Notations From The Grid (Special Quarter-End Edition): On #LifeIntheTimesofCorona

Our World has transformed.  As we note a snapshot of the challenging weeks we've had, we present one of the most insightful weekly analysis courtesy the team at the Economist of London as we note #WeWillGetThroughThisTogether & we remind all to heed warnings to #StayHomeAndStaySafe: 

The Economist this week       Our coverage of the new coronavirus

Welcome to this week’s newsletter highlighting the best of our coverage on covid-19. In an issue dominated by the disease, we had two covers. In most of the world we looked at the spread of the virus in poor countries. So far, recorded cases are few. But make no mistake: they are mounting and societies are terrifyingly underprepared. In America and Britain we wrote about how the pandemic has led to the most dramatic increase in state power since the second world war. For believers in limited government and open markets, covid-19 poses a problem. Only the state can deal with this crisis. Yet history suggests that the state will not give up all the ground it takes—with implications for the economy and surveillance. We develop those themes in this issue. We have in-depth reporting on the threat from the disease in Africa. We also examine the use of personal data to enforce quarantines, track the epidemic and pounce on new outbreaks. We look at how wars and the Depression led to a permanently bigger state with many more powers and responsibilities, and the taxes to pay for them. We describe the unprecedented global collaboration among medics searching for the best way to treat the disease. We look at how China is slowly returning to normal. And for all those long-suffering workers stuck at home, our Bartleby columnist shares the pain. We have also been reporting on the disease on Economist radio and in Economist films. This week we highlight our science podcast, Babbage. It features items on how some people with covid-19 lose their sense of smell, the scramble to make ventilators and the effect of the pandemic on the environment. We hope that our coverage helps make you better informed, and your isolation more tolerable.        Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-In-Chief

Editor’s picks       Must-reads from our recent coverage       Continental contagion Africa is woefully ill-equipped to cope with covid-19 People cannot stay away from work if they have no money Middle East and Africa     Creating the coronopticon Countries are using apps and data networks to keep tabs on the pandemic And also, in the process, their citizens Briefing     Building up the pillars of state Rich countries try radical economic policies to counter covid-19 History suggests that the effects will be permanent Briefing     Stop, collaborate and listen Crowdsourcing to fight covid-19 Many trials are under way to find the best treatment International     The post-virus economy China goes back to work But not back to normal China     Bartleby Diary of a home worker The challenges of concentrating during a lockdown Business     Babbage Sniffing out the answer—understanding the symptoms of covid-19 Our weekly podcast on the science and technology making the news Economist Radio