1. 101 year old man survived not one but two pandemics.
On Thursday, a 101-year-old man known as “Mr. P” was released from a hospital in Rimini, Italy after testing positive for COVID-19. The elderly are particularly susceptible to coronavirus and his recovery makes him one of the oldest people to survive the infection thus far. Adding to his remarkable survival, Mr. P was born in 1919 during the Spanish Flu, which affected around one-third of the world’s population at the time. If I want to read anyone’s self-help book, it’s this guy’s.
2. The three most important elements of an off-campus party came together for the greater good.
Two elements of a great house party rose to the occasion this week. Airbnb announced on Twitter that they will be providing housing assistance to first responders and healthcare workers. Tito’s Handmade Vodka vowed to make an initial 24 tons of hand sanitizer, which will first be distributed to first responders and healthcare workers. And who’s always there to clean up the party the next day? Dyson has joined the effort by making ventilators for hospitals experiencing shortages due to an overflow of incoming patients.
3. Face masks are in fashion.
Your favorite designers and fashion brands took action in helping doctors on the frontline. Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Gucci and Christian Siriano announced that they will be developing face masks for those in healthcare. Both Revolve and Reformation have partnered with hospitals in Los Angeles to provide face masks as well. Meanwhile, Gap Inc. and Canada Goose will be making hospital gowns and medical scrubs.
4. Creators got… creative.
YouTubers and bloggers released daily quarantine content. We were transported back to the YouTube of the early 2010s with their DIYs, at-home recipes and daily vlogs that were actually relatable. Check out Jenna Marbles’ latest YouTube post “Come Watch Even More Of My Favorite Tik Toks With Me” if you’re looking for a laugh, while popular beauty guru Michelle Phan reached out to her fans in an honest video titled “Concerned but staying calm.”
5. A “neighborhood walk” alternative made its debut: virtual exercise classes.
COVID-19 isn’t the only thing we’re catching right around now. Cabin fever is running rampant in suburbs across America, where families are taking to the streets to get their dose of Vitamin C and fresh air while staying close to home. But let’s not kid ourselves: we can only go on so many walks with Mom. Fitness studios such as Corepower, Barry’s, Rumble, Orange Theory and Barre3, as well as athletic-wear brands like Lululemon and Outdoor Voices, have been streaming online workouts via IGTV that people can do at home with little to no equipment. Now Mom can flaunt her 2-pound power-walking weights around the block without you to slow her down.
6. We made time for the books we promised to read on New Year’s.
Binge-watching your favorite shows might be one way to pass time, but many took a break from screen time and cracked open a new book. Quarantine is the perfect time to read the book you never had the time to start. Looking for a surefire page-turner? The New York Times has been updating their recommendation list every weekday. You could also look at the NYT bestsellers page, Book of the Month, Reese Witherspoon’s book club or sign up for Goodreads to find your newest read.
7. Oops… we’re giving Britney Spears another shout-out.
Britney’s iconic hit song “Oops…I did it again!” celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday. That’s all.
