Coronavirus News Recap, May 22, 2020: Tipping During a Pandemic, Llama Becomes Delivery Worker and More

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus, is at the forefront of everyone's mind. Here's the latest in what's happening.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus, is at the forefront of everyone's mind. Here's the latest about the crisis in today's coronavirus news roundup by InsideEdition.com:

  • As of today, there are 1.61 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. Around 309,000 people have recovered, while more than 95,213 have died from the virus. 
  • There are more than 5.11 million cases worldwide. Around 333,000 people have died from the virus, while more than 1.95 million have recovered. 

Here's what else is going on: 

President Trump’s visit to a Ypsilanti, Michigan Ford plant brought with it a warning from the state’s attorney general: wear a mask or be banned from the state. Trump flouted the law in his continued insistence not to wear masks, regardless of doctor’s warnings and state and local regulations. New studies give ominous forecasts, with the University of Massachusetts projecting a death toll surpassing 113,000 by June, and University of Pennsylvania predicting 230,000 dead by the end of July.

Deliveries of groceries, packages and take-out food is at an all time high during the pandemic, meaning we rely on delivery people more to keep our lives functioning. But many delivery workers rely on tips to make ends meet, and some are saying that customers have been less than generous. One Instacart shopper says she was stiffed on a $55 tip. We spoke with etiquette expert Thomas Farley about why tipping during pandemic is so important. He recommends tipping double what you usually would.

A delivery service is bringing essential items and smiles to people in the Welsh countryside. Max the llama and his owner, Matt Yorke, may be out of lockdown, but many of their neighbors are still staying inside. Matt runs a llama farm,  but the pandemic has halted his business so he and Max have plenty of time to help out in the community by bringing groceries and other necessities to homes while keeping their distance.

Amanda Kloots tears up in her car after getting some upsetting news from the doctor about her husband, Nick Cordero’s health condition. “I am once again asking for prayers - all the prayers right now,” she said on Instagram Stories. Last week, the Broadway actor woke up from a medically-induced coma. The next goal is to get him off a ventilator. He’s been fighting for his life in the hospital due to COVID-19 complications.

A funeral was held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro for a 22-year-old woman named Amanda. Her family says Amanda was healthy, and took every precaution against the coronavirus. She stayed at home, wore a mask and washed her hands. Her father says they don’t know how she became infected. After 18 days in the hospital, she died. Funerals like Amanda’s are a common sight in Brazil. The country has the third highest rate of COVID-19 infection in the world.

Former “Bachelor” contestant Amanda Stanton is coming under fire for driving nearly 400 miles to a different state to get a haircut. The mom of two drove from Newport Beach, California, to Gilbert, Arizona. She defended herself on social media, writing that she “had nothing else to do” and didn’t mind isolating for a couple weeks after she got home. 


After President Trump claimed to be taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19, new worries are arising among health experts. Some people are trying to make their own home-made versions of the drug, and it’s prompting a serious warning. Experts agree that you should not make the drug in your home, and that doing so is dangerous. Many have cautioned against taking even the real version of the drug without a doctor’s order, as there has been little verifiable evidence of its effect on COVID.

In some places around the country, beaches and pools are taking baby steps toward reopening. But in the face of COVID-19, for lifeguards, saving a drowning swimmer will be very different. With memorial day weekend approaching, there are new safety protocols for lifeguards to protect them from contracting the virus. One crucial piece of equipment will be the bag valve mask. It takes the place of potentially risky mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

 

 

America is facing a bicycle shortage as millions look for a safe way to get around. Many bike stores are completely sold out. In addition to the regular summer surge, one reason people are in such a frenzy to get bikes stems from suspicion around taking taxis and crowded public transportation like buses and subways, which can be breeding grounds for the virus. With Memorial Day Weekend ahead of us, many would usually be hitting the beach. But as Jim Moret tells us, this year will be different.

Beauty salons are among the many nonessential businesses shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic. When they reopen, things are likely to be a lot different. Inside Edition visited the high-end, yet-to-reopen Julien Farel Salon in New York City to check out what's expected to be the new normal. There will be temperature checks at the entrance, and disinfecting procedures for all clients, who will be asked to wash their hands upon entry and then given a cleaning wipe for their phone and glasses.

For weeks President Trump vigorously pushed for Americans to consider taking the malaria-fighting drug hydroxychloroquine, and on Monday the president claimed he was taking the drug to help fight off COVID-19. Trump made the statement offhandedly, inciting a flurry of murmurs from the press corps who seemed to be in disbelief. Trump said he had been taking the drug for a “couple weeks,” and when pressed on why he would take the unproven drug, he said he had “heard great stories” about it.

 

More than two months after the cruise ship industry was brought to a halt over the coronavirus pandemic, 100,000 crew members are still stranded on board across the world. It's an increasingly desperate situation for many of the workers worried they won't be able to make it home for a long time. On one Royal Caribbean ship, 15 workers staged a hunger strike. At least two crew members on other cruise ships have tragically leaped overboard in apparent suicides.

As we enter what feels like week one thousand of lockdown, many people are thinking back to those pre-lockdown days in early March. They’ve been sharing the last ‘normal’ picture from their phones, using the hashtag LastNormalPhoto. The InsideEdition.com team is sharing theirs, as well. The images include those of a concert at Radio City Music Hall, a children’s playdate, a post-haircut selfie, the last interview shot in our office and a cat named Grendel.

Lockdown has been challenging for Billie Eilish, according to her mom. “She’s doing OK,” Maggie Baird told Gayle King on “CBS This Morning.” “Like everyone and especially every teenager, it’s not easy being with your family all the time.” The 18-year-old was on tour when everyone was asked to stay at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus. “It’s hard not to see your friends,” Baird added. “It’s definitely hard for Billie.” 

With millions of people following stay-at-home orders, those with a need for speed can’t seem to resist the allure of empty highways. Rush hour is non-existent, and lots of “crazy COVID drivers” are putting the pedal to the metal and ignoring the speed limit during the pandemic. Inside Edition sent a team of investigative reporters to New York City and Long Island where  they clocked people going as much as 50 miles an hour over the speed limit, along with plenty of reckless driving.  

Citizen scientists Hilde Strom and Sunniva Sorby have found themselves trapped by the pandemic virus in a remote cabin near the arctic circle. Their 9-month expedition studying climate change was supposed to end last week, but the ship scheduled to pick them up was cancelled due to the coronavirus. Now they’re stranded, and their next possible pickup is in September. Inside Edition spoke with the women by satellite phone.

 

The biotech company Moderna Therapeutics just announced promising results from its Coronavirus vaccine research. Dr. Stephen Hoge told CBS News that research subjects who had received two doses of the vaccine “had seroconverted to develop antibodies in their blood that bound the virus.” Dr. Hoge said the treatment could “neutralize the virus.” Although this is good news, CBS News contributor Dr. David Agus pointed out “there’s a long way to go in that particular vaccine.”

