Why Would Hospitals Forbid Physicians and Nurses from Wearing Masks?

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March 26, 2020

Dear Reader, Health care workers battling COVID-19 are being disciplined in some hospitals for wearing masks in the hallways, elevators and other common areas. In our main story, one doctor explains why this approach is misguided. More updates from the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic are also included in today's roundup. For space news, scientists may have discovered the origin of the large heart-shaped feature on Pluto's surface. And lastly, new findings suggest the recovering Antarctic "ozone hole" had a noticeable effect on the Southern Hemisphere's atmosphere. Important information for our print subscribers

Sunya Bhutta, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement @sunyaaa

Policy & Ethics Why Would Hospitals Forbid Physicians and Nurses from Wearing Masks? They wouldn't in cases where these professionals are caring for infectious patients, but in other situations, they have By Chethan Sathya

Space Collision on One Side of Pluto Ripped Up Terrain on the Other, Study Suggests A new computer model shows how a buried ocean on the dwarf planet might have enabled seismic waves to travel By Robin George Andrews

Medicine Coronavirus Vaccines May Not Work for the Elderly--and This Lab Aims to Change That A team at Boston Children's Hospital is searching for ways to boost a vaccine's effectiveness for those who need it most By Karen Weintraub

EARTH Shrinking Ozone Hole, Climate Change Are Causing Atmospheric "Tug of War" The Southern Hemisphere jet stream is shifting, bringing more rain to some spots and less to others By Chelsea Harvey,E&E News

Public Health The Effects of COVID-19 Will Ripple through Food Systems Staple crops are likely to be less affected by measures to control the virus, but farmers growing more specialized ones could feel the pinch By Laura Poppick

Public Health A Message from the Front Lines of the Pandemic I don't want talk. I don't want assurances. I want action. I want boxes of N95 masks and other safety gear piling up in hospitals By Joshua Lerner

FROM THE STORE Extreme Physics Physicists are pushing into the extreme ends of the universe as we know it—from invisible particles and colliding massive black holes to the most crushing gravitational forces ever detected and spooky quantum entanglement. The 14-billion-year-old tale of our universe is far from over, and in this eBook, we examine a wave of discovery and take a new look at old ideas. Editor's Note: This Collector's Edition was published as Extreme Physics. The eBook adaptation contains all of the articles, but some of the artwork has been removed to optimize viewing on tablet devices.

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FROM THE ARCHIVE Should Governments Nudge Us to Make Good Choices? Never mind the nanny state, when policy makers use behavioral science to influence our decisions, everybody wins By Jon M. Jachimowicz, Sam McNerney

QUOTE OF THE DAY "Asking healthcare workers to work without masks is like asking a firefighter to fight a fire naked." Kevin Readel, Veteran Nurse

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