In The News

Time to Make a Face Mask: New York Times

Farhad Manjoo March 31, 2020
Advice on face masks has evolved throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. East Asians have long worn such masks, protecting against flu viruses since 1918 and then SARS in 2003. But US health experts suggested the masks were unnecessary. “The world is running out of face masks for health care workers, which is one reason American officials, including the surgeon general, have warned members of the...

The Flu, COVID-19 and the Economy

March 27, 2020
The United States leads the world in confirmed cases of COVID-19, passing even China, with almost four times the population and where the disease emerged in November. Some government and business leaders resist advice from public health experts on lockdowns and slowed economic activity. There is an argument that a pause on food supplies, utilities and other essential services poses a health...

US Coronavirus Conflict With China: The Hill

Stephen S. Roach and Daniel L. Arbess March 25, 2020
COVID-19, a threat to social and economic activity, requires a global solution, explain Stephen Roach and Daniel Arbess. Scapegoating is “stressing the U.S.-China relationship, inhibiting collaboration and enabling China to fill the global leadership void,” the two write. Collaborative research and ending the trade war, especially on medical supplies, could save US lives. China’s strict...

Coronavirus and the Ego Trap: DW

Frank Hofmann March 24, 2020
The coronavirus struck China in late 2019, paralyzing the economy by January. Few leaders in the West expected the virus to disrupt their operations, and many citizens followed that lead in resisting social distancing or empathy for the vulnerable. Arrogance, egotism and possibly greed are factors, suggests Frank Hofmann for Deutsche Welle. He refers to the US and Brazilian presidents who played...

Multiple COVID-19 Vaccines in Development: CNBC

Noah Higgins-Dunn and Emma Newburger March 23, 2020
Researchers around the globe are in a race to find a vaccine and treatments for COVID-19 with more than 300,000 confirmed cases reported worldwide. The World Health Organization describes an accelerated process after China shared the genetic sequence: “at least 20 different coronavirus vaccines with some already in clinical trials in record time – just 60 days after sequencing the gene,” reports...

Sports Stars as Health Advocates: Wall Street Journal

Ben Cohen and Joshua Robinson March 22, 2020
As the coronavirus outbreak turned into a global health emergency, sports stars play a role in advocating for public sanitation practices over social media with their millions of followers. Basketball player Stephen Curry, with 14 million Twitter followers and nearly 30 million Instagram followers, reminded his followers to wash hands with soap and water and embrace “social distancing.” His video...

COVID-19 Advice Is Difficult for Some Nations: BBC

Swaminathan Natarajan March 20, 2020
One out of seven people around the world, about 30 percent of the world’s urban population, lives in close quarters with minimal access to ventilation, sewage facilities or clean water, all of which help prevent spread of disease. Writing for BBC News, Swaminathan Natarajan describes a family of eight living in a one-room home with no running water, electricity or waste collection. Soap is a...