 

 

Senior citizens are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus and the risk of contracting the disease has left many of them trapped inside their homes. Volunteers with Citymeals on Wheels in New York are making sure homebound, elderly residents of the five boroughs are getting all the nourishment they need by delivering meals right to their doors. 

Stacy Simpson, went to the hospital after her blood pressure shot up, but when she realized she had been placed into the COVID-quarantined area, she was shocked. Now, she says she won’t go back. The anxiety about visiting hospitals and doctors offices is spreading, as people are avoiding emergency rooms out of fear of being exposed to the disease. But doctors say it could be more dangerous to skip getting necessary medical treatment than risking exposure to the virus.

Would you fly across the country in a garbage bag to avoid getting the coronavirus? Passengers are going to extraordinary measures to avoid catching COVID-19 on crowded flights. Images are emerging across the world of packed flights with many onboard not wearing any protective gear. But some people aren’t willing to risk it, and they’re crafting their own hazmat suits out of garbage bags, donning goggles and masks, and hoping they get to their destination in good health.

Michelle Eberhart rented a Tennessee cabin to shelter in place with her husband and friends, but she wasn’t expecting company. Michelle and her friends were joined by a huge bear - and he was hungry! The bear got into the kitchen and was ready to party. Once he got into the cabinets, he wasted no time laying waste to the snack reserves that were supposed to feed 9 people. He had 5 pounds of peanut butter cups, 2 pounds of Sour Patch Kids, a tub of pretzels, and more.

There’s a revolutionary new spray-on coating that could make returning to some semblance of normally much safer. The antimicrobial coating not only kills COVID, but it also protects the surface it’s applied to from contamination for up to 90 days. New York’s Transit Authority is experimenting with three types of the coatings on trains and buses. Plus, a new study shows that taking louder results in a larger spread of germ-containing droplets - as many as 1000 per minute if you’re yelling.

Wedding season is upon us, but social distancing restrictions means many wedding venues are shut down, leaving couples scrambling to find new ways to celebrate their special day. Could drive-thru weddings be the latest pandemic trend? A court clerk in Gainesville, Florida has found a safe way to officiate wedding ceremonies - and the happy couple doesn’t even have to get out of their car. Jess Irby and his team have decorated the parking lot, and he marries couples from behind a glass wall.

There’s a pandemic alert in Kingston, New York, where authorities are warning anyone who got a haircut in the last three weeks to seek testing for the COVID-19. The call comes after an unidentified barber in the town tested positive for the virus after he operated his shop for weeks in defiance of Gov. Cuomo’s order. In Michigan, a 77-year-old barber defied Gov. Whitmer’s order and was stripped of his license as a result. He responded by calling the revocation “a police state tactic.”

The Chorus Ensemble at Maria Regina High School in New York’s Westchester County performed the classics “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World.” With stay at home orders and remote learning in effect, they had to do it alone together. Each member practiced at home over several weeks. When they had it down, the school’s choral director put it all together. The result was a moving version of the beloved classics.

Olivia and Raul De Freitas are back home in South Africa about their unexpectedly long honeymoon to the Maldives. It was supposed to be a six night vacation, but it turned into 21 days. They wondered if they would get home with the world shutting down due to the pandemic. “We were quite glad to be going home because we started taking everything for granted, but we were also nervous because we had to go into quarantine,” Olivia said.

It looks like something straight out of "The Boy in the Bubble," but Carly Marinaro's hugging station is an ingenious invention that lets her kids love on their great-grandmother without potentially spreading germs. The Illinois mom used sheets of plastic, PVC pipes and duct tape to make a hug time station where she and her kids can share special moments with their 85-year-old great-grandmother, Rose Gagnon, while respecting social distancing rules.

 

They’re being called “super-agers” - elderly people who somehow manage to survive COVID. There have been a number of people around the age of 100 who have beaten the coronavirus, and researchers want to know why. One theory is that these people simply age slower than others. We spoke with several seniors who are in extraordinary health for their age. One woman, Angelina, was born on a ship on its way to America from Italy, and her family says she has superhuman DNA.

Until there’s a vaccine, experts agree that the best thing everyone can do is wear a mask and keep 6 feet apart. In New York City, masks are mandatory, and there are now teams of officials who are there to encourage people to follow social distancing guidelines. Social Distancing Ambassadors are groups of volunteers who take to the New York streets to politely remind people to keep a safe distance from others. The goal is to prevent the violent clashes we’ve seen.

Every time there’s a large-scale emergency that keeps people hunkered down in their homes, usually a baby boom is seen 9 months later. It happened after hurricanes, snow storms, and other natural disasters. The pandemic presents an unprecedented crisis the likes of which we’ve never faced. Many experts say this will be different, and not to expect a baby boom. One reason is the faltering economy, which makes the future uncertain - as does the fear of what the virus might bring.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled to throw out the governor’s stay-at-home order, angering Gov. Tony Evers, who said that the scenes of bars immediately opening was like “the wild west.” Many local governments around the state quickly began issuing their own measures, and most bars and restaurants are now shut again. President Trump praised the reopening on Twitter, but his one-time pal Howard Stern is railing against the president, saying “it would be extremely patriotic” for him to resign.

 

 

 

NBC medical expert Dr. Joseph Fair is in critical condition after he contracted COVID-19. He believes the virus entered his body through his eyes while he was on a crowded flight. People are now asking if they should be wearing safety glasses as well as masks. Public health expert Professor Anthony Fantella says that’s just not practical. But some airlines are taking measures to allow social distancing on flights. JetBlue says 40% of it’s seats will be blocked out to keep passengers apart

The Inn at Little Washington has three Michelin stars. But now it’s getting attention for its mannequin diners. The high-end restaurant in Virginia has placed mannequins in its dining area, to help encourage social distancing. Some are finding it a little strange, and are making comparisons to the 2007 Will Smith movie, “I Am Legend.” In the film, Smith’s character tries to keep himself sane by talking to mannequins. 

There’s a lot of clamor about what kinds of masks and face coverings are most effective for protecting against COVID-19. So-called “valve masks” look high-tech and provide great protection to the wearer by filtering the air they’re breathing in. But the valves allow exhaled breaths to leave the mask unfiltered, and could cause an infected person to spread the virus.

Summer time usually means vacations, travel and the great American outdoors. But experts warn that social distancing could be necessary well into the fall, putting a huge damper on many families’ summer plans. For many, getting an RV and touring the country in their own moving bubble is appealing, as sales and rentals of campers have been spiking. If traditional summer attractions like amusement parks reopen, things will be different, and you might even have to go on roller coasters by yourself.

