Testing Holds States Back; Vaccine Timeline

According to new White House guidelines, a state, city, or county has to show a decreasing rate of confirmed coronavirus cases for 14 days before reopening their economy.

A year may seem like a long time to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, but vaccine development typically takes longer. NPR’s Joe Palca explains why it’s so hard and what researchers are doing to speed things up.

Food banks around the country have been stretched, including one in San Antonio. Last week it served 10,000 families, many of whom are dealing with joblessness and food insecurity caused by the pandemic.

Plus, the man who developed the N95 mask filter technology comes out of retirement.

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

New White House Guidance for When States Can Move To Re-Open

The White House Thursday offered a blueprint for states to re-open. It starts with a decline in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and includes extensive testing that does not yet exist. Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo told NPR’s Rachel Martin that the lack of testing means the outbreak is still largely unpredictable.

In the past four weeks, 22 million people have filed for unemployment, nearly wiping out all the job gains since the Great Recession.

A group of volunteer EMTs in New Jersey is on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak.

Plus, after seven months in space, astronaut Jennifer Mier returns to a very different reality on Earth.

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

Re-Opening Won’t Feel Normal; Tech Giants Plan For Contact Tracing

Governors around the country are starting to plan for what reopening their states could look like. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said testing will be a big part of his decision making.

Millions of Americans should have received an economic impact payment from the government today. Meanwhile, many are still waiting on unemployment benefits.

Plus, Apple and Google’s plan to help with contract tracing will depend on trust from the public.

Listen to Life Kit’s episode on giving back on Apple, Spotify and NPR One.

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

Some Government Aid Checks Will Arrive This Week

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says 80 million Americans should receive economic impact payments by Wednesday.

President Trump said during Monday’s contentious coronavirus task force briefing that he plans to lift federal guidelines on social distancing soon, falsely claiming that he has “total” authority on the matter.

Meanwhile, as an outbreak of COVID-19 in South Dakota closes a major meat processing facility, Governor Kristi Noem continues to reject the idea of a statewide stay-at-home order.

Many Americans are reporting that they’re having unusually vivid dreams at night. One Bay Area resident started a website for others to share their dreams. Read what others are dreaming about on i dream of covid.

Listen to Short Wave’s episode, ‘How To Talk About The Coronavirus With Friends And Family’

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

Trump’s Unfulfilled Promises; What Contact Tracing Could Look Like

Exactly one month ago, President Trump declared a national emergency and promised a mobilization of public and private resources to attack the coronavirus. NPR’s Investigations Team finds that few of those promises have come to pass.

The CDC says they’ll soon release a plan to help state and local governments with contact tracing, but Massachusetts has already started building its own contact tracing system.

NPR’s Allison Aubrey discusses why some are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others, and looks ahead at what opening up the country may look like.

And if you’re one of the many families feeling a budget squeeze right now, Life Kit has some tips for you.

NPR’s Investigations Team’s full story on each claim Trump made one month ago

Tips on budgeting from Life Kit.

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

Q & A: Masks, Unemployment Aid, And Recovering From COVID-19

Public health experts and NPR journalists answer listener questions on ‘The National Conversation with All Things Considered,’ NPR’s nightly radio show about the coronavirus crisis. Excerpted here:

Dr. Abraar Karan on wearing masks
Dr. Lucy McBride on what to do if someone is recovering from the coronavirus at home
NPR’s Scott Horsley on unemployment relief and how to get it

We’ll return with a regular episode of Coronavirus Daily on Monday.

Some Infection Rates Drop, But U.S. Hasn’t Peaked Yet

Dr. Deborah Birx said despite signs of progress in New York and elsewhere, the United States hasn’t reached the peak of the pandemic yet.

Rigorous testing and contact tracing specifically are being called for, but Birx said the White House Task Force is being realistic about “how strategically that very valuable resource can be used” in the U.S.

Despite empty grocery store shelves, there’s an excess of food other places, like farms. NPR’s Dan Charles reports on the struggling supply chain.

Chaplain Rocky Walker’s full conversation with Morning Edition host David Greene.

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

Antibody Tests Coming “Very Soon”; Is The Coronavirus Seasonal?

Antibody tests that could help determine who has had the virus are being developed Dr. Anthony Fauci said. There’s hope those people will have some measure of immunity.

The CDC issued return-to-work guidelines for critical workers who had contact with someone who had a confirmed or even suspected case of COVID-19.

Scientists are trying to figure out whether changing seasons will affect the spread of the coronavirus.

Plus, how public health experts create models to help us predict where the outbreak is headed.

Wuhan resident Piso Nseke’s conversation with Mary Louise Kelly about his first day outside after almost three months of lockdown.

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

Social Distancing Is Working; Why The Virus Hits Hard In The Second Week

New York state saw its highest daily death count today, but Dr. Anthony Fauci says because of mitigation strategies like social distancing, a turnaround may be in sight.

Some people who get COVID-19 will experience relief from symptoms, only to crash in the second week. NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel reports doctors think they may have found a treatment for these patients.

Plus, U.S. states are competing against each other for the same scare medical resources.

Scott Horsley’s reporting on women losing more jobs than men.

Nell Greenfieldboyce’s reporting on why men appear to be more likely to die from COVID-19 than women.

Video of Fenway Park’s organist Josh Kantor.

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter

Deaths Climb In Louisiana; Delays In Aid For Small Businesses

The Paycheck Protection Program was created to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. But the program got off to a rocky start, with some businesses having trouble applying for and getting the money.

In Louisiana, an alarming number of black people are dying from COVID-19.

Plus, how the coronavirus affects animals and what you can do to protect your pets.

Derek Thompson’s article in The Atlantic ‘The Four Rules of Pandemic Economics.’

Find and support your local public radio station

Sign up for ‘The New Normal’ newsletter