How will this change us?

People are changing their behavior fast to contend with the new coronavirus threat.

Those who must still take transit, for example, wonder if avoiding surfaces on trains and buses will help them stay healthy. A survey of about 11,000 people in 11 countries conducted in early February by Britain’s Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc, which makes cleaning products under its Lysol brand, found that 44% are avoiding crowds and 29% are staying off public transit. Campaigns from public-health agencies seem to be resonating: 54% said they’re washing their hands more often, and 32% are trying not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth. Whether any of the lessons on cleanliness will lead to lasting behavioral changes is perhaps a question for later. —Deirdre Hipwell

Will gender inequality worsen?

In strictly medical terms, the new coronavirus seems to hit men harder than women. In an analysis of almost 45,000 cases in China, the death rate was 2.8% for men, compared with 1.7% for women. And men made up a slight majority of the infected, at 51%. One theory is that men, particularly in China, are more likely to smoke cigarettes, so they have weaker lungs. Cardiovascular disease, which is highly correlated with coronavirus fatalities, is also more prevalent in men. But as the virus spreads globally, it appears women are bearing the brunt of the social and economic disruption.