With most people stuck at home, garbage on residential sanitation routes is piling up, which means trash collectors are more important than ever. Since the beginning of the pandemic, trash at homes is up 40%, largely driven by all the packages being delivered to homebound Americans ordering homegoods, food, and more online. Inside Edition met up with sanitation worker Hugo Gomez of Republic Services in Rosemead, California to see a day in the life of this essential worker.

A new mom and dad have welcomed a baby girl into the world, but her birth was nothing like the first-time parents envisioned. Dad Milo McCabe watched the delivery via Zoom video because he was battling COVID-19, one floor above his wife Roxanne's delivery room in the same hospital. Mother Roxanne said her husband coached her through labor over a Zoom call. The 28-year-old dad Milo wiped away tears and was overcome with emotion as he spoke to Inside Edition about the ordeal.

When Americans eventually emerge from the coronavirus quarantine, things will be different. Among the changes will likely be back-to-work gadgets installed in businesses across the country, such as thermal scanners. These machines take people’s temperature as they enter, flagging them if they are feverish. But experts say temperature alone can’t detect illnesses like COVID-19, especially since a significant portion of the deadly virus’s cases are completely asymptomatic.

Parents around the country are freaking out after Dr. Anthony Fauci warned during his Senate testimony that without a vaccine, schools may not reopen for the beginning of the fall semester. Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said that even at the accelerated pace vaccine development has been moving, those hopeful for a working vaccine by September ought to curb their expectations. Plus, some movie theaters will be allowed to open this summer likely won’t have many new films to screen.

Tony Shaloub is best known for his Emmy-Award winning role in “Monk,” in which he plays an obsessive compulsive germaphobe detective. Now, he’s revealing that he and his wife are taking on a “Monk”-like lifestyle after they both battled COVID-19 for several weeks. Matt Damon said that his 21-year-old stepdaughter and her roommates all contracted the virus early in the pandemic, but they’ve since recovered. On an Irish radio, he spoke about how his 2011 film “Contagion” foreshadowed this pandemic.

Police in Peru rounded up hundreds of clowns, mascots and other costumed street performers. The colorful group staged a march through the streets. Their goal was to protest coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the South American country. But the parade itself was in violation of those restrictions. A happier parade took place in a St. Louis suburb this week. Teachers and loved ones held a rolling graduation celebration for high school seniors.

“Dada is awake!” Amanda Kloots announced on Instagram Stories that Nick Cordero, her husband and father to baby Elvis, has woken up from his coma. The Broadway star has been in the hospital since March 30 for what was initially believed to be pneumonia. He was later diagnosed with COVID-19. The road to recovery isn’t over. It takes all of Cordero’s energy to open and close his eyes, Kloots said.

The classic American experience of seeing movies at a drive-in theater is seeing a huge resurgence across the country. People who have been locked down in quarantine for months might be itching for an escape, but don’t want to risk being exposed to germs from others they encounter in public. Sharing an experience with a large group is a welcome change of pace for moviegoers, even if they have to remain locked in their cars. We review some essentials to bring with you to the drive-ins.

All dolled up with nowhere to go? Then why bother with the makeup? That’s what many women seem to be thinking as the cosmetics industry is taking a major hit, with retailers like Sephora seeing a 14% drop in sales since the beginning of the pandemic. Will this mean that people start to embrace a more “natural look” after lockdown restrictions are lifted? Jackie DeAngelis from Fox Business doesn’t think so - she predicts makeup sales will bounce back once stay-at-home orders are rolled back.

During the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants are struggling to generate enough revenue to pay the employees they were able to keep on, if not overcome the famously thin profit margins their restaurant business is known for. But some people are taking advantage of the lack of others in restaurants, and swiping tips from countertops when workers are distracted, robbing them of cash that makes a difference, especially now. One New York woman was spotted at multiple restaurants nabbing tips.

The U.S. economy lost over 20 million jobs in April, and as more people than ever know - losing your job is never easy. But some ways that are better than others, and experts say a personal touch can go a long way. Uber must have missed the message, because they held a Zoom call to inform 3,500 workers that they’re being laid off - all at once. Uber said in a statement that due to logistical constraints this was their best option, and that they are providing severance for those laid off.

During a press conference held Tuesday, May 12, President Trump clashed with reporters, whose questions about the COVID-19 death toll he called “nasty.” When the White House attempted to cut the mic, the next reporter called on yielded her time back to her colleague, who had been trying to ask a follow up question. Then, Trump abruptly ended the briefing and walked out. He made his anger known this morning, blasting off 32 tweets before noon, including one calling reporters “the enemy of the people.”

Shocking images of children being ravaged by COVID-19 show kids struggling for life. Eight-year-old Jayden Hardowar was rushed to the hospital in Queens, New York, in cardiac arrest. After three days on a ventilator, he is now recovering. Jack McMorrow, 14, says he’s lucky to be alive, and that the pain he was in during his hospitalization was “indescribable.” Severe inflammation has been an increasingly common symptom of the virus in children, and new symptoms are being discovered each day.

It’s an unprecedented move for unprecedented times: the Senate held its first-ever remote hearing with testimony coming over video conference. Dr. Anthony Fauci was among several doctors and government officials to testify about the state of the country’s efforts to thwart coronavirus. Fauci warned that reopening the country too quickly could erase all the progress made so far and cause “unnecessary suffering and death.” Many of the Senators who did attend the hearing at the Capitol wore masks.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff says inmates may have tried to give themselves coronavirus infections. Sheriff Alex Villanueva showed surveillance video of inmates sharing a cup, bowl and mask. Why would these men try to get a potentially deadly disease? “There was some mistaken belief among the inmate population if they tested positive that there was a way to force our hand and somehow release more inmates out of our jail environment,” said Villanueva. “And that's not going to happen."

This former NFL cheerleader has traded in her pom poms for P.P.E. Carol Mazer is one of many medical professionals who were once professional cheerleaders. Mazer once performed on the sidelines of Oakland Raiders games, but now she suits up to fight COVID-19 in the emergency room. Alicia Purdy, a former St. Louis Rams cheerleader, is a coronavirus intubation expert. Joanie Polidoro says her patients are excited when they find out their I.C.U. nurse used to cheer for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pennsylvania resident Nick Conley was recently kicked out of a Giant Eagle grocery store in Monroeville for his lack of face mask. He said they cause anxiety attacks, and had a doctor's note asking he be excused from wearing one. Even so, Conley was stopped by a security guard from entering, according to video taken of the encounter, which then turned into a physical altercation. We spoke to Conley, who admitted he pushed the guard after he said he was pushed first.

 

Ahmed Alwan rang in his 21st birthday at his father’s bodega in the Bronx, New York. Many customers there took part in his TikTok #BodegaChallenge, where those who answer a math problem correctly get to walk out of the store with whatever they want, free of charge. “It makes me happy to do this stuff because you know, I'm helping people. It's a great feeling. I'm representing Islam, you know and it's like, it's a great feeling,” Alwan said. 

