Robinson Meyer
Staff writer at . Visiting fellow at . Say hi: [email protected], DM for Signal
Last synced from Twitter 991d ago
The Coronavirus’s Unique Threat to the South
Dad - The Atlantic 7h 20 tweets
More young people in the South seem to be dying from COVID-19. Why?
2
Robinson Meyer In Colorado, people younger than 70 make up 20% of Covid deaths. In Louisiana, they make up 43%. In Georgia, they make up 49%. The health conditions of working-age people in the South will likely worsen its Covid outbreak, Vann Newkirk writes 5h
Everyone Thinks They’re Right About Masks
Ed Yong - The Atlantic 29h 36 tweets
How the coronavirus travels through the air has become one of the most divisive debates in this pandemic.
2
Robinson Meyer The story we’ve all been waiting for: on whether it’s safe to go outside, whether the virus is airborne, and… …whether you should wear a mask. 28h
The Interminable Body Count
Elaine Godfrey - The Atlantic 30h 5 tweets
We may never know how many people the coronavirus kills: “It sounds like it could be totally obvious—just count body bags. It’s not obvious at all.”
3
Robinson Meyer How many Americans will die because of the coronavirus? “We will almost certainly never know the exact number,” reports 30h
Private Labs Are Fueling a New Coronavirus Testing Crisis
Alexis C. Madrigal, Robinson Meyer - The Atlantic 44h 33 tweets
Backlogs at private laboratories have ballooned, making it difficult to treat suffering patients and contain the pandemic.
4
Robinson Meyer NEW: The United States has tested 1 million people for the coronavirus. We were first supposed to hit that goal 24 days ago. Now, a new crisis is brewing in America’s private labs, where there’s a growing backlog of tests, and I report 43h
Exclusive: Kushner Firm Built the Coronavirus Website Trump Promised
Robinson Meyer - The Atlantic 3d 19 tweets
The extent of Oscar Health’s work on coronavirus testing hasn’t been previously reported.
5
Robinson Meyer NEW: Oscar Health—a health-insurance firm closely connected to Jared Kushner—developed a website for the government’s coronavirus response. The site, which looked like a government product, was ultimately shelved. Oscar says it worked for free. My story 3d
2
Robinson Meyer As Jared Kushner has taken the reins of the federal covid response, experts have warned that Oscar, his brother’s health-insurance firm, poses a big conflict of interest. Now we know: It got involved—at the admin’s request. My story from late last night 52h
Trump Administration, in Biggest Environmental Rollback, to Announce Auto Pollution Rules
Coral Davenport - Nytimes.com 3d 44 tweets
The Trump administration has finalized new fuel efficiency standards, lowering expectations from 54 miles per gallon by 2025 to 40 miles a gallon by 2030.
5
Robinson Meyer Amid the pandemic, the Trump administration will virtually wipe out the US tailpipe-pollution standard tomorrow. It’s the president’s biggest rollback yet of federal climate protections 3d
The Grieving World
The Atlantic 4d 13 tweets
Amid the chaos, spare a moment for sorrow.
1
Robinson Meyer Make time for this short essay 4d
Homes Actually Need to Be Practical Now
Megan Garber - The Atlantic 4d 2 tweets
One of the ironies of social distancing is that it can put privacy in short supply.
1
Robinson Meyer “I spoke with HGTV executives. And the reason that they are so big on open-concept [living spaces] is because it gets the male viewers. Like, guys like to watch sledgehammers and, like, taking out walls.” 4d
How the Pandemic Will End
Ed Yong - The Atlantic 8d 257 tweets
The U.S. may end up with the worst Covid-19 outbreak in the industrialized world. This is how it’s going to play out.
1
Robinson Meyer “America has mishandled the COVID-19 crisis to a substantially worse degree than what every health expert I’ve spoken with had feared.” One of them warns: “The U.S. may end up with the worst outbreak in the industrialized world.” 8d
6
Robinson Meyer Two years ago, examined whether the US was ready for the next pandemic. He concluded that it was not. That pandemic has now arrived. Here’s his sweeping view of what comes next 8d
Trump’s claims that GM, Ford making ventilators ‘right now’ not true
mlive 10d 1 tweets
No automaker is anywhere close to making medical gear such as ventilators and remain months away.
