What you need to know today about the virus outbreak

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:

— After two months and more than 10,000 deaths that have made the nation's nursing homes some of the most terrifying places  to be during the coronavirus crisis, most of them still don't have access to enough tests to help control outbreaks among their frail, elderly residents. Neither the federal government nor the leader in nursing home deaths, New York, has mandated testing for all residents and staff.

__The coronavirus pandemic is cutting off the world's 1.8 billion Muslims from their cherished Ramadan traditions as health officials battle to ward off new infections during Islam's holiest month. Ramadan, a month of daytime fasting, overnight festivity and communal prayer and giving, begins with the new moon this week.

— Heather Espinal is one of  1,900 Veterans Affairs health care workers who have become sick with the coronavirus, according to agency documents obtained by The Associated Press. Twenty have died. Another 3,600 of the 300,000-plus VA health care employees are quarantined and unable to work because they have been exposed to the virus, according to VA figures.

 — Daily reports of giant meat-processing plants closing because workers tested positive for the coronavirus have called into question whether slaughterhouses can remain virus-free. According to experts, the answer may be no.

__ The oldest brother of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Donald Reed Herring, has died from the coronavirus, the Massachusetts senator said. The former Democratic presidential candidate said her brother, who spent his career in the military, died Tuesday night.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.

Here are the symptoms of the virus compared with the common flu.

One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under fingernails before rinsing off.

You should wash your phone, too. Here's how.

TRACKING THE VIRUS: Drill down and zoom in at the individual county level, and you can access numbers that will show you the situation where you are, and where loved ones or people you're worried about live.

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ONE NUMBER:

— 26 Million: Unemployment in the U.S. has swelled to levels last seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s, with 1 in 6 American workers — or roughly 26 millions — thrown out of a job by the coronavirus.

IN OTHER NEWS:

— JUSTIN HERBERT: Like every other NFL draft prospect, Oregon QB Justin Herbert scrambled when the coronavirus outbreak forced school closures and stay-at-home restrictions across the country. He's prepared for the draft using his brothers as spotters and route runners.

— STUDENTS' MASKS: A private school student in the nation's capital wanted to find a way to pitch in during the coronavirus pandemic. Georgetown Day School senior Jonah Docter-Loeb's efforts led to Print to Protect, which has printed 3,000 face shields and hopes to complete 10,000 in April.

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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak