What you need to know about coronavirus on Thursday, June 11

The US has now recorded more than 2 million Covid-19 cases, by far the highest number worldwide, and coronavirus hospitalizations have gone up in at least a dozen states.

Around 113,000 Americans have died of the virus so far, yet Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, has warned the US could see an additional 100,000 deaths by the end of the summer.

Yet the global epicenter of the pandemic has shifted. After months of ravaging some of the world’s richest countries, the virus has now spread to poorer parts of the world, where its toll could be much worse.

The number of Covid-19 cases in India’s richest city, Mumbai, has now surpassed those reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the original virus epicenter. Up to 60% of Mumbai’s population lives in informal housing or slums, where there is little running water or sanitation.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the virus death toll topped 70,000 yesterday. Brazil has recorded more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases in the past five days. At the same time, some of the country’s biggest cities are starting to reopen.

In Mexico, the health care system is struggling to cope. Paramedics in Mexico City are using duct tape to patch up holes in their protective suits, hoping screens made of trash bags will shield them. As they watch their colleagues die, several have told CNN they feel scared and unsupported by the government.

The virus has managed to overwhelm health care systems in some of the world’s most developed countries. Its impact on nations without adequate health resources is hard to imagine.

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED

Q: How long does coronavirus stay “alive” on surfaces?

A: Up to three days, depending on the surface. According to a study funded by the US National Institutes of Health:

• The novel coronavirus was viable up to 72 hours after being placed on stainless steel and plastic.
• It was viable up to four hours after being placed on copper, and up to 24 hours after being put on cardboard.
• In aerosols, it was viable for three hours.

Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY

How coronavirus stole our most meaningful ways to connect

The pandemic has deprived us of the closeness we are biologically programmed to seek when we are vulnerable, lonely or fearful — exactly when we need it the most — writes Bianca Nobilo.

Face masks, video chats and personal protective equipment make it harder to see facial expressions and body movements, while social distancing forces us to be unnaturally apart and the invisible presence of a virus has infused touch with a sense of danger.

Two hairstylists who had coronavirus saw 140 clients. None got infected

The two Missouri hairstylists worked at the same location in Springfield for more than a week in mid-May. The clients and the stylists all wore face coverings, and the salon had set up other measures such as social distancing of chairs and staggered appointments.

With the 14-day incubation period now passed and no new infections linked to the salon, health officials are looking into the case for insight on how to stop the spread.

Questions mount over UK’s lockdown timing

The United Kingdom could have cut the number of Covid-19 deaths by half if it had locked down just one week earlier, top British epidemiologist and former government adviser Neil Ferguson said yesterday. More than 50,000 people in the country have now died after contracting coronavirus, according to the country’s national statistics offices on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushed back on the criticism, saying his government followed scientific advice at the time.

Hispanics face higher Covid-19 risk

The Hispanic community in the US has been disproportionately hurt by coronavirus because of their jobs as essential workers and multigenerational living conditions, according to health experts.

“We’re talking about people who, during this pandemic, have been essential in working in meatpacking plants and manufacturing. They have been involved in cleaning, maintenance, construction jobs,” Dr. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, a primary care doctor and associate professor at Duke University, said. “While the rest of the country did quarantine or was able to stay home to flatten that curve … the Latinx community continued to go to work.”

Office life in coronavirus times

As some workers return to the office, companies are considering ways to track their employees to help prevent the spread of coronavirus among their workforce.

Workers might need to check-in before entering the building, undergo a daily temperature check or fill a questionnaire every day. Once in the office, their every move might have to be tracked. Kathryn Vasel reports on the privacy worries this new reality sparks.

ON OUR RADAR

• The annual Coachella and Stagecoach festivals — two of the largest music events held in Southern California — have been canceled over concerns about coronavirus spread.
• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia has passed 500,000. According to the official count, 6,500 Russians have died. But observers have cast doubt on the country’s counting method, which permits ascribing deaths in patients who tested positive for coronavirus to other causes.
• Los Angeles County said residents who attended protests should self-quarantine for two weeks. The county is reporting an average of 1,300 new cases a day.
• A Ghanaian footballer who slept in an Indian airport for over two months during the country’s lockdown has finally left the hub.
• The European Union wants monthly audits from Facebook, Google and Twitter on how they’re handling misinformation around the coronavirus pandemic.
• A delivery container made of materials that inhibit the spread of the virus and a device that lets people make bleach at home are among the winners of a competition for designs to help manage the pandemic.
• The ‘Dogfather of Harlem’ is offering free grooming services to pet owners impacted by the pandemic.

TOP TIPS

It’s hot. You’re sweaty. You may have the impulse to forgo a face mask until the fall.

Don’t. Study after study shows face masks are key to tackling the pandemic. Here are some tips on how to feel more comfortable while staying safe this summer.

TODAY’S PODCAST

“Public health has been doing this for, for decades …. for food borne illnesses, for infectious diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, so this is not something new.” — Epidemiologist Dr. Syra Madad

Across the US, local officials are hiring people to track down anyone who may have been exposed to Covid-19. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Dr. Syra Madad, an epidemiologist and special pathogens expert, about the importance and process of contact tracing. Listen Now.