Is A 2nd Wave Starting?

What's The Deal With Asymptomatic Spread?

Shots Alyson Hurt/NPR Coronavirus 2nd Wave? Nope, We're Still Stuck In The 1st One Just weeks after parts of the U.S. began reopening, coronavirus infections are on the upswing in several states, including Arizona, Utah, Texas and Florida. This has given rise to some unsettling questions: Is the U.S. at the start of a second wave? Have states reopened too soon?  The short, unpleasant answer to the first question is that the U.S. has not even gotten through the current first wave of infections. Since peaking at around 31,000 average new daily cases on April 10, daily cases dropped to around 22,000 on average by mid-May and have stayed almost steady since.  Learn more about what forecasters think we can expect this summer, and where we're headed in the fall. BONUS: Oregon pauses reopening as cases climb Newsletter continues after sponsor message Cristina Spano for NPR How Worried Should We Be About Asymptomatic Spread Of The Coronavirus? A lively debate erupted this week about the extent to which asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus may be able to infect others. An official at the World Health Organization made a comment suggesting that such spread is "rare" and Twitter blew up with debate. The fact that many people can spread the new coronavirus without knowing they're infected is a key difference between COVID-19 and other diseases, such as SARS.  But, much is still unknown about how much spread can be attributed to people who have the virus in their systems but don't cough or sneeze -- such symptoms are the more obvious way to infect another person. Nonetheless, talking loudly, laughing or singing in close quarters with another could also spread it if you had a lot of virus in your system. Read on to learn what we currently know and don't know about asymptomatic transmission BONUS: Modelers say lockdowns this spring saved millions of lives Keith Negley for NPR Obsession Or Good Hygiene? Living With OCD In A Pandemic At a time when we’re all being urged to wash our hands frequently to avoid catching or spreading the coronavirus, the compulsion to scrub and clean that roughly 40% of people with OCD experience might seem like a superpower. But as Boise reporter James Dawson explains, the hypervigilance he feels with this “flavor” of obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety he tries to keep in check. "Those skills that only the most generous would have called "eccentric" in pre-pandemic times are actually useful as I try to keep myself and my immunocompromised housemate — my girlfriend — safe," he writes.  Read on to learn how Dawson has learned to tame his extreme aversion to contamination. More of this week's health stories from NPR The uncomfortable and important work of discussing microaggressions How a music teacher’s weekend project turned into almost 40,000 face shields Could my dog track coronavirus into my house? And other questions about staying safe We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth. Your Shots editor, Carmel Wroth   What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: shots@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Goats & Soda, Daily News, Best of NPR and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Health emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy