The Daily: Covering the Coronavirus

February 28, 2020

By Michael Barbaro

Illustration by The New York Times; photographs by Jean Chung, Lam Yik Fei, Stephanie Keith for The New York Times

From the start of the coronavirus outbreak, “The Daily” has devoted several episodes to the epidemic, recounting the story of the virus’s journey across China and exploring how the Chinese government’s approach seemed to worsen the crisis.

By the middle of this week, as the virus started to spread across the Middle East and Europe, we debated the best way to tell the story. We typically build episodes around a narrative, emphasizing characters, drama and ideas. But this situation was different. The virus had become an epidemic on an increasingly global scale. It required something else.

Executive producer Lisa Tobin proposed the audio equivalent of an F.A.Q. about the coronavirus, a break in our normal form. Our producer, Alexandra Leigh Young, who works closely with The Times’s Science desk, hunted for the right guest: somebody who could explain the disease in simple terms and put the epidemic into historical context.

Soon enough, Alexandra was on the phone with Donald G. McNeil Jr., a reporter with decades of experience covering epidemics from SARS to MERS to Zika. We asked him every question we had about the coronavirus. Why is this virus so contagious? How does it spread? Who gets it? Who dies from it? Is there a cure?

And of course, this: Just how scared should we be?

Donald did not mince words.

“If things don’t change, a lot of us might die,” he told us.

He had chosen his words carefully.

“I spend a lot of time thinking about whether I’m being too alarmist or whether I’m being not alarmist enough,” he said in the interview.

Many of you have written to us — and Donald — to say how grateful you were for his explanations.

As the epidemic spreads and, according to public health officials, likely intensifies in the United States, we will keep trying to find ways to document and explain it in ways that are calm, candid and lucid, no matter what the information may be.

Talk to Michael on Twitter: @mikiebarb.

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The question of masks

We asked Donald G. McNeil Jr., our reporter on Thursday’s episode about the coronavirus, for some clarity about what we should and shouldn’t be doing with masks.

Do masks work?

It depends. Masks keep the droplets from a sick person’s coughs and sneezes in so that others don’t catch them.

But flat surgical masks don’t help people stay healthy, because air can get in around the edges, and because they encourage people to fiddle with their faces to adjust their masks.

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More important than a mask is washing your hands a lot, using hand sanitizer and keeping your fingers away from your eyes, nose and mouth. You’re more likely to pick up the flu from touching some surface than from a droplet drifting through the air.

Should I buy masks?

Don’t go buy N-95 masks. The country’s limited supply of N-95 masks will be needed by doctors and nurses, who have to change masks frequently, or they risk spreading the virus from infected patients to uninfected ones.

The only non-medical people who need to wear masks are sick people, not well ones. Anybody who’s sick would ideally stay inside, and if they have to leave the house, wear a mask.

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People who really feel better wearing a mask should wear the big cloth ones that cover their whole chin and the bottom of their face. (You can even sew your own.) These masks are harder to stick a finger inside and risk touching your nose or mouth. Plus, you can wash and reuse them.

You can find the latest updates on the coronavirus here, and more information about how to prepare here.

Indecision in South Carolina

On today’s episode of “The Field,” producers Clare Toeniskoetter and Annie Brown traveled to South Carolina with Astead Herndon, a politics reporter for The Times. The team met with black community leaders, whose support is crucial for winning the state’s primary.

As Astead points out in the episode, “Year after year, black voters have largely coalesced around a singular Democratic candidate.” And yet, this doesn’t seem to be the case in South Carolina.

Clare has been following the campaign trail through Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and now South Carolina. “Over the past year, candidates have directed much of their energy on the early voting states,” she told us. “In spite of this, we’re still seeing so many undecided voters.”

Annie agreed. “Something that’s so fascinating is how many people don’t know who they’re voting for as they’re driving to the polls. Ultimately, they have to make a game-time decision. The forces that drive them in the voting booth are kind of mysterious.”

You can listen to the story here or by searching for “The Field” wherever you get your podcasts.

Astead interviews Bishop Theodore Myers, founding pastor of Temple of Faith Bible Way ChurchClare Toeniskoetter/The New York Times

Clare follows Astead and Bishop Myers through the pews.Clare Toeniskoetter/The New York Times

Annie speaks with Helen Spearman, a member of the “Reckoning Crew.” This year, the female activist group is campaigning for Joe Biden.Clare Toeniskoetter/The New York Times

On ‘The Daily’ this week

Monday: “This is the first time that a major investor has genuinely taken on the issue of climate change.” Andrew Ross Sorkin on why several major American corporations have recently introduced new climate initiatives — and whether they’ll actually have an impact.

Tuesday: “The jury is making its decisions based on whether they believe these women’s stories or not. ” Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the reporters who first broke the Harvey Weinstein story, cover the verdict in his criminal trial.

Wednesday: U.S. intelligence officials say that Russia is trying to meddle in the 2020 election by supporting two very different candidates: President Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders. David Sanger explains.

Thursday: Donald G. McNeil Jr. breaks down what we know about the coronavirus and the threat it poses to the United States.

Friday: On an episode of “The Field,” we head to South Carolina with Astead Herndon. Joe Biden has staked his presidential candidacy on winning that state’s primary, but will voters turn out for him?