Mr. Ferrarii calls himself the “Cabbie to the Stars.” But these days, he no longer has a yellow taxi to drive celebrities like Tom Hanks, Hoda Kotb or Drew Barrymore. He had to give the car back because it wasn’t affordable to keep paying $900 to rent it. “I was working paycheck to paycheck,” he explained. “It feels so surreal just being stuck home.” Mr. Ferrarii says it’s been tough going from interacting with numerous people a day to self-quarantining. 

Millions of people are stuck at home, and finally have the time to catch up on all those TV shows and movies they’ve been promising their friends they'd watch. If you feel like you’ve been spending more time in front of the TV, you’re not alone. TV viewership is way up, with the average household watching a whopping 66 hours of TV per week — over 8 hours per day. Streaming services are also seeing an uptick, with 74% of American homes now subscribed to a service.

Legendary performer DJ Jazzy Jeff, was frightened when he came down with symptoms related to COVID-19. After returning home to Delaware from a job in Idaho, he started feeling extremely ill. “That was the first time that I had two moments of me being sick that I said to myself, "Wow, this is how I'm going out,’”  he said. He credits his wife, Lynette, for saving his life. 

If you've been wearing glasses during the coronavirus pandemic, you may have been wondering why they keep fogging up while you're wearing a mask. It happens when warm breath escapes from the top of the mask, resulting in condensation on the lenses. Social media has been filled with videos of people dealing with the minor annoyance, but it's been a long-standing issue for medical workers. Here are some tips and tricks to keep your vision clear while wearing a mask. 

The White House has recorded another case of the COVID-19 virus, as a member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for the disease. It’s unknown whether there is any direct connection to President Trump’s personal valet who tested positive for the virus yesterday. One report said the president was extremely angered when he found out how close the virus was to him. In Dallas, the rebellious salon owner who was released from jail was paid a visit by Sen. Ted Cruz.

 

During the week, Daniel Uhlfelder is a 47-year-old attorney and father of two. But as people flock to Florida's newly reopened beaches, Uhlfelder dresses up as death itself. Uhlfelder is donning a grim reaper costume and walking the beaches in an effort to urge people to stay at home during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Florida recently reopened some beaches and Uhlfelder worries it will encourage tourists and locals alike to get too close and put themselves at risk.

A month ago, Donna Molina was critically ill with COVID-19. The New Jersey woman had to be placed in a coma, and she was on a ventilator. Doctors had to perform an emergency C-section to deliver her baby girl, Harley. Thankfully, Donna’s condition improved. And this week, she was able to meet Harley in person for the first time. Donna said, “It was just incredible. I couldn’t hold back any tears or any emotions. It was just waterworks as soon as I saw her.”

It’s the highlight of millions of kids’ summers and a welcome respite for parents: summer sleep away camps are a time-honored American tradition. Many families are waiting to hear if their camp will be open this summer, and if not, big problems about how to fill up eight weeks of summer for kids are sure to arise. But camp expert Lauren Nearpass says camps could actually be a safe haven during the pandemic, and that the environment is just what kids need right now.

About three million more people filed for unemployment last week, driving the total number to over 33 million jobless in the United States, which means now one in five Americans are out of work. Mike Rowe, who made a career out of “Dirty Jobs” advises people to consider some jobs that might have been out of their comfort zone. Many blue collar occupations have long been looked down on, but as the pandemic has proven, it’s people doing the jobs many other wouldn’t that has kept us all afloat.

The Supreme Court of Texas has ordered the release of Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther after she was sentenced to seven days in jail and a $7,000 fine for defying the state's stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic by reopening her business. After the sentence was imposed by Judge Eric Moye, a national outcry ensued, and the state’s attorney general urged her release. A GoFundMe has raised nearly $500,000 for the mother of three, who said she had fallen behind on her mortgage.

The famous Sundance Film Festival, which took place during the last week of January, may have been a potential hotspot for COVID-19 before the disease was known to be in the United States. About 12,000 people attended the festival, and days later, some attendees developed flu-like symptoms. The illness spread among Hollywood figures, many of whom returned to Los Angeles and dubbed it the “Sundance Plague.” Later, L.A. became the west coast epicenter of COVID-19.

Lots of people are concerned about gaining weight while sheltering at home - to the point it’s been nicknamed “the quarantine 15.” One town is so concerned about packing on pounds that they want the entire city to go on a diet together. Local authorities in Huntington, New York are urging residents to get in shape, starting with the official town exercise class, conducted over Zoom. The city is home to 200,000 people.

The COVID-19 pandemic moved even closer to President Trump, as one of his personal valets has tested positive for the coronavirus. Because of the president’s insistence on not wearing a mask or practicing social distancing, the news of someone so close to him becoming infected has stirred up genuine concern for his well-being. The president and Vice President Mike Pence were both given rapid response COVID-19 tests after the news broke, and the White House said they both tested negative.

While New York City is known for its infamous rat issues, the lack of people moving about and the piling trash have emboldened rats to run free through the streets. And with most of the city on lockdown, the Inside Edition "Rat Patrol" spotted them emerging from the sewers to openly raid the deserted streets of Manhattan.

David Cowan is the ASL interpreter for the state of Georgia, and he's attracted a legion of fans from around the world. His full, white beard reminds some people of Santa Claus. And his stylish, dark clothes stand out. According to Cowan, it’s easier to see his interpreting against a dark background. Fame aside, there are thousands of people who rely on him for critical information. According to the World Health Organization, nearly half a billion people worldwide have disabling hearing loss.

Economy Candy, a legendary sugar shop on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is staying afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, one handful of treats at a time. Things looked pretty sweet when InsideEdition.com visited Economy Candy this past December. But then the coronavirus pandemic happened. The store now has just two employees, owners Mitchell and Skye Cohen. The Cohens say they’re still doing curbside pickup. For those farther afield, they’re sending CandyCare packs via mail.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and there’s some good news just in time. Lots of flower shops are being allowed to reopen in several states across the country. In California, some florists were caught off guard by the announcement that they could reopen just days ahead of the biggest floral holiday of the year. The top seller for moms? Peonies! And if you can’t get flowers, we show you a few other ways to celebrate moms’ special day, including some homemade gifts that will warm her heart.

The future of dining out is sure to look a bit different, at least in the short term. As some states allow restaurants to reopen for in-house dining, new precautions are being taken for customers and staff. At the Puffy Muffin in Brentwood, Tennessee a new position has been added to the staff: a symptom checker who interviews patrons upon their arrival. They’re also taking temperatures of cooks and waitresses when they arrive to work, and keeping tables at half capacity.

The Briggs are a West Virginia family who have 38 children, 21 who live at home. With the coronavirus pandemic forcing them to quarantine at home, it wasn’t the perfect situation when one or their children contracted the virus at work. Weeks later, 12 members of the family had it. All things considered, the Briggs are now coming out on the other side. They say the support of family and friends has been essential for them during this time.

