Coronavirus Dispatches
Our journalists are documenting communities around the world battling the pandemic.
- Moscow,
- Russia
Surreal scenes inside Russia’s battle against the pandemic
Patients continue to fill hospitals as rumors and cynicism spread about a vaccine.
- Tegucigalpa,
- Honduras
The spectacular tale of a stranded circus—and its great escape from Honduras
Decades of daring feats couldn’t prepare the Segovia Brothers Circus for the most challenging obstacle yet: the coronavirus lockdown.
- England,
- United Kingdom
In the U.K., families of the dead still wonder: was it COVID-19?
The United Kingdom's death toll is now Europe's highest, and shifting diagnoses leave loved ones without answers.
- Bambang,
- Philippines
How a single doctor fights to keep COVID-19 from reaching his rural town
Anthony Cortez protects the 56,000 residents of Bambang, Philippines, through contact tracing, quarantine—and gossip
- New York City,
- United States
Meet NYC’s 2020 graduates—from aspiring actors to first-generation 'Dreamers'
A kindergartener missing his teacher. A med student graduating early to fight COVID-19. These grads are emerging into an uncertain world.
- New Orleans,
- United States
'It’s in the genes': New Orleans culture marches on despite the pandemic
In a city forged by challenges, musicians, chefs, and performers have found new ways to persevere.
- Orbey,
- France
When France locked down, this doctor became a lifeline for her rural community
In Haute-Alsace, where hospitals are scarce, Dr. Dominique Spihlmann is the first responder for an isolated community of 10,000.
- Bangkok,
- Thailand
A look inside Thailand, which prevented coronavirus from gaining a foothold
Expecting the worst, a photographer set out to document the pandemic in Bangkok. He was surprised by what he found.
- Nairobi,
- Kenya
In this sprawling city within a city, fighting coronavirus requires solidarity
The pandemic is another obstacle the community must tackle together in Kibera, one of the largest informal urban settlements in Kenya.
- New York City,
- United States
Systemic racism and coronavirus are killing people of color. Protesting isn't enough
After the protests end and the pandemic passes, will anything change for America's communities of color?
- Lombardy,
- Italy
These undertakers served on the coronavirus frontlines—now they're struggling
Italy's funeral home workers are haunted by what they saw in the pandemic's epicenter.
- India
Millions of women volunteers form India's frontline COVID response
Low-paid and often working without proper protection, these women are fighting to be recognized.
- India
‘They treat us like stray dogs’: Migrant workers flee India’s cities
The coronavirus pandemic has left many of India’s poor without jobs, food, or a way to get home.
- Grand Island,
- Nebraska
Football and the factory line: Living at risk in a heartland hot zone
“While the model of social distancing may work for many cities, it doesn’t really work in ours.” In Grand Island, Nebraska, a way of life is under threat.
- Baltimore,
- United States
‘I feel defeated’: A nurse details the unrelenting pressures of the frontlines
As coronavirus cases in Maryland increase, photographer and nurse Rosem Morton shares her frustrations, fears, and coping strategies.
- Jakarta,
- Indonesia
Indonesia’s government was slow to lock down, so its people took charge
Local quarantines have sprung up throughout the world’s largest island nation, but the end of Ramadan poses a severe test.
- Bogotá,
- Colombia
Fear, anger, desperation: How Bogotá's residents are coping with COVID-19
The lockdown in Colombia’s capital lowers infection rates, but tensions are high, and many in the city are struggling to put food on the table.
- Gothenburg,
- Sweden
Sweden still hasn't locked down. But normal life is a luxury for only a few
Life under Sweden's no-lockdown experiment depends on which side of this city you live.
- São Paulo,
- Brazil
Brazil’s vulnerable domestic workers cannot afford to get sick
Millions of domestic workers care for families across Latin America. But who will care for them during the pandemic?
- Mulhouse,
- France
France’s paramedics and undertakers have a new role: helping families say goodbye
In Mulhouse, the country's first COVID-19 epicenter, responders on the frontlines are now the final connection between relatives and coronavirus victims.
- São Paulo,
- Brazil
Living inside Brazil’s largest apartment complex amid a pandemic
As the Brazilian president denies the death toll from COVID-19, the Copan building has taken its own measures to halt the crisis.
- Nairobi,
- Kenya
In Nairobi, quarantine is a luxury few can afford
As COVID-19 takes hold in Kenya’s capital, hundreds of thousands living in cramped informal settlements are especially vulnerable.
