Before I wrote this sentence, I checked my email, sent a text, aimlessly scrolled through Instagram and got up for more coffee. Then I stared at the blank screen for a while. And then I finally started writing.
The pandemic has obliterated (what I think is) my normally solid attention span. Lots of other people seem to be struggling to focus, too, which I know because they’re posting about it on Twitter and I now check Twitter roughly every nine seconds. So I called some experts in desperate search of help.
Todd Braver, a psychological sciences professor from Washington University in St. Louis, and Gordon Logan, a psychology professor from Vanderbilt University, came through with advice. Some of my favorite tidbits include:
Set specific goals for your time, then check in periodically to see how you’re doing. This creates an internal sense of receiving feedback, which can hold you accountable.
Take breaks outside, because nature has been shown to rejuvenate the brain.
When you find yourself deep in a Twitter hole, put down everything, close your eyes and simply count your breaths going in and out for a couple minutes.
Book your “easy” stuff for the part of the day when you often slack off
Maybe the most useful thing to remember, though, is that inattention can be a mental health response—it’s your brain’s way of telling you you’re stressed and anxious, even if you’ve outwardly suppressed those feelings. As Braver explained, dealing with the constant stress of a pandemic depletes our mental energy, leaving less left over for things like work or even reading a book at night. Take care of yourself by paying extra attention to basics like sleep, nutrition and exercise—and most importantly, show yourself compassion and don’t expect to operate at peak performance, especially if you’re also caring for other people.
“Even if you're not directly impacted by COVID-19, there are these indirect effects we're all susceptible to,” Braver says. “We’re all going through something together.”
More than 20.9 million people around the world had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 7:30 AM eastern time today, and more than 755,000 people have died.
Here is every country with over 250,000 confirmed cases:
U.S. officials, citing mistrust of Russia's scientific process, have rebuffed the latter's proposal to help with COVID-19 vaccine development, CNN reports. The Russian government drew criticism for approving a coronavirus vaccine that has not gone through the full slate of trials typically required of a new drug.
The Spanish region of Galicia, as well as the Canary Islands, have taken the unusual step of banning smoking in public places due to concerns that smokers could spread COVID-19 when they exhale. While there’s no strong scientific consensus on whether smoking puts people at increased risk of developing COVID-19, any maskless activity that involves exhaling respiratory particles could feasibly contribute to viral spread.
News that France is set to be added to the U.K.’s quarantine list may result in thousands of British travelers rushing back home in the span of just a few hours, the BBC reports. Under the rule, travelers arriving in the U.K. from France—as well as the Netherlands, Monaco and several other locations newly being added to the list—must self-quarantine for 14 days. The policy will apply to France starting Saturday, leaving the estimated 160,000 Brits currently vacationing there scrambling to return before they’re required to lock down after coming back.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. recorded more than 5.2 million coronavirus cases as of 7:30 AM eastern time today. More than 167,000 people have died. Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
On August 13, there were more than 51,400 new cases and 1,076 new deaths confirmed in the U.S. Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called yesterday for a national mask mandate and urged all Americans to wear face coverings in public for at least the next three months. “Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing,” Biden added. U.S. President Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on masks and has only rarely been seen in public wearing one, but said yesterday that wearing them is the “patriotic thing to do.”
The pandemic is leading to a noticeable decline in Americans’ mental health, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of late June, about 40% of American adults were struggling with substance abuse or another mental health issue, according to the agency. Compared to the same time period last year, signs of anxiety were three times more prevalent this June and signs of depression were four times more prevalent, the CDC reports.
If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. In emergencies, call 911, or seek care from a local hospital or mental health provider. The University of Memphis’ Pandemic Coping Project, a research project about mental health during the pandemic, also offers emotional health strategies.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of August 14, 1 AM eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Atlanta Mayor: ‘We Opened Up Too Soon’
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during a TIME 100 Talks yesterday that Georgia reopened too soon, and added that many of those measures should be reversed. “It’s not too late for this state to turn this trend around,” she said of Georgia's worsening outbreak. Read more here.
Can New Zealand Beat Coronavirus Twice?
The city of Auckland is back under lockdown, with officials racing to understand how a cluster of 17 new COVID-19 cases popped up there (as of yesterday) after about 100 days without any reported nationwide. Now, the New York Times asks: will their efforts be enough to stop a second outbreak? Read more here.
New Study Offers Cautious Optimism for Convalescent Plasma
For months, doctors have been intrigued by the idea of treating COVID-19 patients with blood plasma from people who have recovered from the disease, hoping the process can confer antibodies. STAT has the details on new research about the potential treatment. Read more here.
The Rise and Fall of Bread
Remember when everyone on Instagram was baking sourdough? Matthew Schneier has deconstructed that crusty time for The Cut. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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