He might be the most upbeat delivery driver in America. Jeremy Squires has been delivering packages for the past 20 years in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Now, he’s on a mission to deliver positivity, and he’s writing about it on social media. He shares the stories of the people who live along his route, amplifying their needs, their victories and their special moments on his Facebook page. Plus, meet the woman who competed in three Olympics and now is an E.R. doctor in Michigan.

During the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise ships were a hotbed for infection, and many were held offshore to quarantine passengers. But nearly two months later, over 100,000 crew members are still trapped on ships around the world. Inside Edition spoke with a number of crew members stuck aboard a Holland America cruise liner to find out what their experience was like. They say they’re spending as much as 21 hours a day in their cabins and are barred from leaving the ship.

With meat processing plants across the country closed or operating at limited capacity due to the pandemic, Wendy’s is the first fast food chain to feel the squeeze. They are the only chain that uses fresh, never-frozen beef - giving them a competitive disadvantage to the likes of McDonald’s and Burger King who can stockpile frozen patties. 

The homeless in Los Angeles may soon find themselves living in luxury if some Los Angeles officials have it their way. The infamous “Skid Row” in downtown Los Angeles is where hundreds of homeless people stay in makeshift shelters and tents. But just seven blocks away, two luxury hotels are sitting empty, and city officials say those rooms could be put to much better use. So could hundreds of homeless people be moving into the Ritz Carlton and the JW Marriott in the coming weeks?

In 2018, almost 18 million Americans got some form of plastic surgery, spending close to $17 billion on changing their look. An additional 16 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, like Botox and fillers, also took place. But during the pandemic, cosmetic surgery was deemed non-essential - until now. Willow Raye, 23, thinks now is the perfect time to go under the knife, since you don’t have to worry about avoiding people while recovering since everyone is stuck inside.

After some inflammatory comments on Fox News’s “The Ingraham Angle,” Dr. Phil is setting the record straight. On Laura Ingraham’s show, he argued that since we don’t shut down the country due to the high number of car accidents and tobacco-related deaths, we shouldn’t do so for COVID-19. He also said that 360,000 people die from swimming pools. The real number of drowning deaths each year is about 3,500, per the CDC. Now, he says he was just making a point about life’s inherent risks.

A company in China has developed heat-detecting glasses that can "see" people’s temperatures up to 10 feet away. The glasses employ an infrared thermometer to detect temperatures. That data is then sent to the glasses, where the temperatures can be visualized. The shades could be used to help screen for cases of COVID-19, though they also raise privacy concerns. The technology is drawing comparisons to the "Terminator" and "Predator" movies.

Demand for protective gear like face masks have been booming since the rise of COVID-19, but beware: not all masks are as advertised. Inside Edition sent a team of investigative producers shopping for masks. After finding some masks at a store, we contacted the supplier to arrange to meet up and purchase several thousand masks including many that claimed to be “N95” FDA certified. But were these masks the real deal?

In New York City, the epicenter of the United States’ COVID-19 outbreak, many people have been self-isolating in their homes for upwards of seven weeks. This past weekend’s high temperatures proved to be too much for some people to resist, and Central Park was among public areas filled with people, and some medical workers are horrified. One emergency room doctor called it a “slap in the face” to healthcare workers nationwide, who are risking their lives to curb the disease’s spread.

 

Having a hard time finding toilet paper during the COVID pandemic? Try a local toy store. Inside Edition spoke with a consumer expert and shopping coach Lisa Lee Freeman, who said that in-demand items like disinfectant, bleach and toilet paper can be found at unlikely locations. At a clothing store in Brooklyn, we found large bottles of Clorox and Lysol disinfectant spray. Many stores are mixing up their usual inventory to meet specific customer needs during these trying times.

 

 

Some states across the country are reopening their non-essential businesses, but that doesn’t mean things are going to be the same as before the COVID-19 pandemic. This mall in Orlando, Florida has put a number of precautions in place, including hand sanitizer stations and a 75% reduction in food court seating. Social distancing will also be enforced in the mall’s bathrooms, with restrictions on how many people can enter at once. Mall managers just hope that the public is ready to return.

People living under social isolation during the coronavirus pandemic apparently can't get enough of banana bread - it's the number one searched recipe in lockdown, beating favorites like pancakes, brownies and pizza. The ingredients - eggs, oil, baking soda, sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt and bananas - are likely already in your pantry. 

A Wisconsin couple married for more than 70 years has died of coronavirus just hours apart. In a beautiful act of kindness, hospital staff made sure they were side by side in their final hours. Mary and Wilford Kelper celebrated Wilford’s 94th birthday just months ago with their entire family. Now the family is mourning the loss of both parents to the coronavirus. Hospital staff said that they wheeled Wilford in next to his wife’s bed and that the couple was holding hands for their final hours.

Michigan lawmakers are taking extra precautions today after the capitol building was stormed by protesters, many of whom were armed with semi-automatic weapons and bulletproof vests. They’re railing against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lockdown restrictions, but the governor is standing her ground, saying that lifting social distancing guidelines would be foolish and dangerous, and Dr. Anthony Fauci agrees. Meanwhile, President Trump has been tweeting his support for the protesters.

Grammy-awarded winning Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman has released an inspiring new song called "Together — We'll Get Through This" in collaboration with music industry friends Brad Paisley, Lauren Alaina and Tasha Cobbs Leonard. With the music industry at a standstill, like so many artists, Chapman said he had to postpone his concert tour due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he also hopes that these times will bring people closer together, and this his new song will offer some comfort.

Hairdressers in Kenya have devised a topical new ‘do. It’s called “The Coronavirus,” and its inspiration comes from the spiky structure of the virus itself. The stylish innovation comes as small businesses around the world struggle to stay afloat, amidst lockdowns and economic downturns. In Serbia, a hair salon reopened, as that county relaxed some of its quarantine restrictions. But clients and stylists alike still needed to wear face masks.

Like much of the world, the coronavirus pandemic has pressed pause on Yvonne Slingerland’s dance career. The ballerina, who performs with the Dutch National Ballet, has been stuck at home for months, separated from her friends and colleagues. So Yvonne and her fellow dancers took their art to the street to perform their parts of a dance inspired by the pandemic’s lockdown. Video of the dancers will be knit together for a film called “Gently Quiet,” which will be streamed online in May.

From Las Vegas casinos to hotel breakfast bars, Buffets are an American tradition. Some entire restaurant chains are based around buffet-style dining. But will people really want to patronize buffets after stay-at-home orders are lifted? Not only do they present food sitting in open air for hours, potentially exposed to airborne viruses, but the utensils used to serve food could be touched by hundreds of people, leaving behind germs that can spread rapidly.