- Los Angeles,
- United States
Residents of L.A.’s ‘Skid Row’ seek hope as coronavirus worsens
Many of the roughly 5,000 people in this tight-knit community are homeless. With the first COVID-19 cases now reported, is the city ready for what may come?
- Baltimore,
- United States
A Baltimore nurse chronicles how she's bracing for the surge
Nurse and photographer Rosem Morton documents life on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.
- Paris,
- France
‘It’s eerie’: Capturing the emptiness of Paris, a city under lockdown
As spring blooms, some of the most famous landmarks in the City of Lights are off-limits.
- South Georgia Island
‘You are the only passenger’: How I returned to an empty world
Follow a photographer’s journey from a remote island in the South Atlantic to a world paused by pandemic.
- Milan,
- Italy
Lonely residents grapple with life indoors as coronavirus shuts Italy down
A writer and photographer in Milan have been documenting the pandemic's spread. Now one of them may be sick.
- Tehran,
- Iran
‘It was like a scary movie.’ Coronavirus has forced Iran to take a hard pause
A father’s memorial, a building-wide singalong, a phone call with a stranger. A photographer documents the strange, suspended state of life in the country.
- Yongkang,
- China
China's 'hardware capital' grinds to a halt amid coronavirus fears
Makeshift barricades and a migrant worker shortage have upended life and industry in Yongkang, one of China's biggest manufacturing hubs.
Go Further
Animals
- How scientists are helping tiny owls find new homesHow scientists are helping tiny owls find new homes
- Endangered wolf’s migration blocked by the border wallEndangered wolf’s migration blocked by the border wall
- Siberian tigers are being hunted at night for their body partsSiberian tigers are being hunted at night for their body parts
- The endangered axolotl has found fame—is that enough to save it?The endangered axolotl has found fame—is that enough to save it?
- Giraffe populations are rising, giving new hope to scientistsGiraffe populations are rising, giving new hope to scientists
Environment
- Extreme drought creates unlikely farming allies in ArizonaExtreme drought creates unlikely farming allies in Arizona
- What climate change means for the future of coffeeWhat climate change means for the future of coffee
- U.S. corn output is booming, but not for the reasons hopedU.S. corn output is booming, but not for the reasons hoped
- The Maldives is being swallowed by the sea. Can it adapt?The Maldives is being swallowed by the sea. Can it adapt?
- A circle of life in the Okavango Basin, Video Story
- Paid Content
A circle of life in the Okavango Basin - The prince, the mayor, and the U.S. fish that ate JapanThe prince, the mayor, and the U.S. fish that ate Japan
- A rising tide is drowning Indonesian villages—and their deadA rising tide is drowning Indonesian villages—and their dead
- An imported tree fuels Patagonia’s terrifying summer firesAn imported tree fuels Patagonia’s terrifying summer fires
- Understand how Hong Kong’s coral communities have declined
- Paid Content
Understand how Hong Kong’s coral communities have declined
History & Culture
- Why Lunar New Year prompts the world’s largest annual migrationWhy Lunar New Year prompts the world’s largest annual migration
- Who was Anne Frank? Why her legacy is still fought over todayWho was Anne Frank? Why her legacy is still fought over today
- The Doomsday Clock is now 75—and it's still tickingThe Doomsday Clock is now 75—and it's still ticking
- How MLK’s multifaceted view on human rights still inspiresHow MLK’s multifaceted view on human rights still inspires
Science
- The pandemic likely made the rise of superbugs worseThe pandemic likely made the rise of superbugs worse
- World’s brightest x-rays reveal COVID-19’s damage to the bodyWorld’s brightest x-rays reveal COVID-19’s damage to the body
- Sexually transmitted infections seem to be on the riseSexually transmitted infections seem to be on the rise
- Why kids under 5 still can't get a COVID-19 vaccineWhy kids under 5 still can't get a COVID-19 vaccine
- Is a universal coronavirus vaccine on the horizon?Is a universal coronavirus vaccine on the horizon?
Travel
- ‘Nanobubbles’ and tour boats could rescue this Mexican wetland‘Nanobubbles’ and tour boats could rescue this Mexican wetland
- This 1882 surveying error saved a patch of forest from loggingThis 1882 surveying error saved a patch of forest from logging
- Should you buy carbon offsets for your air travel?Should you buy carbon offsets for your air travel?
- How cruise lines are adapting to COVID-19 in the age of OmicronHow cruise lines are adapting to COVID-19 in the age of Omicron