1
Robinson Meyer “THE FACTS: No automaker is anywhere close to making medical gear such as ventilators and remain months away—if not longer. Nor do the car companies need the president's permission to move forward.” 10d
Locust crisis poses a danger to millions, forecasters warn
the Guardian 13d 26 tweets
Experts fear swarms like those seen in Africa will become more common as tropical storms create favourable breeding conditions
2
Robinson Meyer Everyone PLEASE remember not to worry until the rivers flow with blood and frogs fall from the sky. It’s important to stay grounded during this nerve-wracking time. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 11d
An American Catastrophe
Alexis C. Madrigal, Robinson Meyer - The Atlantic 12d 53 tweets
The scale of death and economic damage that the coronavirus is bringing to the U.S. could have been avoided—if only we had started testing for the virus sooner.
1
Robinson Meyer It wasn’t like states or counties failed to prepare for a pandemic. Many drew up lengthy plans that thought through school closures, social distancing, and travel restrictions. But what they widely assumed is that America would be able to test its sick. 12d
2
Robinson Meyer NEW - from and me, with ’s COVID-19 team How many Americans are sick with the coronavirus? When did they get sick? These are two of the most crucial questions for understanding the pandemic. We don’t know the answers. 12d
1
Robinson Meyer Here’s an incredible chart by and Quinn Ryan. At the end of February, the CDC reported 15 positive covid cases. Today, the US has discovered 17,000+ cases. But epidemiological estimates say that roughly 87,000 people are already sick. 12d
How Many People Have the Coronavirus in Your State Right Now?
The Atlantic 13d 6 tweets
More than 100,000 Americans have been tested. Here are the latest numbers for every state.
6
Robinson Meyer NEW - from COVID-19 team The United States has now tested more than 100,000 people for the coronavirus and discovered 12,000+ cases. But just a few states dominate those sums. How is your state doing on testing? Explore in our live tracker 13d
COVID19 Tracker
The COVID Tracking Project - COVID19 Tracker 21d 69 tweets
The COVID Tracking Project collects information from 50 US states and the District of Columbia to provide the most comprehensive public data we can on state-level testing for the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.
1
Robinson Meyer Washington, DC, tested six people in the past 24 hours. Two of them tested positive. 16d
The Safest Ways to Get Food Right Now
The Atlantic 19d 19 tweets
The coronavirus makes an age-old dilemma much more fraught: Order in, or cook at home?
1
Robinson Meyer “We’re being asked to think so much more socially than we’re ever, ever asked to think,” a professor of ethical and religious studies told . 19d
America Isn’t Testing for the Most Alarming Coronavirus Cases
Robinson Meyer - The Atlantic 20d 5 tweets
In many states, testing rules are so strict that doctors may not notice a community outbreak until it’s too late.
2
Robinson Meyer A Nebraska doctor told me that she was denied a COVID test despite having symptoms. Only people who had traveled or been exposed to a confirmed case could be tested, she was told. Then she was told: “We have no evidence of community spread in Nebraska.” 20d
3
Robinson Meyer NEW: States and hospitals are rationing COVID-19 tests. A chaotic patchwork of rules now dictates who gets one. But in many states, the rules are so strict that doctors can’t test for cases of community spread until it’s too late. From me + 20d
7
Robinson Meyer A reminder that if officials say there’s no evidence of COVID-19 community spread in your area, it may be because policy effectively forbids them from looking for it. 19d
Keep Calm and (Don’t) Carry On
The Atlantic 21d 3 tweets
“Blitz spirit” won’t contain the coronavirus. Older Britons should know that being a snowflake is fine.
2
Robinson Meyer “Hopefully, our actions *will* look like overreactions in a few months’ time. That’s the measure of success.” 21d
Coronavirus crisis hits ice-locked Arctic research expedition
Nature.com 22d 16 tweets
A team member on the huge project has tested positive for the virus, delaying the air mission.
2
Robinson Meyer If this situation feels like a horror movie to YOU, consider that you’re not a climate scientist watching a global pandemic play out aboard a 600-person research vessel that was intentionally trapped in North Pole sea ice several months ago 22d
What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus
The Atlantic 23d 14 tweets
The Atlantic’s guide to understanding COVID-19
6
Robinson Meyer The Atlantic has now made many of our coronavirus stories free to read without a subscription. You can now read my and ’s investigation into testing delays for free: As well as stellar coverage by our colleagues: 23d
Cancel Everything
The Atlantic 23d 117 tweets
Social distancing is the only way to stop the coronavirus. We must start immediately.
4
Robinson Meyer “Anyone in a position of power or authority, instead of downplaying the dangers of the coronavirus, should ask people to stay away from public places, cancel big gatherings, and restrict most forms of nonessential travel.” 23d
2
Robinson Meyer This is such a key point. Right now, it might feel weird or lame to suddenly change your behavior because of the coronavirus. But it is the responsible thing to do. Preventing a worst-case scenario requires prudent action now. 23d