The Curve: The pandemic may end but the virus is likely here to stay
A look at the future of COVID-19 and why it might stick around
Welcome to another edition of The Curve: Pandemic news in your inbox.
It’s been an entire year of working from home, masking and keeping our distance.
With that in mind, today we’ll take a look at what the state of the pandemic, when it might end and when things might get back to “normal.”
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⏱ The latest
A look at the picture in Ohio: 735 new COVID-19 cases reported
And here’s what things are like across the country: Latest case count in the U.S.
When will Ohioans be able to return to pre-pandemic life? It's complicated.
In my latest story for The Columbus Dispatch, I talked to three infectious disease experts about when life might return to normal, whatever that may be after the virus. Each told me they were skeptical life would return to its pre-pandemic ways until the end of the year or event the spring of 2022.
What’s in the stimulus bill? A guide to where the $1.9 trillion is going
It looks like another round of stimulus checks will be sent out to most Americans in the next few weeks, reports Thomas Kaplan for The New York Times. In this story, Kaplan gives readers a comprehensive breakdown of President Joe Biden’s virus relief package.
Ohio launches 16 mass COVID-19 vaccination sites across the state
As vaccinations ramp up across the U.S., Ohio is planning several mass vaccination locations across the state. The first will be in Cleveland and two will open in Columbus in the coming weeks, reports Jessie Balmert for the Cincinnati Enquirer.
🗓 A year of COVID
It’s been one year since the pandemic arrived in the United States and life changed. Here’s a look at some of the best stories about the coronavirus anniversary.
The Arnold became an early warning sign of Ohio's pandemic
The Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus was one of the first events to fall victim to the coronavirus. In the days immediately following, the world stopped as professional sports leagues suspended seasons, schools closed and events were canceled. In this story for The Columbus Dispatch, I take a look at that pivotal early day in the pandemic.
People share the moment they realized the pandemic would change life as they knew it
For this story for NPR, reporter Wynne Davis, used the Twitter hashtag #TheMoment, to chronicle when different people around the U.S. realized the virus would dramatically alter their lives. The story and the tweets Davis grabbed represent an interesting snapshot of history a year later.
A year without any travel: How the pandemic reshaped tourism
In this story, several New York Times journalists take a look at how the pandemic year impacted the travel industry and tourism around the world. Travel and tourism are undoubtedly one of industries decimated by the coronavirus, reporters found.
📰 Good reads
The best COVID-19 journalism from the USA Today network and other media outlets.
Central Ohio refugees displaced amid pandemic
In this story for The Columbus Dispatch, reporter Danae King followed a refugee family being forced to move out of their apartment complex. King dug into how a sudden relocation, which is already difficult enough for anyone, was made even more difficult by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Experts warn that no matter what our COVID end goal is, we have a ways to go
What will the end of the COVID-19 pandemic actually look like? Experts told reporter Andrew Joseph for health news website STAT that society hasn’t come to a decision on that yet. Despite some states lifting emergency orders and mask requirements, experts argue there’s a ways to go yet before the pandemic ends.
She lost her job, but a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name put her benefits on hold
In Ohio, the pandemic revealed that the state’s unemployment system had several flaws and struggled to keep up with a never before seen deluge of requests and filings. For this Columbus Dispatch story, reporter Mark Williams interviewed a woman who couldn’t collect the unemployment money she was owed because of a fraudulent claim in her name.