for us,” Haider said. “It demands radical change in our lifestyle.”
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huffpost--2020-03-13--KFC Temporarily Stops Describing Its Chicken As 'Finger Lickin' Good'

Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog .
Turns out KFC ’ s longtime stance on finger lickin ’ isn ’ t the best public health advice right now .
The fast food chain announced Friday it would suspend a U.K. ad campaign focused on its famous “ finger lickin ’ good ” slogan in light of the coronavirus pandemic .
As health officials all over the world stress the need for hygiene and hand-washing to prevent the spread of the virus , KFC reconsidered whether it was a good idea to show people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s flagship product , according to the Independent .
“ It doesn ’ t feel like the right time to be airing this campaign , so we ’ ve decided to pause it for now ― but we ’ re really proud of it and look forward to bringing it back at a later date , ” a spokesperson said .
The campaign had already received 163 complaints , a spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority , a self-regulatory agency focused on the British advertising industry , told the paper .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ good ” comes just weeks after the chain announced a search for a “ professional finger licker ” willing to show off their skills on billboards across Britain .
KFC did not immediately respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment .
However , the company insisted to the New York Post that “ finger lickin ’ good ” wasn ’ t being kicked to the curb permanently .
KFC isn ’ t the only corporation forced to ditch long-planned ad campaigns as a result of COVID-19 .
Both Coors Light and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people hugging each other or joking about working from home , The Washington Post noted .
Meanwhile , Spirit Airlines apologized on Thursday after sending out a mass email with the subject line , “ Never A Better Time To Fly , ” according to Business Insider .

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Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.
Turns out KFC’s longtime stance on finger lickin’ isn’t the best public health advice right now.
The fast food chain announced Friday it would suspend a U.K. ad campaign focused on its famous “finger lickin’ good” slogan in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
As health officials all over the world stress the need for hygiene and hand-washing to prevent the spread of the virus, KFC reconsidered whether it was a good idea to show people licking their fingers after eating the company’s flagship product, according to the Independent.
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“It doesn’t feel like the right time to be airing this campaign, so we’ve decided to pause it for now ― but we’re really proud of it and look forward to bringing it back at a later date,” a spokesperson said.
The campaign had already received 163 complaints, a spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority, a self-regulatory agency focused on the British advertising industry, told the paper.
The decision to temporarily retire “finger lickin’ good” comes just weeks after the chain announced a search for a “professional finger licker” willing to show off their skills on billboards across Britain.
KFC did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. However, the company insisted to the New York Post that “finger lickin’ good” wasn’t being kicked to the curb permanently.
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KFC isn’t the only corporation forced to ditch long-planned ad campaigns as a result of COVID-19.
Both Coors Light and Hershey have also canceled ads that showed people hugging each other or joking about working from home, The Washington Post noted.


huffpost--2020-03-14--Lying, Tweeting And Wishing A Pandemic Away Doesn’t Work, It Turns Out

On Feb. 26 , the day after a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that life in the United States was likely to change very quickly , Trump claimed that there were only 15 cases here , and that number would soon fall to zero .
Two days later , he called the virus the latest “ hoax ” that Democrats and the media were using to hurt the economy and , in turn , his chances for reelection .
Indeed , over the course of February , he spoke and posted on Twitter repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease it causes , had not killed as many as the seasonal flu and suggested that Americans should buy stocks .
It was not until Friday that Trump declared a national emergency , sending the official signal that local governments and hospitals around the country should take the problem seriously and ensuring that federal money would help reimburse their costs .
In the meantime , only a tiny fraction of Americans have been tested for the disease , meaning officials do not have enough data to allocate resources most efficiently .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Konyndyk said , should have been alarmed on Jan. 23 upon hearing of the mass quarantine in Hubei Province .
“ That right there should have been a huge warning sign , ” he said .
“ And there was no good reason to think if that could happen in China , it couldn ’ t happen somewhere else.
” That was the date the CDC should have started a crash program to develop and widely disseminate a test for the virus , the genetic code of which had been published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospitals should have been alerted to prepare for a crush of intensive care patients suffering from the disease , and first responders should have been notified and equipped with enough supplies to handle sick patients safely .
From the onset of the crisis , Trump has boasted about having imposed restrictions on foreigners — but not Americans — from entering the country from China back on Jan. 31 .
