Why coronavirus makes some people really sick | Morning Newsletter
Plus, despite warnings about getting sick, protestors plan to gather in Harrisburg.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Concern about when Pennsylvania might end its shutdown order is leading some to protest in Harrisburg, despite warnings that they may infect each other and confound Gov. Tom Wolf’s broad plan for reopening the state. Also, researchers are working to figure out why the coronavirus can be so much worse for some patients, and they might be finding some clues.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The more exposure a person has to a virus, the higher chance of infection and worse symptoms. That’s true — up to a point. With the coronavirus, though, the “dose” is just a small part of the story, according to researchers.
In many patients with severe symptoms, the immune system has somehow gone haywire. That overwhelms the lungs with inflammation, making the body’s response worse than the virus itself.
But there might be some other combinations of factors at work, which might help explain why some people suffer only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Protests planned today in Harrisburg against the state’s shutdown order. Officials warn protestors may get each other sick.
An Ohio gun activist created a Facebook group last week called Pennsylvanians Against Excessive Quarantine. By Friday afternoon, it had more than 46,000 members. He also organized a rally at the Pennsylvania statehouse planned for today. Similar protests have popped up in some other states around the country, and Pennsylvania officials have warned protestors about the danger of gathering in groups.
The tension centers on when Pennsylvania will reopen. As for businesses, some in Philly say they’ll stay shuttered until people feel safe leaving their houses. And, Gov. Wolf outlined last week a broad plan for reopening the state. But one thing that might keep parts of the state from reopening is coronavirus testing capacity.
Dozens of other residents and staffers have tested positive for the coronavirus or exhibited symptoms, according to the Chester County coroner and an internal report obtained by my colleagues. The scope of the outbreak inside the 238-bed nursing home still isn’t entirely clear, but the National Guard sent about 30 of its members to assist with nursing, housekeeping, and other activities.
The Pennsylvania National Guard has also deployed nurses to a Delaware County nursing home to help handle an apparent uptick in coronavirus cases. Across the state, nursing homes have been left to largely police themselves, even as coronavirus deaths keep climbing. Pennsylvania has one of the oldest populations in the country.
What you need to know today
Today is the first full day Pennsylvania residents are required to wear masks in grocery stores and other businesses. And, if you’re not wearing a mask in public, some in Philly are seeing it as an act of aggression.
The coronavirus is keeping dying patients away from their families, leading currently healthy people to make their end-of-life wishes known.
If you need a ventilator for COVID-19, odds are 50-50 you’ll survive. But doctors are learning more every day.
The Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery will repay the city $1.8 million for its emergency response during the fire and explosion last year.
Self-employed and gig workers can now apply for unemployment in Pennsylvania. But the website is plagued by glitches and delays.
How could third parties affect the 2020 presidential race in swing states such as Pennsylvania?
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Visiting the Please Touch Museum when you literally aren’t supposed to touch anything. I love the irony. Thanks for sharing, @mr_sceve.
Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!
That’s interesting
🎸A lot of people tuned in to the One World: Together at Home special. Here’s what our reviewer wrote about the virtual concert.
🌡️Temps dropped below freezing early yesterday morning in some parts of the region. The city, though, was spared, at least somewhat.
☪️Philadelphia-area Muslims are preparing to adjust to observing Ramadan during the coronavirus pandemic.
🏈Who will the Eagles pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday?
🍷Pennsylvania liquor stores are offering curbside pickup starting today.
🏆Is Wilt Chamberlain Philly’s greatest pro athlete of all time? You can vote for him (and others) in our interactive, 64-player bracket.
Opinions
“Crying while confined. Scavenging for scarce smiles in closed quarters. Hoping that when you turn a corner, a picture in a room doesn’t make you fall apart after you already fell apart, as you always do the minute you wake up that morning.” — writes columnist Maria Panaritis about a family who is grieving in isolation after losing a 7-year-old son before the coronavirus lockdown.
What’s more deadly than the coronavirus? Partisanship, writes The Inquirer Editorial Board.
Enjoy our political cartoons each morning? Here are 10 more that illustrate the latest phase of the coronavirus pandemic.
What we’re reading
Boeing is going to restart operations at its Philadelphia-area plants today, Reuters reports.
Zach and Julie Ertz might be #couplesgoals after watching their TikToks, according to Philadelphia magazine.
A New York ER doctor writes for the New York Times Magazine about how hospital workers will never be the same after the pandemic.
Your Daily Dose of | Pizza Groundhog
We’re calling him Pizza Groundhog. And he’s one of our own. Last week, Kristin Chalela Bagnell sent a video to 6ABC of the furry creature methodically munching on a cold slice of pizza while staring into her Philadelphia home. Her two dogs stare back through a sliding glass door. And the groundhog continued to chew, completely unfazed.