Our picksSocial Media & Epidemics | Putin’s Big Fail | How the Pandemic Will End, and more

Published 26 March 2020

·  Inside the Pentagon’s Lurching Efforts to Protect Its People from the Coronavirus

·  Brazil Transforms Sports Venues into Field Hospitals for Coronavirus

·  Social Media Sees Virus Solidarity Bloom in U.K.

·  The Value of Science for Critical Decisions

·  After Putin’s Big Fail, Russia Braces for COVID-19 Onslaught

·  How the Pandemic Will End

Inside the Pentagon’s Lurching Efforts to Protect Its People from the Coronavirus (Katie Bo Williams, Defense One)
As the alarms rose in February and early March, lower-echelon commanders wondered what to do. Some servicemembers blame leaders who took their cues from the White House.

Brazil Transforms Sports Venues into Field Hospitals for Coronavirus (Michael Brown, VOA)
One of the most famous stadiums in Latin America is being transformed into a field hospital to treat patients infected with coronavirus in Brazil.
The Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, home to Olympics and World Cup contests, is among a group of stadiums and convention centers that will be used to accommodate the growing number of coronavirus cases in Brazil.

Social Media Sees Virus Solidarity Bloom in U.K. (Charlotte Durand, AFP)
Help groups on social media are connecting people with those most in need during the coronavirus lockdown, fostering a community spirit often neglected in the capital’s fast-paced life.

The Value of Science for Critical Decisions (Reto Knutti, ETH Zurich)
We were poorly prepared for this pandemic and reacted too hesitantly, despite warnings from experts. Nonetheless, the response to the coronavirus strikingly shows how as a society we are capable of reacting to a threat collectively, in a coordinated way and in a spirit of solidarity. And that’s encouraging. Coronavirus won’t be the last crisis. From this, we can learn to take global threats seriously and to act proactively on the basis of scientific facts.

After Putin’s Big Fail, Russia Braces for COVID-19 Onslaught (Julia Davis, Daily Beast)
The official bulletin about the coronavirus, released by Russia’s federal agency Rospotrebnadzor on March 24, states that more than 112,074 people remain under medical supervision.

How the Pandemic Will End(Ed Young, The Atlantic)
The U.S. May End Up with the Worst COVID-19 Outbreak in the Industrialized World. This Is How It’s Going to Play Out.