“ This is urgent for me right from the beginning .
You know that because I closed up our country to China , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
But just two weeks earlier , Trump had defended the action , saying he did not like having people on staff if they weren ’ t needed at that moment : “ Some of the people we cut , they haven ’ t been used for many , many years .
And if ― if we have a need , we can get them very quickly.
” “ Someone should have been looking at the big picture , and that someone should have been at the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Konyndyk said , adding that instead of preparing to deal with the pandemic here , Trump and his top officials fixated on the idea they could keep it from entering the country , despite knowing how contagious it was and how long an incubation period it had .
“ There was no reason to think we could keep this out.
” Trump ’ s own behavior , meanwhile , continued to undermine the warnings and advice put out by experts in his own administration .
At Friday ’ s news conference , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose , and then shook hands with other participants and adjusted the microphone at the lectern even though he has come into contact with individuals who have subsequently tested positive for the virus .
And while members of Congress have self-quarantined after being exposed to people who have tested positive , Trump refused to do so .
For days , he also declined to be tested .
When asked about being tested on Friday , Trump said all he did was shake hands and have a photograph taken with an infected person and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even know the individual .

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WASHINGTON ― What happens when the president of the United States tries to lie, wish and tweet a pandemic away?
As it turns out, it puts a government response four to six weeks behind schedule, possibly resulting in thousands — or even tens or hundreds of thousands — more Americans getting seriously ill and dying.
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“They underprepared, and now we have to catch up,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, who worked on the widely praised 2014 Ebola outbreak response under former President Barack Obama. “We could have been in a dramatically different place at this point.”
On Jan. 22, the day before China imposed a draconian quarantine on the province where the virus originated, Donald Trump claimed the disease was “totally under control,” that it was just in a single patient who had come from China. “It’s going to be just fine.”
On Feb. 10, as the virus was starting to spread in Italy and Iran, Trump told a meeting of the nation’s governors at the White House: “A lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat.”
On Feb. 26, the day after a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that life in the United States was likely to change very quickly, Trump claimed that there were only 15 cases here, and that number would soon fall to zero.
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Two days later, he called the virus the latest “hoax” that Democrats and the media were using to hurt the economy and, in turn, his chances for reelection. Indeed, over the course of February, he spoke and posted on Twitter repeatedly that the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, had not killed as many as the seasonal flu and suggested that Americans should buy stocks.
It was not until Friday that Trump declared a national emergency, sending the official signal that local governments and hospitals around the country should take the problem seriously and ensuring that federal money would help reimburse their costs. In the meantime, only a tiny fraction of Americans have been tested for the disease, meaning officials do not have enough data to allocate resources most efficiently.
“He’s just failing miserably,” said Juliette Kayyam, who helped handle the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak and the British Petroleum oil spill for Obama’s Department of Homeland Security and now lectures on emergency management at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “It’s about a president who saw a category five hurricane coming ashore, and just let it come.”
President Donald Trump speaks in the press briefing room at the White House on Saturday. Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
Trump’s comments set the tone
Although Trump may not specifically have told administration officials to focus on travel bans and downplay the coronavirus threat to avoid spooking the financial markets, he did not need to, disaster response experts said. His public statements and tweets made clear what he wanted.
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“It’s hard to go against the president,” Konyndyk said. “People in government are very attuned to what the president does and does not want to hear.”
Trump’s top national security and health officials, Konyndyk said, should have been alarmed on Jan. 23 upon hearing of the mass quarantine in Hubei Province. “That right there should have been a huge warning sign,” he said. “And there was no good reason to think if that could happen in China, it couldn’t happen somewhere else.”
That was the date the CDC should have started a crash program to develop and widely disseminate a test for the virus, the genetic code of which had been published by Chinese scientists nearly two weeks earlier. Hospitals should have been alerted to prepare for a crush of intensive care patients suffering from the disease, and first responders should have been notified and equipped with enough supplies to handle sick patients safely.
“That’s like basic crisis management 101,” Kayyam said. “The federal apparatus is just not ready.”
On Friday, though, Trump refused to accept any blame for his administration’s response: “I don’t take responsibility at all.” He then added, evidence notwithstanding, that his own performance has been superb. “We’re doing a great job.”
From the onset of the crisis, Trump has boasted about having imposed restrictions on foreigners — but not Americans — from entering the country from China back on Jan. 31. “This is urgent for me right from the beginning. You know that because I closed up our country to China,” he told reporters again on Saturday at the White House.
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In fact, by that point, as later evidence would show, the virus had already entered the United States, and “community spread” — which expands the circle of infection far more rapidly than entry of foreigners — had already begun.
“We don’t have a travel ban. We have a travel Band-Aid right now,” Ron Klain, who led Obama’s Ebola response, told lawmakers on Feb. 5. “First, before it was imposed, 300,000 people came here from China in the previous month. So, the horse is out of the barn.”
Undoing Obama at all costs
While Trump’s shaky effort with coronavirus began in January, its seeds were sewn nearly two years earlier, when his administration dismantled the pandemic response team that Obama created following the Ebola outbreak.
It was designed to streamline the federal government’s ability to deal with subsequent epidemics and was led by a member of the National Security Council, with direct access to the national security adviser.
Trump, who has made it a top priority to undo all of Obama’s accomplishments, claimed Friday that he didn’t have anything to do with eliminating the office and knew nothing about it.
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But just two weeks earlier, Trump had defended the action, saying he did not like having people on staff if they weren’t needed at that moment: “Some of the people we cut, they haven’t been used for many, many years. And if ― if we have a need, we can get them very quickly.”
Konyndyk said that in doing so, Trump had lost a lot of expertise from government. More important, it meant no one was in place at the NSC to see what was happening in China and immediately set a coordinated response in motion here.
“Someone should have been looking at the big picture, and that someone should have been at the White House. But they dissolved the directorate,” Konyndyk said, adding that instead of preparing to deal with the pandemic here, Trump and his top officials fixated on the idea they could keep it from entering the country, despite knowing how contagious it was and how long an incubation period it had. “There was no reason to think we could keep this out.”
Trump’s own behavior, meanwhile, continued to undermine the warnings and advice put out by experts in his own administration. At Friday’s news conference, he repeatedly touched his face, including his nose, and then shook hands with other participants and adjusted the microphone at the lectern even though he has come into contact with individuals who have subsequently tested positive for the virus.
And while members of Congress have self-quarantined after being exposed to people who have tested positive, Trump refused to do so. For days, he also declined to be tested. When asked about being tested on Friday, Trump said all he did was shake hands and have a photograph taken with an infected person and that, besides, he did not even know the individual.
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“I have no idea who he is, but I take pictures and it lasts for, literally, seconds,” Trump said. “I don’t know the gentleman that we’re talking about. I have no idea who he is.”
Friday night, just before midnight, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham released a letter from Trump’s White House doctor claiming that the president’s situation did not warrant getting a coronavirus test. But during a Saturday news briefing, Trump claimed he had, in fact, been tested the previous night, but the results weren’t yet available.
“I decided I should, based on the press conference yesterday. People were asking that I take the test,” Trump said Saturday. “Only because the press is going crazy.”


huffpost--2020-03-14--I'm 8.5 Months Pregnant During The Coronavirus Pandemic, And It's Scary

As I sat in front of my class of 20 freshman writing students in a suburban university just outside of Boston , one student coughed and then another .
Someone sneezed .
The room went silent for a moment as we collectively wondered if that would be the sneeze that would spread COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , through the room like wildfire .
I considered breaking out my last remaining mini bottle of hand sanitizer for the third time that class period .
Typically , sniffles and occasional coughing are commonplace in a classroom of college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too many classes .
Except this happened to be the day we were all waiting to hear if the university would be closed and moved online for the rest of the semester so we could practice social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus , as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
That , and I am eight-and-a-half-months pregnant .
As most parents know , the birth of a first child is an epic , momentous occasion in any adult ’ s life .
I bought books about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a calm , nurturing and even hypnotizing birth .
I toured the maternity ward at the hospital and took online courses and chatted about possible birth plans with my partner and doctor .
We had just settled on delayed cord clamping as an important priority when news of the coronavirus spreading to our city took hold .
The first confirmed case was reported .
And then a second .
And then a Biogen conference held at a Boston hotel created a ripple effect of cases spreading throughout the commonwealth .
Hand sanitizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , schools were closed , and nonessential employees moved to remote work .
Now , the pile of baby clothes from my baby shower remains in an unfolded heap , my baby books are shoved under the coffee table , and I spent much of my first day as a remote writing instructor in my pajamas , obsessively refreshing news outlets to read up on the most gruesome details of the pandemic that I could find .
