How Do We Convince People to Wear Masks? And Other Stories to Read Now
Every week, we corral compelling wellness stories from around the internet—just in time for your weekend reading.
The Dudes Who Won’t Wear Masks
The Atlantic
Wearing a mask can save lives. Another truth: Shaming people who refuse to wear face coverings to prevent coronavirus spread just isn’t working. So how do we convince people to wear masks? Public health professionals are asking people why they’re opposed to masks—and listening.
A Hospital Was Accused of Racially Profiling Native American Women. Staff Said Administrators Impeded an Investigation.
ProPublica
Clinicians at an Albuquerque hospital allege that they were advised to single out pregnant Native American women due to the coronavirus outbreak. Hospital workers said that part of this protocol was also to separate mothers from their newborn babies as a precaution while waiting for the results of COVID-19 testing, which Indigenous activists and political leaders say is “a disgusting and unforgivable violation of patient rights.”
Where Bail Funds Go from Here
The New Yorker
In the wake of the protests against police brutality following George Floyd’s murder, bail funds are better supported now than they ever have been. Those running the funds want to be clear: Bail funds with large budgets are not the end goal, and donating to one doesn’t mean your fight is over.
How Humanity Unleashed a Flood of New Diseases
The New York Times
Neglecting our interconnectedness with the earth and its ecosystems is killing us. Through deforestation, agriculture, loss of biodiversity, climate change, animal farming, and the wildlife trade, societies have set themselves up for this pandemic—and the ones that will inevitably follow. Up to 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals. And unless we change how we interact with animals and our world, Ferris Jabr writes, we will continue to set the stage for zoonotic diseases to thrive.