 

Kjetil Njoten moved with his wife and daughter to La Cresenta, California just a few months ago, from a small Norwegian island that has a population of just 30 people. Shortly after they moved, California’s stay-at-home order went into effect. As they got to know their new neighbors from a safe distance, Njoten was shocked to learn that a man who lived just four houses down the block had family from the same tiny island. Turns out, they share a great-great-grandfather, making them cousins!

The restaurant chain that is used to serving millions of people breakfast every morning is sharing its secrets for people at home in quarantine. McDonald’s released the recipe for their famous Egg McMuffin so that people at home can attempt to recreate the burger chain’s signature staple breakfast sandwich themselves. It’s just one more way people are trying to recapture their pre-quarantine lives.

Alexa Cappelli impressed fans in 2018 when she was a contestant on the singing competition show “The Voice.” Now stuck at home with her family, she’s giving her neighbors in Upland, California a rousing performance each week in her cul de sac. And singer Britney Spears is back to inspiring fans with her home workouts on Instagram. She revealed that she hadn’t been in her home gym for about six months— because she had accidentally burned it down!

Inside Edition came across a disturbing post on Craigslist where a landlord was allegedly offering this arrangement on Craigslist: “Room Share for Submissive Female.” Inside Edition producer Alycia Powers posed as a potential renter and responded to the ad and the landlord asked to meet at a hotel. Our team followed along with cameras rolling to see what happened when Powers went to go meet the Craigslist poster.

After hearing President Trump advocate for the drug hydroxychloroquine at his press conferences, Wanda Lenius says that she and her husband wanted to prevent themselves from contracting COVID-19, so they went in search of the drug. What they ended up consuming was not the antimalarial drug that Mr. Trump had touted, but rather chloroquine phosphate, a fish tank cleaner. The two became violently ill almost immediately, and rushed to a Phoenix hospital. There, her husband died of poisoning.

Pamela Orlando was a beloved nurse at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey. When she started to feel sick, she opted to manage her symptoms from home. She started keeping a video diary to document the progression of her illness. When her symptoms got worse, she was taken to the same hospital she worked at, and was diagnosed with COVID-19. She continued to keep her video diary, but it wasn’t until after she had tragically passed away that her children found the video diary.

In New York City, there’s a sign of progress in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic that has rocked the city for months. The USNS Comfort, the hospital ship that was dispatched to accommodate overflow COVID-19 patients from hospitals, set sail and headed back to Virginia. Thankfully, social distancing measures kept many at home and out of harm's way, and the ship only had to treat 182 patients out of its 1000 bed capacity, well below the anticipated need.

There was a disturbing discovery at Brooklyn funeral home in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 60 bodies were discovered in four unrefrigerated U-Haul trucks near the Andrew Cleckley Funeral home. Locals alerted authorities after they spotted fluids leaking onto the street and noticed a foul smell. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsome has shut down the beaches and state parks in California, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the social distancing measures “fascist” on a call with investors.

Teen drivers in Georgia can now get their licenses without taking a road test. That’s thanks to an executive order signed by Georgia governor Brian Kemp. Because of COVID-19, the state is limiting the number of tests, making it easier for student drivers to get a license. For teens with learners’ permits and no violations, it’s drive time. The state has over 26,000 infections and over a 1,000 COVID-19 deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

A vet set out to give his country a gift on his milestone birthday and was honored for going above and beyond. The British Army presented Captain Tom Moore with the honorary rank of colonel on his 100th birthday. Moore shocked the nation when he raised more than 31 million pounds in donations by walking 100 laps around his garden. The money raised was for the National Health Service as it battled the coronavirus.

Hannah and Charlie Lucas are gearing up to host a virtual prom where high schoolers get the chance to win money to use towards their education. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey donated the money. “Without his initial donation, I don't think any of this would be possible,” Hannah said. The prom is being held on Saturday on the NotOK App Instagram page. Hannah and Charlie created the life-saving app a few years ago.

There is growing concern that the United States could soon run out of meat, as food processing plants where meat is packaged for consumption close amidst coronavirus outbreaks. With the mounting worries about our access to beef, chicken and pork, nutritionist Joy Bauer has plenty of tips you can substitute. She suggests stocking up on protein-packed items like yogurt, eggs, packaged or canned fish and beans.

Experts suspect the coronavirus pandemic may have started at a wet market in Wuhan, China, most likely in bats before jumping to humans. But you may be surprised that wet markets are in the United States too, where live animals, including chickens, goats and sheep are slaughtered and sold on the spot. Jill Carnegie of Slaughter Free NYC, an animal rights group, said there are about 80 wet markets in the city. Inside Edition went to a market this week with hidden cameras. Here’s what we found.

Her family says she has superhuman DNA! Angelina Friedman proudly holds up a sign reading “I am 101 years old and I beat COVID-19!” The upstate New York woman tested positive for the virus last month, but has since beaten the virus. She not only beat the coronavirus, but lived through the 1918 flu pandemic as well. Angelina is still full of life even into triple digits of age, and last year was crowned the “Prom Queen” at her Mohegan Lake nursing home.

Megan Jessen is teaching a kindergarten class, but there’s no way she’ll ever learn all her students’ names. When Miss Megan, as she’s known, offered a one-hour class for kids to help keep their time structured, she never could have guessed how quickly it would grow. She started off with her own children and some of her friend’s kids, teaching 10 at first. That grew to 200, then 2,000 and three weeks later, her virtual classroom has ballooned to a mind-blowing 88,000 students!

Call it sunny, with a 100% chance of cuteness. WCBS New York Chief Meteorologist Lonnie Quinn was doing a live weather forecast from his home studio when his two adorable daughters popped into the shot. It wasn't long before dad had his hands full, trying to entertain the girls, It wasn't the first time someone working from home had an on-camera mishap. Good Morning America reporter Will Reeve got his fair share of ribbing for accidentally appearing on live TV Tuesday without his pants.

While the pandemic has closed the nation’s schools, the changes to routine won’t end when the academic year does. Summer - usually a time for family vacations, trips to the beach, and sleepaway camp - is going to be different this year. If summer camps even are allowed to open, they’re going to set up very differently to observe social distancing and other precautions. One golf resort is even offering deep discounts to those who walk instead of taking golf carts, to maintain natural distance.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is under fire after police broke up a funeral where thousands of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn mourned a prominent rabbi who died from COVID-19. "My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed," de Blasio tweeted. Community leaders say de Blasio singled out Jews in his tweets, but did not criticize the crowds gathered to watch the fly-by of military jets to honor workers on the front lines.

It was an almost miraculous step towards recovery for one COVID-19 survivor. Felipe from Barcelona, Spain, battled COVID-19 for a month in an ICU bed. This week, his therapists were able to get the 60-year-old on his feet. They put on a track from Spanish singer Sergio Dalma and got him to dance a little. It’s a small moment, perhaps, but a giant leap as well. Spain has the second highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, after the U.S.