This is not the stuff of the stress-reducing , preparing-for-birth mediations and mantras I had expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my due date .
I spent much of my first day as a remote writing instructor in my pajamas , obsessively refreshing news outlets to read up on the most gruesome details of the pandemic that I could find .
This is not the stuff of the stress-reducing , preparing-for-birth mediations and mantras I had expected to be indulging in six weeks before my due date .
The icing on the cake is that I am also about to be a first-time novelist , when my debut novel , “ The Way You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14th — even as readings , writing conferences , and book tours have been canceled in recent days .
At least that due date , I remind myself , is a known entity .
Yet the urge to choose a theme for my nursery feels almost as irrelevant now as questions over whether or not my author website is formatted optimally pre-publication .
I debate going to the gym because I ’ ve read about the importance of continuing to exercise throughout pregnancy ― but I wonder how contaminated the bars of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some time researching online book launches , but opt for leftover cake from the fridge instead .
I consider heading to the grocery store to stockpile canned goods with the rest of the country , but social media tells me that lines are out the door and shelves are empty .
Plus , all I really want to do right now is nap .
My doctor encouraged me not to worry , and the CDC claims that , although there isn ’ t much information about how the coronavirus affects pregnant women and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examples to indicate that my population of women with burgeoning bellies and our soon-to-be offspring are at a higher risk of complications , like we are with the flu .
But I ’ m not sure if this does much to assuage the anxiety attached to a word like pandemic .
The unknowns associated with a pandemic feel overwhelmingly weighty stacked up next to the unknowns of a pregnancy .
Will hospitals have a shortage of healthy doctors and nurses in six weeks ?
Will I go into labor early or will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands end up dying in the clutches of respiratory illness over the next month or will these quarantine precautions “ flatten the curve ” ?
Will I be able to deliver naturally or will I require an emergency cesarean-section to get this baby out ?
I read that in China , pregnant women were forced to cancel their regular check-ups before birth because hospital staff and resources were reallocated for coronavirus patients .
At this point , it is unclear if the situation in the U.S. will escalate to Wuhan- or Italy-scale proportions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but those requiring regular medical interventions , facing unexpected emergencies , or preparing to deliver their babies are carrying the burden of the unknown , when it comes to the risks associated with the virus spreading throughout hospitals and the availability of beds for patients without the virus .
I try to force the vision out of my head of laboring alone in a hospital room where visitors aren ’ t allowed , hoping a doctor ― who may be lacking proper safety equipment ― is freed up in time for me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even be a private room at all , but a hallway .
I stop myself there .
As it is , hospitals are already facing a shortage of protective masks for hospital staff due to the general public ’ s hoarding tendencies , but I have learned that languishing in worst-case-scenario fantasies does no one any good .
Although this is the first coronavirus pandemic that mine and my parents ’ generations have ever endured , I wonder if my unborn son will grow up in a world in which new viruses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and interconnectivity continues to expand and develop .
I imagine chubby , child fingers flying across iPads and keyboards as distant learning becomes the norm , and social media becomes one of the only safe means for building community without the risk of infection .
Although this is the first coronavirus pandemic that mine and my parents ' generations have ever endured , I wonder if my unborn son will grow up in a world in which new viruses become more common , as global travel and interconnectivity continues to expand and develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technique ― coupled with vigorous hand washing ― seems to be the only option for surrendering to global and personal circumstances never yet experienced in this lifetime .
The feeling of leaning into the future with my arms spread and my eyes closed in a trust fall comes with a keen sense of terror and yet , in other ways , something like relief .

"The unknowns associated with a pandemic feel overwhelmingly weighty stacked up next to the unknowns of a pregnancy." nelic via Getty Images
As I sat in front of my class of 20 freshman writing students in a suburban university just outside of Boston, one student coughed and then another. Someone sneezed. The room went silent for a moment as we collectively wondered if that would be the sneeze that would spread COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, through the room like wildfire. I considered breaking out my last remaining mini bottle of hand sanitizer for the third time that class period.
Typically, sniffles and occasional coughing are commonplace in a classroom of college students looking to avoid penalties for missing too many classes. Except this happened to be the day we were all waiting to hear if the university would be closed and moved online for the rest of the semester so we could practice social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That, and I am eight-and-a-half-months pregnant.
