Editor's Note: Inside WIRED's quest to cover the biggest story of our time

Covid-19 has transformed our lives and made journalism more important than ever. Here's how we're approaching this challenge. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [WIRED Special Edition: Letter from the Editor] 04.14.20 On January 22, a committee at the WHO met to discuss whether the novel coronavirus constituted an international emergency. The same day, WIRED staff writer Megan Molteni published an article asking, “[Could China’s New Coronavirus Become a Global Epidemic?](” From there, she stayed on the beat, monitoring the growing pandemic. In February, senior correspondent Adam Rogers reported on [the US’s first community spread case]( and [the disease’s new name, Covid-19](. By early March, we had retreated to our apartments and attics and almost our entire staff had devoted itself to covering the most important public health crisis of our lifetimes. Our May Issue, out today, even got a new cover to reflect these rapidly changing circumstances. It’s been a demoralizing, scary time. But it’s also been energizing for the journalists at WIRED, who are constantly reminded of the value of providing the public with truthful and trusted information. In the last month, we’ve put out comprehensive guides to how [testing]( and [vaccine development]( work. We’ve broken important news, like about Google’s [not-really-a-giant-website website](. We’ve gone deep into the science and progress of potential [treatments](. We’ve launched a daily “Coronavirus Update” [newsletter](. Just down below, I’ve included a list of 12 of our most essential stories from the past weeks. Like many of our peers, we’ve also lifted our paywall. Readers have free access to all of our coronavirus stories about public health and protecting yourself during the pandemic. Despite this, it’s been heartening to see a significant uptick in subscribers this past month. Subscribers make our work possible. If you would like to join us or give someone in your life a subscription to WIRED, you can do so [here](. It’s a privilege to do this work at a time like this, and we’re grateful to have our readers’ support and trust. Nicholas Thompson [First Denial, Then Fear: Covid-19 Patients in Their Own Words]( Garrett M. Graff, 03.27.2020 The first installment in our weekly oral history series, [Covid Spring](. Since then, we’ve heard from New Yorkers and those celebrating milestones and practicing religion at a distance. [9 Amazon Workers Describe the Daily Risks They Face in the Pandemic]( Louise Matsakis, 04.10.2020 Amazon is calling its front-line workers heroes. But many feel scared and inadequately protected by their employer. [The Asian Countries That Beat Covid-19 Have to Do It Again]( Adam Rogers, 04.06.2020 At first, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan were lauded for their coronavirus responses. But now reimportation of the disease has their curves trending upward. [Most Kids Only Get Mildly Sick from Covid-19—but Not All]( Megan Molteni, 03.23.2020 It’s true that kids are less likely to get Covid-19 than adults. But babies, toddlers, or those who have other conditions may still be at risk. [They Say the Coronavirus Isn’t Airborne—but It’s Definitely Borne by Air]( Roxanne Khamsi, 03.14.2020 There isn’t a consensus as to whether coronavirus is airborne, probably because scientists don’t always agree on what the term means. [The Ibuprofen Debate Reveals the Danger of Covid-19 Rumors]( Maryn McKenna, 03.26.2020 Warnings about taking ibuprofen with Covid-19 vanished almost as quickly as they overtook the internet, much like so much bad or incomplete information that circulates online. [How to Make a CDC-Approved Cloth Face Mask]( Medea Giordano and Jeffrey Van Camp, 04.09.2020 After lengthy speculation, the CDC finally advised wearing cloth masks. Here’s our guide to making your own, how they can help—and how they can’t. [Obama’s Ebola Czar on What Strong Federal Response Looks Like]( Steven Levy, 04.07.2020 Ron Klain explains what the government needs to do to fight coronavirus: speak with a unified voice and take control of the supply chain, ASAP. [Record Jobless Claims Are Overwhelming States’ Aging Tech]( Paris Martineau, 03.26.2020 Americans are losing their jobs at staggering rates, but antiquated websites make filing for unemployment a challenge. [Why Life During a Pandemic Feels So Surreal]( Matt Simon, 03.31.2020 The absence of routine provides a psychological explanation for why none of what is happening right now feels real. [One Way to Potentially Track Covid-19? Sewage Surveillance]( Gregory Barber, 04.07.2020 If we can’t test everyone, analyzing wastewater could be one way to figure out how many people in a community have been infected. [For Homeless People, Covid-19 Is Horror on Top of Horror]( Emma Grey Ellis, 04.02.2020 Homelessness makes it hard to stay healthy under normal circumstances. During a pandemic, it makes avoiding sickness nearly impossible. [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [manage your newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir)