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Morning Briefing: What It’s Like To Have COVID-19
A woman walks in the rain with umbrella, facemask and gloves Los Angeles this week. (Frederic J. Brown/ Getty Images)
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Lots of us are trying to make the best of quarantine — we’re baking bread, catching up with old friends or finally watching a Netflix series from 2018. Others among us are eating frozen food, napping a lot or wearing the same clothes for days (weeks?) in a row. Unless we personally experience the coronavirus, it’s hard to comprehend what's going on in the world outside.
To get a better understanding of it, Elly Yu talked to an ER doctor who survived the coronavirus after contracting it from a patient. In a rush to intubate her spiraling charge, Mizuho Morrison wasn’t able to get a face shield in time.
"We do the best we can and we adapt, but these are just high-risk procedures at baseline," Morrison told Yu. "You know, we don't have these like white paint Tyvek suits that China has."
Morrison was out of work for a full month with a cough, difficulty breathing and a fever. Still, compared to other people who’ve had the disease, "I'm definitely one of the luckier ones,” she says.
Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.
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Coming Up Today, May 15
Bumdog Torres, a homeless photographer we've profiled on the site, is producing a first hand account of life as a homeless person in the time of coronavirus, in collaboration with visual journalist Chava Sanchez.
AirTalk's regular Filmweek critics share their picks for what to stream at home while theaters are closed.
It's the holy month of Ramadan and this year, everything is different, reports Elina Shatkin, especially iftar — the meal Muslims use to break their daily fast.
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The Past 24 Hours In LA
L.A., California, The World: There are now 34,552 coronavirus cases and 1,663 deaths in L.A. County, and at least 73,143 cases and 2,974 deaths in California. Worldwide, there are more than 4.4 million cases and over 302,000 deaths.
Reopening L.A.: The county’s beaches reopened, but activities are technically limited to "active use." The Geffen Playhouse is attempting to produce theater while under quarantine with The Present.
Testing Positive: The Cambodian community in Long Beach seems to be hit harder by the coronavirus than other local Asian populations. Across the country, at least 164 children have fallen ill with a rare inflammatory condition, and some have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. An ICE employee at the Adelanto detention center has tested positive. The majority of new coronavirus deaths in L.A. County occurred within institutional settings.
Money Matters: Daigou agents, who work as personal shoppers in the U.S. for residents of China, are seeing their industry implode. California faces a $54.3 billion budget shortfall, but state agencies responsible for tackling wildfires could see some boosts in their coffers if Gov. Gavin Newsom's revised budget passes as is. State officials say CalState campuses have increased fees without adequate justification.
How We’re Surviving: We talked to an ER doctor who survived COVID-19. A mother and son have opened a new channel of communication with him through letter-writing. Despite far fewer cars on the road, traffic fatalities haven’t gone down.
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L.A. Arts And Entertainment: Friends of Griffith Park is buying land that was once used to film the 1960s TV version of Batman. Winesplaining, The Beastly Ball, Totally '80s aerobics, New French cinema and more. Actress Glenn Close spoke with us about her quest to end discrimination around mental illness, and why she thinks her "Fatal Attraction" character "added to the stigma" around it.
Your Moment Of Zen
Digital Producer Gina Pollack discovered this blooming bougainvillea in Echo Park.
(Gina Pollack / LAist)
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The news cycle moves fast. Some stories don't pan out. Others get added. Consider this today's first draft, and check LAist.com for updates on these stories and more. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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