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As most parents know, the birth of a first child is an epic, momentous occasion in any adult’s life. I bought books about what to expect when expecting and how to have a calm, nurturing and even hypnotizing birth. I toured the maternity ward at the hospital and took online courses and chatted about possible birth plans with my partner and doctor.
We had just settled on delayed cord clamping as an important priority when news of the coronavirus spreading to our city took hold. The first confirmed case was reported. And then a second. And then a Biogen conference held at a Boston hotel created a ripple effect of cases spreading throughout the commonwealth. Hand sanitizer and toilet paper disappeared from store shelves, schools were closed, and nonessential employees moved to remote work.
Now, the pile of baby clothes from my baby shower remains in an unfolded heap, my baby books are shoved under the coffee table, and I spent much of my first day as a remote writing instructor in my pajamas, obsessively refreshing news outlets to read up on the most gruesome details of the pandemic that I could find. This is not the stuff of the stress-reducing, preparing-for-birth mediations and mantras I had expected to be indulging in six weeks before my due date.
“I spent much of my first day as a remote writing instructor in my pajamas, obsessively refreshing news outlets to read up on the most gruesome details of the pandemic that I could find. This is not the stuff of the stress-reducing, preparing-for-birth mediations and mantras I had expected to be indulging in six weeks before my due date.”
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The icing on the cake is that I am also about to be a first-time novelist, when my debut novel, “The Way You Burn,” is released on April 14th — even as readings, writing conferences, and book tours have been canceled in recent days. At least that due date, I remind myself, is a known entity. Yet the urge to choose a theme for my nursery feels almost as irrelevant now as questions over whether or not my author website is formatted optimally pre-publication.
I debate going to the gym because I’ve read about the importance of continuing to exercise throughout pregnancy ― but I wonder how contaminated the bars of the elliptical will be. I contemplate spending some time researching online book launches, but opt for leftover cake from the fridge instead. I consider heading to the grocery store to stockpile canned goods with the rest of the country, but social media tells me that lines are out the door and shelves are empty. Plus, all I really want to do right now is nap.
My doctor encouraged me not to worry, and the CDC claims that, although there isn’t much information about how the coronavirus affects pregnant women and newborns, there aren’t enough examples to indicate that my population of women with burgeoning bellies and our soon-to-be offspring are at a higher risk of complications, like we are with the flu. But I’m not sure if this does much to assuage the anxiety attached to a word like pandemic.
The unknowns associated with a pandemic feel overwhelmingly weighty stacked up next to the unknowns of a pregnancy. Will hospitals have a shortage of healthy doctors and nurses in six weeks? Will I go into labor early or will the baby come late? Will tens of thousands end up dying in the clutches of respiratory illness over the next month or will these quarantine precautions “flatten the curve”? Will I be able to deliver naturally or will I require an emergency cesarean-section to get this baby out?
I read that in China, pregnant women were forced to cancel their regular check-ups before birth because hospital staff and resources were reallocated for coronavirus patients. At this point, it is unclear if the situation in the U.S. will escalate to Wuhan- or Italy-scale proportions in the coming weeks or months, but those requiring regular medical interventions, facing unexpected emergencies, or preparing to deliver their babies are carrying the burden of the unknown, when it comes to the risks associated with the virus spreading throughout hospitals and the availability of beds for patients without the virus.
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I try to force the vision out of my head of laboring alone in a hospital room where visitors aren’t allowed, hoping a doctor ― who may be lacking proper safety equipment ― is freed up in time for me to deliver. Or maybe it won’t even be a private room at all, but a hallway. I stop myself there. As it is, hospitals are already facing a shortage of protective masks for hospital staff due to the general public’s hoarding tendencies, but I have learned that languishing in worst-case-scenario fantasies does no one any good.
Although this is the first coronavirus pandemic that mine and my parents’ generations have ever endured, I wonder if my unborn son will grow up in a world in which new viruses become more common, as global travel and interconnectivity continues to expand and develop. I imagine chubby, child fingers flying across iPads and keyboards as distant learning becomes the norm, and social media becomes one of the only safe means for building community without the risk of infection.
“Although this is the first coronavirus pandemic that mine and my parents' generations have ever endured, I wonder if my unborn son will grow up in a world in which new viruses become more common, as global travel and interconnectivity continues to expand and develop.”
