When the world learned about a then-nameless novel coronavirus on the last day of 2019, few could have predicted how it would shape the year about to begin. In less than three months, that disease, COVID-19, has claimed more than 8,000 lives and changed millions more. Countries and regions around the world have taken unprecedented actions, from citywide lockdowns and mass quarantines to sweeping travel and business restrictions.
This issue explores our strange new normal—in China, where COVID-19 still casts a long shadow; in Europe, where health systems are struggling to weather extraordinary challenges; and in the U.S., where a mismanaged political response lulled many into a sense of security now shattered by school and work closures, lost wages and social separation. In words and images, these stories detail the disparate responses—medical, technical and personal—required to slow and halt COVID-19, and, most important, how we can all emerge on the other side.
How TIME Plans to Cover the Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic
For all of us at TIME, it is in moments like this that we feel our greatest sense of responsibility to provide trusted information and guidance to our audience of more than 100 million people around the world…Read more
The Tech That Could Be Our Best Hope for Fighting COVID-19—and Future Outbreaks
Smartphone apps, data analytics and artificial intelligence all make finding and treating people with an infectious disease far more efficient than ever before… Read more
Behind the Covers of TIME’s Special Coronavirus Issue
This week’s issue of TIME is centered around a special report on the current coronavirus pandemic. It features six different covers, each with a portrait of individuals directly impacted by the virus, ranging from the tragically hard-hit Life Care Center in Kirkland… Read more
Throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, an ominous question has hung in the air: How would he handle a truly serious crisis? Now we know. The novel coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 200,000 people… Read more
In the Battle Against Coronavirus, Humanity Lacks Leadership
Many people blame the coronavirus epidemic on globalization, and say that the only way to prevent more such outbreaks is to de-globalize the world. Build walls, restrict travel, reduce trade… Read more
Life in China Has Not Returned to Normal, Despite What the Government Says
As cases of COVID-19 stabilize in China and soar across the U.S., Middle East and Europe, the Beijing government has been busy recasting China as a sanctuary from the deadly virus, which has so far sickened 169,000… Read more
Understanding the Coronavirus Pandemic, in Five Charts
Looking at data from countries with robust testing systems does support the idea that the disease’s case fatality rate may be lower than 4%… Read more
‘We Hand-Sanitize and Hold Hands.’ What It’s Like When Your Partner May Have Coronavirus
In February, when Jacob came home from an international trade show in Arizona with a cough, he wasn’t concerned. He slept in a separate room so that his hacking wouldn’t disturb his wife, Caitlin. But within days… Read more
The financial crash is hitting hourly workers who only get paid if they show up to work, but it’s also creating a quandary for small businesses whose income has dried up while bills roll in…Read more
The Moral Dilemma of Coronavirus Quarantines
A coronavirus quarantine is not easy. It amounts to two weeks of house arrest for a disease you may not have. Your fortnight of confinement is done entirely in the service of others, protecting them from possible infection… Read more
What We Can Learn From Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong About Handling Coronavirus
Since she learned of the coronavirus outbreak, Amy Ho’s daily routine has gotten a bit more complicated. Coming home now involves sanitizing her shoes, washing her hands with soap and water, taking off her medical mask… Read more
Businesses, basketball games, Broadway shows, baby showers—every area of life has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s impossible to go an hour without hearing of another cancellation… Read more
Why Wearing a Face Mask Is Encouraged in Asia, but Shunned in the U.S.
Cheryl Man is usually the only one wearing a face mask on her New York City subway train. She notices this, but other people on the train notice, too. Usually she just gets odd stares from other commuters… Read more
The Coronavirus Outbreak Is a Critical Test for the European Union. So Far, It’s Failing
The coronavirus outbreak is the latest in a long line of crises that have thrust the E.U. into existential despair… Read more
An epidemic is a test not just of our mettle but our morals. In a time of lockdowns and quarantines, restaurant closings and shuttered schools, the temptation is often to bend the rules… Read more
As U.S. Braces for Coronavirus to Spread, Hospitals Worry About Shortages
As doctors in the U.S. have watched Italy’s health care system buckle under the sudden strain of the coronavirus, the magnitude of the problems that could be heading their way have begun to sink in… Read more
In the Wake of the Coronavirus, Here’s Why Americans Are Hoarding Toilet Paper
There’s nothing quite like the behavior of panicky humans—especially when it comes to hoarding. Let a blizzard approach or a hurricane churn toward shore, and we descend on stores, buying up more batteries, bottled water… Read more
The Secret to Keeping Your Kids Happy, Busy and Learning if Their School Closes Due to Coronavirus
As millions of children are displaced from their schools due to the coronavirus, a sub-crisis has risen for American parents: What will the kids do all day? The widespread school closures have sent a ripple effect into parent… Read more
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