Testing (how it works, why it matters, and more)
Plus: President Trump, gym safety, and...poop?
Re-opening continues! The warm weather and gradual restoration of normal life are welcome changes for many of us, but the reality is that COVID very much remains a threat. We hope we can continue to be helpful in providing some context and clarity as things keep to evolving.
We also want to thank all of you who have reached out — we’re currently adding new pieces to the site every weekday and are working through covering as many of your questions and suggestions as we can (so be sure to keep checking back!). Recent updates include:
a news-in-context piece that cuts through the chatter about hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug that President Trump said he has taken
guidance on going to the gym safely (we get it — working out at home is tough)
and lastly, here’s a fun one: some news-in-context about using poop to conduct surveillance on future viral outbreaks
Explainer Highlight: Testing
This week we’re featuring a piece that we think is critical to understanding the issues surrounding re-opening: our explainer on testing. As re-opening continues, monitoring the virus has become a key policy concern to ensure we avoid the dreaded “second-wave” of infection you may have been hearing about lately. We think understanding the basics of the tests that are available — including both their strengths and their limitations — is a key part of making sense of the pandemic as a whole.
And if you don’t have time to read the entire thing — don’t worry, we have you covered. Check out the handy infographic below and feel free to share on social media or pass along to anyone in your life looking for a straightforward explanation of how all of this works.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns — you can get a hold of us via email, Twitter, Instagram, and the site itself.