It was an almost miraculous step towards recovery for one COVID-19 survivor. Felipe from Barcelona, Spain, battled COVID-19 for a month in an ICU bed. This week, his therapists were able to get the 60-year-old on his feet. They put on a track from Spanish singer Sergio Dalma and got him to dance a little. It’s a small moment, perhaps, but a giant leap as well. Spain has the second highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, after the U.S.

At a press conference in Albany on Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo played the showman. The governor pulled a cord, dropping a black curtain to reveal a massive “wall of masks.” Cuomo said the masks had been sent to New York by people across the country. He described the mural as “a self portrait of America. And you know what it spells? It spells LOVE.” New York state has the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S.

'GMA' reporter Will Reeve went live wearing a suit jacket and tie paired with shorts. Reeve has been poking fun at himself for his on air clothing mishap calling it “hilariously mortifying," and said he didn’t know anyone at home would be able to see his full outfit. In a statement, he said, “Any sartorial tips from these people wearing a belt, trousers and shoes during their work video calls at home are most welcome.”

Something strange happens when people walk in front of this house outside Detroit: just about every person breaks out into a silly walk! Inspired by the classic “Monty Python” sketch, Michigan resident Liz Koto posted a sign in her front yard that reads: “You have now entered the jurisdiction of the Minister of Silly Walks. Commence walking silly immediately!” People have obeyed, and each silly walk is captured on her doorbell camera. From a conga line to the macarena, everyone’s having fun.

Being stuck at home has many people trying out new activities, but not many are attempting to perform medical procedures on themselves. While his wife Kristin Bell and his two children looked on, actor Dax Shepard got on the phone with his doctor and attempted to pull a surgical pin from his broken hand. On the more cosmetic side of things, this 56-year-old grandmother is giving herself a facelift, using nothing but common household packing tape.

The pandemic is changing the way we fly. Starting next Monday, JetBlue will become the first U.S. airline to require all adult passengers to wear masks. Starting at check-in, masks must be worn through boarding, the flight, and deplaning. All JetBlue crew members are already required to wear masks. The announcement comes on the heels of a video showing a packed American Airlines flight with many passengers not wearing masks.

Yesterday, the CDC formally added six new symptoms of COVID-19 to their advisory page, including “loss of taste or smell,” a symptom that grabbed headlines last month. Today there are warnings that COVID-19 can cause serious inflammation in children, which can include painful rashes that turn black as the body’s immune system attacks its own organs. Plus, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is taking heat for ignoring his own stay-at-home order after he was spotted taking a stroll in Prospect Park.

Sean Doyle, a 31-year-old medical student at Emory University in Georgia, is one of the volunteers getting shots as part of a COVID-19 vaccine trial. While some might be scared of being a human guinea pig, Sean’s coming back for seconds. Two years ago, he volunteered to be part of an Ebola vaccination trial by the same team at Emory. The COVID-19 study is expected to last a full year, and Sean is ready, saying he feels his medical school training gives him confidence in the process.

As at least 22 food processing plants around the United States are closing down due to the pandemic, there is growing concern that America’s meat supply could be in jeopardy. Some supermarkets are showing empty shelves in the meat department, conjuring reminders of the toilet paper panic in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. But ironically, many farmers are being forced to euthanize animals that were headed for processing plants, undercutting their sense of purpose: feeding Americans.

This adorable pug is believed to be the first dog in the United States to test positive for the coronavirus. His name is Winston, and he and his family, the McCleans, were part of a Duke University study in which they were all tested for COVID-19. The parents, son and Winston tested positive for the disease, while the family’s daughter and two other pets tested negative. Luckily, after a few weeks of quarantining, the afflicted family members and their beloved pug are all feeling better.

New Zealand has virtually eliminated the Coronavirus. The island nation has observed one of the strictest lockdown policies in the world. And it appears to be paying off. The country has been logging fewer than 10 new cases of COVID-19 a day. One day, it had only one new case. As a result, this week the government loosened the threat level slightly, allowing some businesses to reopen, and for customers to get some of the treats they’ve missed.

A husband and father wrote a heart wrenching goodbye note for his family before he died from coronavirus. Katie Coelho says her husband Jonathan started coming down with symptoms in late March. She says she was expecting him to recover, but he unexpectedly went into cardiac arrest. When she looked on his cell phone she found a note that Jonathan wrote to her and the children in case he didn’t make it home.

After weeks of isolation, it’s no surprise that people are going stir crazy. Neuropsychologist Dr. Judy Ho says that being stuck inside can have an effect on your mental health. The pandemic presents an existential crisis, and Dr. Ho says that in these times, our hindbrain, which focuses on survival at all costs, is most active. This means we are less likely to take others’ feelings into account and makes us more likely to snap. Here are tips to maintain positive mental health in quarantine.

The call has been put out by doctors everywhere: if you’ve survived COVID-19, your blood plasma could help save a life. People who have fully recovered from the disease have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus. Sports reporter Jillian Sakovits batted the coronavirus, and now she’s showing Inside Edition how she donated plasma to save lives. She went to a New York blood center for the painless and quick procedure, and took us along with her.

Some states are lifting more stringent lockdown policies and letting businesses reopen to the public. Puckett’s Restaurant in Franklin, Tennessee, which is just outside of Nashville, opened its doors Monday for sit down service. While the restaurant has a lot of tables, only every other table is being occupied to keep them at half capacity. They also have specialized QR codes so that if you do not want to touch the menu, you can order right off your phone.

There is anecdotal evidence that popular over-the-counter heartburn medicine Pepcid may be a breakthrough treatment for COVID-19. A specialist working in Wuhan, China noticed that some coronavirus patients taking Pepcid for heartburn had a better chance of surviving. Now, hundreds of seriously ill patients in New York are receiving its active ingredient, famotidine, at nine times the dose given to treat heartburn as part of a new clinical trial studying its effects.

You don’t have to look far to see the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Famed department store Neiman Marcus is expected to file for bankruptcy any day now, and it’s not alone. Department stores around the country have seen sales dry up in the past month. Even before the pandemic hit, many big box retailers were struggling. But for consumers, this means historic bargains you normally have to wait until the holiday season to see. Many stores are also offering free shipping.

President Trump started his day on Twitter, continuing to rail against the media and democrats as he did over the weekend. The president has been on Twitter rampage since widespread fallout over his comments last week suggesting that injecting household disinfectant could be a treatment for COVID-19. A New York Times report over the weekend that he often doesn’t show up to work until noon also rattled the president, who took to social media to bemoan what he refers to as the “lamestream media.”

While millions of Americans wonder when they’ll be able to go back to work, many wonder how their workplaces will change in a post-pandemic world. It’s likely that many localities and businesses will observe social distancing once back at work. Some speculate that sneeze guards in front of desks and designated standing areas in elevators could be among the most common changes. More technologically advanced precautions include temperature-taking scanners that check your vital signs at the door.

