Coronavirus Updates: Nursing homes prepare for a surge, delivery apps face uncertainty, and more

PLUS: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [(image) WIRED Coronavirus Update Logo] 05.29.20 This is a special edition of our Coronavirus Update newsletter. To receive this email every weekday, [sign up here](newsletter=wir). Nursing homes prepare for a surge, delivery apps face an uncertain future, and scientists attempt to cut the cost of testing. Here’s what you should know: Headlines Some nursing homes escaped Covid-19, and showed [how to do it right]( While many nursing homes around the country were hit hard by Covid-19, others managed to protect themselves from the deadly virus with a mix of early prevention, more cleaning staff, and educational courses for residents and employees. But as states being to reopen, nursing homes will have to face those dangers all over again. Everyone's ordering delivery, but [apps aren't making money]( As restaurants and patrons alike have turned to third-party delivery apps during lockdown, it would stand to reason they might finally turn into profitable enterprises. But even now, major delivery apps like Uber Eats and Door Dash are still posting losses, and the fierce competition is prompting a new wave of consolidation and uncertain futures. Covid-19 testing is expensive, but it [doesn't have to be]( The price of Covid testing naturally favors wealthy countries, leaving low-resourced nations to fend for themselves. But scientists are now coming up with ways to get around that using "frugal science" to make testing more affordable for all. Daily Distraction All that bread you’ve made in quarantine could use some soup to go with it. This handy gadget can do it [all the heating and stirring for you](. Something to Read Lisa Piccirillo was a grad student when she encountered a tough mathematics question by chance at a conference. She treated it like homework, and solved it in a week. Turns out, it was actually a 50-year-old problem that had [stumped mathematicians for decades](. Sanity Check Pandemic stress can make it hard to get up in the morning—luckily, there are sunrise alarm clocks to help. Check out [our favorite picks](. One Question How is Covid-19 being tracked? Right now, lots of countries are either using [smartphone apps and location data]( to track the spread of the virus or are working to put a contact tracing system in place. To mitigate concern that this contact tracing would be an [infringement of privacy](, companies like [Apple and Google]( are collaborating on a [Bluetooth-based system]( that would track coronavirus and [notify people who have been exposed]( [without surveilling users](. Beyond smartphones, some countries and workplaces have started using [thermal cameras]( to detect potential fevers, and [wearable devices]( and [sewage surveillance]( may also prove helpful. And some city and state [officials are skeptical]( about digital tracing, [employing thousands of people]( to do the tracing instead. Covid-19 Care Package ❓ Have questions about anything Covid-19 related? We answered your questions and gathered [all our coverage in one spot](. 💻 Some of you are work-from-home pros, but if you're new to it, here's how to [stay productive without losing your mind](. 😔 It's hard not to be anxious about a global pandemic, but here's how you can [protect yourself and your family without spiraling](. 💉 Over 30 companies are working on a vaccine, but it's probably still at least a year away. Here's [everything you should know](. 📦 The Covid-19 virus can linger on objects for as little as a few hours or as long as a couple days, depending on the surface. [Here's the research](. 👫 Quarantined with a loved one? Here's how to [not hate them]( before all this is over. 🧼 It's not just your hands that need washing—your gadgets, clothes, and home need it too. Here's how to [properly disinfect your stuff](. 🦠Read all of [our coronavirus coverage here](. [hands of an elder woman]( [Some Nursing Homes Escaped Covid-19—Here's What They Did Right]( [As states start to reopen, senior care facilities must balance the needs of residents against the potential for more deadly Covid-19 outbreaks.]( [Aerial view of a pizza delivery person on a bike]( [Everyone's Ordering Delivery, but Apps Aren't Making Money]( [With dining rooms closed, more people are using Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash. But the services face a challenge to satisfy both consumers and restaurants.]( [Covid-19 Testing Is Expensive. It Doesn't Have to Be]( [The diagnostics industry favors wealthy countries, but the rest of the world needs tests, too. Stanford bioengineer Manu Prakash thinks "frugal science can help.]( [sunrise clock]( [The 6 Best Sunrise Alarms to Help You Rise and Shine]( [No bedroom window? No problem. These sun simulators might just make it easier to wake up and catch z's.]( [Sign up for WIRED's Coronavirus Update Newsletter]( SIGN UP [You Have Questions, We Have Answers]( [Sign up for our new Coronavirus Update newsletter for the latest on the pandemic.]( [Subscribe to WIRED]( [GET WIRED](  [Get unlimited access to our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.](  [Subscribe to support our journalism.](  [Exclusive offer: 1 year for $10 $5]( [(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. 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