As for now, the wait-and-see technique ― coupled with vigorous hand washing ― seems to be the only option for surrendering to global and personal circumstances never yet experienced in this lifetime. The feeling of leaning into the future with my arms spread and my eyes closed in a trust fall comes with a keen sense of terror and yet, in other ways, something like relief.
Christine Meade is a writer, editor and educator. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the California College of the Arts. Christine lives and writes outside of Boston. Her debut novel “The Way You Burn” will be published by She Writes Press in April 2020. To learn more about Christine Meade’s life and work, visit her website, christine-meade.com.
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huffpost--2020-03-14--France Is Closing Most Shops And Restaurants To Fight Coronavirus Spread

PARIS , March 14 ( Reuters ) - France will shut most shops , restaurants and entertainment facilities from midnight on Saturday as part of measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus , Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said .
He was speaking at a news conference after the public health authority said 91 people had died in France and almost 4,500 were now infected .
A man wearing a mask walks pasts the Eiffel tower closed after the French government banned all gatherings of over 100 people to limit the spread of the virus COVID-19 , in Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Philippe said the government had been left with no choice but to take the decision because too many people were still out in the streets and not sufficiently applying measures that were recently announced .
That , he said , was helping accelerate the spread of the virus .
“ I have decided to close all non-indispensable locations , ” he said , adding that exceptions to the shop ban would include food stores , pharmacies and petrol stations .
However , he said local elections on Sunday would go ahead .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ French public health authority , said there had been a rapid increase in serious cases , including 300 people in intensive care , half of whom were below 60 years of age .
“ I am conscious of the efforts and sacrifices that we are asking , but I have faith that the French people will have the capacity to overcome this serious moment , ” Philippe said .
( Reporting by John Irish ; Editing by Catherine Evans , William Maclean )

PARIS, March 14 (Reuters) - France will shut most shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities from midnight on Saturday as part of measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said.
He was speaking at a news conference after the public health authority said 91 people had died in France and almost 4,500 were now infected.
A man wearing a mask walks pasts the Eiffel tower closed after the French government banned all gatherings of over 100 people to limit the spread of the virus COVID-19, in Paris, Saturday, March 14, 2020. AP Photo/Christophe Ena
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Philippe said the government had been left with no choice but to take the decision because too many people were still out in the streets and not sufficiently applying measures that were recently announced. That, he said, was helping accelerate the spread of the virus.
“I have decided to close all non-indispensable locations,” he said, adding that exceptions to the shop ban would include food stores, pharmacies and petrol stations.
“We must absolutely limit our movements.”
However, he said local elections on Sunday would go ahead.
Jerome Salomon, the head of the French public health authority, said there had been a rapid increase in serious cases, including 300 people in intensive care, half of whom were below 60 years of age.


huffpost--2020-03-14--How Scammers Are Spreading Horrifying Coronavirus Disinformation To Millions

A voice booms over dramatic music and footage of mass graves : “ You ’ ve been lied to about the coronavirus , ” it cautions .
“ Will you have the knowledge you need to be a hero to your family ?
Or will you panic and wind up just another body that loved ones are afraid to bury ?
” Right-wing news outlets including Newsmax , Townhall and Conservative Buzz have been quietly dispersing the virus-themed marketing materials through sponsored posts in their email newsletters .
These third-party ads are often disguised to look like actual news articles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outlets ’ own readerships — thanks in large part to a covert email harvesting enterprise directly involving Google .
It works like this : The news outlet runs a Google ad featuring a clickbait poll such as , “ Trump vs Biden 2020 ?
Vote Here.
” To vote , people must enter their email addresses , which will then be spammed with bogus coronavirus treatments , survival guides and so on .
This has been going on for weeks , and the messaging is often terrifying and factually inaccurate .
Newsmax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Google , where its email-harvesting polls are sometimes viewed in excess of 10 million times each .
It has employed a similar strategy on Facebook , and has paid the platforms a total of more than $ 2.5 million .
On its website , Newsmax boasts that it has more than 6 million newsletter subscribers , most of whom are “ information-hungry baby boomer readers.
” Lately , it has been hammering them with sponsored content warning of financial ruin and death while hawking COVID-19 inspired stock market hacks , a book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even an immunity-boosting “ miracle ” mushroom from Japan .