Freddy Martinez can’t cut hair right now, but customers have been showing up at the California barber's shop anyway. Martinez says he has been living in his Glendale shop for weeks to keep his distance from his daughter at home, who has a medical condition. The arrangement has allowed Martinez to be present at the barber shop for his clients who have been showing up to pay him for future services.

Police in India recently hit the streets, acting like the undead. Unlike most zombies in popular culture, these sported telltale coronavirus spikes on their heads. The parade was part of a measure to promote social distancing in the world’s second most populous country. It’s not the first parallel between the coronavirus and zombie movies. In 2002’s “28 Days Later,” a zombie pandemic is caused by a virus. 

An artist in the Indian city of Chennai turned a rickshaw into a mobile coronavirus warning system. This virus rolls through city streets, warning people not to spit or litter in an effort to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. The contraption is made mostly of recycled plastic bottles. And firefighters in Italy used a snow cannon to blast disinfectant through villages in the Alps. Usually, the cannons are used to make snow for ski slopes.

Just to be clear: it is never, ever, OK to inject disinfectants, bleach, or cleaning products. Likewise with ingesting such products. The musings of President Trump about using such things to combat coronavirus had barely left his lips Thursday evening when seemingly the entire social media and medical world erupted. Consuming disinfectants in any form will likely kill you, came the response. 

Even though movie-watching might be at an all time high with millions of people stuck at home, the film industry has ground to a halt, with productions not expected to resume before August. When they do, some people are wondering what a staple of Hollywood - the love scene - will look like. Amanda Blumenthal, a Hollywood intimacy coordinator, says stars may be hesitant to get so close together once filming starts up again, making love scenes more of a challenge.

Five weeks ago, Neal Browning became a human guinea pig. He volunteered to be the second ever patient to be injected with an experimental vaccine for COVID-19. Inside Edition’s Jim Moret caught up with Browning to see how he’s feeling after he received his second vaccination, one month after the first. The Seattle area engineer reports that he’s feeling totally normal, but he won’t know if the experiment is a success until next year.

Like a lot of small businesses right now, hair salons are struggling financially during the coronavirus pandemic. One Dallas salon owner has made the controversial decision to re-open her business tomorrow in violation of Texas's stay-at-home order shuttering all non-essential businesses. A mom of three, Shelly Luther said she feels she has no other choice. "It's either come in and make money to be able to feed your family or stay home and freak out," Shelly Luther told Inside Edition.

Chicken sandwiches are always popular, but today they are taking on special meaning in New York City. As a gesture of solidarity and appreciation for their work, New York City Police treated front line medical workers to lunch. An NYPD canteen loaded with 750 chicken sandwiches pulled up to Long Island Jewish Medical Center and surprised doctors, nurses and other frontline staff there with lunch and a hearty message of appreciation.

If you’ve left the house in the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen masks and gloves littering the streets, discarded everywhere except in the garbage cans they’re supposed to go into. So what is the proper way to dispose of a contaminated glove or mask? Put them in a plastic bag, tie the bag shut, and throw the bag into the garbage. This helps lessen the spread of germs that may still be lingering on personal protective gear.

A 57-year-old California woman who was seemingly healthy when she died of a sudden heart attack in early February is now believed to be the first American to have died of the coronavirus. Patricia Dowd’s daughter found her dead on Feb. 6 at their home. Dowd's death came as a shock to her family, who said she "exercised routinely, watched her diet and took no medication." Now, she is among three new COVID-19 cases confirmed by Santa Clara County officials posthumously through tissue samples.

Two teens managed an impressive tennis rally from their rooftops in the Italian town of Finale Ligure. It's just one example of how sports have changed in the age of the coronavirus. The South Korean Baseball League announced its preseason schedule would resume, without fans. Reporters could attend, after having their temperature taken and disinfecting their hands. And in the U.S., the NFL draft begins, but the usually festive event will be held virtually.

With so many people using the Zoom app these days, who remembers the children’s show, “Zoom?” “It's definitely brought back some memories in a huge way,” recalls former cast member Taylor Garron. “Zoom” premiered on Boston Station WGBH-TV in the 1970s which was then rebooted in the 1990s. Today, former cast members including Taylor are helping to produce more “Zoom” content for families sheltering in place at home.

After recovering from the coronavirus, Lukus Estok wanted to help others. He learned he was a perfect match for convalescent plasma donation, a new treatment that transfers antibodies from recovered patients to those currently battling the virus. But when he accidentally revealed he is a gay man, Lukus said he was turned away. “I am healthy. I am a qualified and even prime donor right now. I just want to be treated like anyone else who's heterosexual,” he said.

They were on the adventure of a lifetime, until the coronavirus stopped them in their tracks. Austin Holmes and Heather DeSantis were crisscrossing the country in their truck and AirStream getting to know the locals in different cities. The couple has been parked in North Carolina for a few weeks now. Travel warnings and shelter in place orders have really been limiting their movements outside their 23-foot trailer.

Forty years after Adam Lilling’s life was saved in the NICU, the doctors at the same hospital did it again. When Lilling was a baby, he had experimental surgery on his pancreas at Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center on Long Island. Recently, he was treated for the coronavirus within the same hospital system. “I really just feel like the luckiest guy in the world that I've been able to overcome two serious illnesses,” Lilling said. 

One reason the deadly coronavirus has spread so quickly is due to the lack of prior knowledge about the disease and how it spreads. In the absence of facts, many conspiracy theories popped up to explain the world’s current chaotic state of affairs. Some of these conspiracies are downright strange - and they’re having weird real-world effects. Just ask the owner of the 5G cell tower in the Netherlands that an extremist set on fire because they believed it was spreading COVID-19 via radio waves.

This 4-year-old boy stricken with COVID-19 struggles with every breath, and his mom is sharing this video of his hospitalization as a warning to other parents. The boy’s name is Lincoln, and his mother, Dr. Anna Zimmerman, is a neonatal physician from Denver, Colorado. She wanted to share her son’s critical illness with others to dispel the notion that children are immune to the coronavirus. Thankfully, after five days in the hospital, Lincoln took a turn for the better and was released.

Many people are sharing their cooking adventures on social media while locked down at home, and some regular people are flourishing in their new role as chefs. Others, not so much. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia shared one of his quarantine kitchen favorites, and it’s getting mixed reviews. The Senator implored his followers to take his lead and enjoy a tuna melt - specially, one made on white bread and put in the microwave. Let’s just say it wasn’t the hit he was hoping it might be.

As millions of families across the country struggle to put food on the table while dealing with unemployment, those accustomed to lending a helping hand are in unprecedented demand. In Los Angeles, local schools have become a life line for families in need, handing out millions of meals. Lines of cars stretch for over a mile oftentimes, and it’s not just students who are getting food. The schools are giving meals to anyone who needs them.

RELATED STORIES