Thread by @AP

THREAD: Americans have been inundated by grim numbers this year, starting with COVID-19’s ever-rising death toll. But to grasp just how much the pandemic has upended everyday life, we can turn to a host of other figures, many overlooked. #PandemicAtlas apne.ws/e6bsmMs

Consider the billions of miles that Americans didn’t drive this year, when they were stuck at home, many out of work. #PandemicAtlas apne.ws/SKBllRX

Or the thousands of airport screening agents who have tested positive for the virus, likely a sign that when Americans did travel some brought the virus with them. #PandemicAtlas apne.ws/gecFLuN

Numbers can tell us things about our lives in 2020 that we might not want to acknowledge, like the 256% increase in online sales of alcohol. #PandemicAtlas apne.ws/bgQDOyX

And in this year of punishing uncertainty, a number — like the billions of hand sanitizer “doses” shipped to U.S. hospitals — can offer some reassurance. #PandemicAtlas apne.ws/0Jjyz7p

The coronavirus emerged a year ago in Wuhan, China, and swept across the world. It brought joblessness and lockdowns, infirmity and death to all corners of the globe. But each nation has its own story of how it coped. Read @AP's #PandemicAtlas project. apne.ws/G52k8wZ