It sent out the government conspiracy video in an email alert on Wednesday titled , “ Virus Plan : 50,000 Graves.
” A former longtime Agora employee who asked not to be identified for privacy reasons told HuffPost that “ probably 100 % ” of Agora ’ s advertising is done through outside newsletters , because most major social media sites have refused to run the company ’ s own ads .
But even without direct Google ad space , Agora is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive reach to capitalize on the coronavirus crisis .
“ The Agora people know exactly how Newsmax and other sites use clickbait Google ads to build up their [ email distribution lists ] , ” which means a larger audience for Agora ’ s content , the former employee said .
And by advertising through newsletters , Agora can “ make the messaging more aggressive and fear-mongering ” than what could run on Google .
However , Newsmax and Conservative Buzz newsletters link to that now-empty page using alarmist text specifically relating to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here to see the disturbing truth about the coronavirus ( that they ’ re not telling us . )
” Agora declined to answer almost all of HuffPost ’ s questions , including who wrote the newsletters ’ ad copy .
“ After a few days , we decided to stop promoting that report/book , ” it said as part of a lengthy statement .
“ We were uncomfortable with the idea that it could be seen as an attempt to capitalize on a tragic situation.
” Conservative Buzz has spent more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads , many of which have been viewed as many as 10 million times each .
Most , if not all , feature clickbait polls designed to procure people ’ s emails .
Its newsletter sponsors have been exploiting panic over COVID-19 to promote the Japanese mushroom , the immunity course , face masks , “ bank failure ” kits and even precious metals — often while using hysterical language and making unsupported claims about the products ’ abilities .
Townhall ’ s parent company , Salem Web Network , has spent nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 119 of which include polls that automatically sign voters up for Townhall ’ s newsletter .
In Thursday ’ s edition , a Townhall sponsor warned seniors that the virus was “ hemorrhaging ” their retirement funds , and urged them to buy its investment guide “ before it ’ s too late.
” HuffPost first wrote about this email-harvesting scheme in January — warning that some of Google ’ s major political advertisers were buying ads to boost their newsletter subscriber counts , then inundating those subscribers with sponsored emails containing harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer and other deadly diseases .
Google did not take action at the time , noting that the actual ads and landing pages complied with its rules .
“ All ads that run on our platforms have to comply with our ads policies .
If we find ads that violate these policies , we remove them , ” said a Google spokesperson .
“ We are committed to bringing greater transparency to political advertising , and for political advertisers , we have additional requirements , such as verification of the advertiser , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads Transparency Report.
” Tech giants are working in stride to tackle the coronavirus crisis .
For its part , Google has set up a 24-hour incident response team to engage with the World Health Organization , and is giving the group free advertising credit .
Google is also granting free access to some of its video-conferencing services to make it easier for people to work remotely , among other measures .
Most importantly , it ’ s working to promote authoritative sources while reducing the spread of false information .

Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.
A voice booms over dramatic music and footage of mass graves: “You’ve been lied to about the coronavirus,” it cautions. “Will you have the knowledge you need to be a hero to your family? Or will you panic and wind up just another body that loved ones are afraid to bury?”
The video, titled “Military Source Exposes Shocking TRUTH About Coronavirus,” baselessly warns of a secret government cover-up surrounding COVID-19, and is filled with increasingly brazen falsehoods — all to peddle a course on becoming “coronavirus-proof.”
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It’s one of many dangerous scams reaching millions of people amid the global pandemic, and a blind spot in Google’s sweeping crackdown on virus-related disinformation. The groups circulating these hoaxes are no small-fry hucksters: They are among the platform’s biggest political advertisers.
Right-wing news outlets including Newsmax, Townhall and Conservative Buzz have been quietly dispersing the virus-themed marketing materials through sponsored posts in their email newsletters. These third-party ads are often disguised to look like actual news articles, and the newsletters reach far beyond the outlets’ own readerships — thanks in large part to a covert email harvesting enterprise directly involving Google.
It works like this: The news outlet runs a Google ad featuring a clickbait poll such as, “Trump vs Biden 2020? Vote Here.” To vote, people must enter their email addresses, which will then be spammed with bogus coronavirus treatments, survival guides and so on. This has been going on for weeks, and the messaging is often terrifying and factually inaccurate.
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Newsmax is one of the top-spending political advertisers on Google, where its email-harvesting polls are sometimes viewed in excess of 10 million times each. It has employed a similar strategy on Facebook, and has paid the platforms a total of more than $2.5 million.
On its website, Newsmax boasts that it has more than 6 million newsletter subscribers, most of whom are “information-hungry baby boomer readers.” Lately, it has been hammering them with sponsored content warning of financial ruin and death while hawking COVID-19 inspired stock market hacks, a book promising “surefire” infection protection, and even an immunity-boosting “miracle” mushroom from Japan. It sent out the government conspiracy video in an email alert on Wednesday titled, “Virus Plan: 50,000 Graves.”
The firm behind the Japanese mushroom post is the Health Sciences Institute (HSI) — a group that’s notorious for pushing medical misinformation. The Federal Trade Commission is already suing HSI’s parent company, Agora Financial, for allegedly targeting seniors with unsupported claims about a 28-day cure for Type 2 diabetes.
A former longtime Agora employee who asked not to be identified for privacy reasons told HuffPost that “probably 100%” of Agora’s advertising is done through outside newsletters, because most major social media sites have refused to run the company’s own ads. But even without direct Google ad space, Agora is still strategically leveraging the platform’s massive reach to capitalize on the coronavirus crisis.
“The Agora people know exactly how Newsmax and other sites use clickbait Google ads to build up their [email distribution lists],” which means a larger audience for Agora’s content, the former employee said. And by advertising through newsletters, Agora can “make the messaging more aggressive and fear-mongering” than what could run on Google.
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This indirect advertising approach also allows grifters to escape public scrutiny for the claims spread through their promotional materials; many Google ads are cataloged through the platform’s public ad library, making them accessible to journalists and watchdogs.
A short time after HuffPost contacted Agora to seek comment for this article, HSI wiped all mentions of the Japanese mushroom from its website. Agora claimed that HSI’s webpage detailing the mushroom’s alleged benefits, including “some anti-cancer effects,” originally promoted an alternative medicine report and book.
However, Newsmax and Conservative Buzz newsletters link to that now-empty page using alarmist text specifically relating to the virus, including, “Click here to see the disturbing truth about the coronavirus (that they’re not telling us.)” Agora declined to answer almost all of HuffPost’s questions, including who wrote the newsletters’ ad copy.
“After a few days, we decided to stop promoting that report/book,” it said as part of a lengthy statement. “We were uncomfortable with the idea that it could be seen as an attempt to capitalize on a tragic situation.”
Scammers are using fear-mongering tactics to manipulate consumers amid the pandemic.
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Conservative Buzz has spent more than $4.3 million to run 4,567 Google ads, many of which have been viewed as many as 10 million times each. Most, if not all, feature clickbait polls designed to procure people’s emails. Its newsletter sponsors have been exploiting panic over COVID-19 to promote the Japanese mushroom, the immunity course, face masks, “bank failure” kits and even precious metals — often while using hysterical language and making unsupported claims about the products’ abilities.
Townhall’s parent company, Salem Web Network, has spent nearly $450,000 on Google ads, all 119 of which include polls that automatically sign voters up for Townhall’s newsletter. In Thursday’s edition, a Townhall sponsor warned seniors that the virus was “hemorrhaging” their retirement funds, and urged them to buy its investment guide “before it’s too late.”
Newsmax, Conservative Buzz and Salem Web Network did not respond to requests for comment.
HuffPost first wrote about this email-harvesting scheme in January — warning that some of Google’s major political advertisers were buying ads to boost their newsletter subscriber counts, then inundating those subscribers with sponsored emails containing harmful medical hoaxes, including supposed cures for cancer and other deadly diseases. Google did not take action at the time, noting that the actual ads and landing pages complied with its rules.
The company’s position has not changed.
“All ads that run on our platforms have to comply with our ads policies. If we find ads that violate these policies, we remove them,” said a Google spokesperson. “We are committed to bringing greater transparency to political advertising, and for political advertisers, we have additional requirements, such as verification of the advertiser, a paid-for-by disclosure and inclusion in our political ads Transparency Report.”
Tech giants are working in stride to tackle the coronavirus crisis. For its part, Google has set up a 24-hour incident response team to engage with the World Health Organization, and is giving the group free advertising credit. Google is also granting free access to some of its video-conferencing services to make it easier for people to work remotely, among other measures. Most importantly, it’s working to promote authoritative sources while reducing the spread of false information.
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