Coronavirus Is Hiding in Plain Sight

Scientists tracking the spread of the coronavirus reported on Monday that, for every confirmed case, there are most likely another five to 10 people in the community with undetected infections. These often-milder cases are, on average, about half as infectious as confirmed ones, but are responsible for nearly 80 percent of new cases, according to…

A Compendium of Everyday Objects

The subtitle for this compact guide to the history of household items calls them “everyday.” Though most of the 63 alphabetical entries — like napkins, forks and even picnic baskets — are common enough, there’s also a more arcane jib door, Louis XIV chair and flokati rug. Many items have evolved from ancient or Medieval…

Live Coronavirus Updates Globally

Here’s what you need to know: ImageNear the Louvre in Paris on Sunday.Credit…Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Global restrictions rise, but so do the number of new infections. Countries closed borders, cities from New York and Los Angeles to Paris and Madrid closed bars and restaurants, schools closed more classrooms and hundreds of…

Cooking for Comfort

Good morning. How’s it going for you right now, where you stay? It’s unsettling, what’s happening in our nation and across the world, and it’s maybe super-unsettling what’s happening in your neighborhood, your village, your building, your apartment, your head. Loads of people are sitting scared, some frozen, unsure what to do besides look at…

Coronavirus Vaccine Dreams

I find myself fantasizing about a Covid-19 vaccine that will get us back to living our lives. About a triumphant announcement that the trial was a resounding success, and science has won, that there is a safe effective vaccine in production, and that we should all line up to get our shots — a vaccine…