Coronavirus Update: Hope for rapid tests, Pelosi sets stimulus deadline, China output rebounds

PLUS: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 10.19.20 We're working around the clock to give you the best reporting on the coronavirus pandemic. Subscribe to support our journalism. Pelosi sets stimulus negotiation deadline, a small study offers hope for rapid tests, and China's economy bounces back. Here's what you should know: Headlines Pelosi sets 48 hours deadline for concluding stimulus package negotiations Nancy Pelosi set a 48-hour deadline for concluding coronavirus stimulus package negotiations on Sunday, saying that an agreement must be reached by the end of Tuesday if there's any hope of passing a bill before the election. But even if she and Secretary Mnuchin are able to make a deal in that time, the question remains whether Senate Republicans would support it. A new study finds that a rapid test may detect infectious people almost as accurately as a PCR test A study conducted in San Francisco found that Abbott's $5 BinaxNOW rapid test may detect coronavirus nearly as effectively as the more complex and time-consuming PCR test. The study was small and resulting data have not yet been peer-reviewed or published, but researchers found that the rapid test—which gives results in just 15 minutes—detected all but one of the people who had high viral loads and were most likely to spread coronavirus. China returns to pre-virus output levels as other countries' economies contract China's National Bureau of Statistics announced today that the country's economic output grew 4.9 percent during the July-to-September quarter compared to a year ago. These figures fall slightly shy of many economists' predictions, but they still mark an impressive return to pre-pandemic output levels, especially as many other countries' economies contract in the face of the coronavirus. Daily Distraction Tomorrow, OSIRIS-REx, a small NASA spacecraft, will dive down to the surface of an asteroid more than 100 million miles away from Earth to collect some space dust. It will be a seconds-long encounter that has been more than a decade in the making. Something to Read Writer Tom Vanderbilt started playing Fortnite to make sure his 11-year-old wasn't getting involved in anything too toxic or inappropriate. What followed was a crash course in collaborating across split screens, playing at a social distance, and father-daughter bonding. Sanity Check Don't throw your old gadgets out! Here are all the ways you can repurpose them when new ones arrive. One Question What are the symptoms of Covid-19? The most common symptoms of Covid-19 are dry cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Others include diarrhea and loss of smell or taste. Some people develop severe blood clots. The disease is mercurial—fairly mild for some and fatal for others. Scientists can't say definitively why, but women are less likely to die than men. We know that older people, especially those with underlying health issues, are more at risk. And children fare better than adults, but for babies, toddlers, and kids with other conditions the disease can be severe. Covid-19 Care Package ❓ From social distancing to viral spread to staying sane, here's everything we know and advise about the coronavirus. 📦 The Covid-19 virus can linger on objects for as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of days, depending on the surface. Here's the research. 😷 If you're planning to go out in public anytime soon, you're going to need a mask. Here are the best ones you can buy, or how to make one at home. 🧼 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. 💻 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 and how to not hate the loved ones you're quarantined with. ✂️ It may still be a while before you can see your hairstylist, so here's how to cut your hair at home, plus other ways to keep yourself lookin' fresh. 🦠 Read all of our coronavirus coverage here. Netflix's 'Social Distance' Captures All Your Quarantine Feels With its all-too-familiar webcam views and smartphone shots, Jenji Kohan's new show turns Covid-19 isolation into a drama everyone can relate to. NASA's OSIRIS-REx Is About to Touch an Asteroid After years of studying Bennu, the spacecraft will make its first attempt at a sample collection on Tuesday. 'Wait, Sylvie's Dad Plays?!' The Joy of Fortnite Parenting I picked up the controller to keep tabs on my fifth-grader. What I got was a window into her world—and a lesson in 21st-century fatherhood. Don't Toss That Old Phone! Here's How to Repurpose Your Tech Before you get rid of the phone, laptop, or camera you just replaced, think about giving it a new purpose.     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