Prisons were once designed to prevent disease

+ how to make masks at home Edition: US - Today's top story: Prisons and jails are coronavirus epicenters – but they were once designed to prevent disease outbreaks [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 16 April 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note Jails and prisons around the United States are releasing people for fear that overcrowded, unsanitary correctional facilities will become epicenters in the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has already infected hundreds of inmates and guards in city jails, state prisons and federal prisons. These outbreaks then spread through staff and visitors into the broader community. But, according to prison scholar Ashley Rubin, America’s first jails “were actually designed to avoid the spread of infectious disease.” Early prison reformers recognized that “the health of prisoners and communities are inextricably linked,” she explains. That’s still true today, as the [pandemic makes deadly clear](. Also today: - [How to worship online]( - [Will coronavirus fade in summer?]( - [The liberation of Barack Obama]( Catesby Holmes Religion Editor | International Editor Top story Calls for help at Chicago’s Cook County jail, where hundreds of inmates and staff have COVID-19, April 9, 2020. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images [Prisons and jails are coronavirus epicenters – but they were once designed to prevent disease outbreaks]( Ashley Rubin, University of Hawaii In the 1790s, penal reformers rebuilt America's squalid jails as airy, hygienic places meant to keep residents – and by extension society – healthy. Now they're hotbeds of COVID-19. What went wrong? Science + Technology - [Coronavirus may wane this summer, but don’t count on any seasonal variation to end the pandemic]( Ellen Wright Clayton, Vanderbilt University Winter is flu season – could it be coronavirus season as well? The research is mixed, but other factors besides temperature and humidity have more to do with the spread of SARS-CoV-2. - [Checking blood for coronavirus antibodies – 3 questions answered about serological tests and immunity]( Aubree Gordon, University of Michigan; Daniel Stadlbauer, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai After your body fights off an infection, antibodies remain in your blood. Two researchers explain how tests identify these antibodies and what the data can be used for. - [Making masks at home – what you need to know about how to reduce the transmission of coronavirus]( Susan L. Sokolowski, University of Oregon; Karen L. LaBat, University of Minnesota At-home mask makers should carefully consider fit and fabric variables when designing face coverings to help prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Ethics + Religion - [How to build community while worshipping online]( Heidi A. Campbell, Texas A&M University Churches have moved online. But to be able to properly connect with people, they need to find a way to build community, says a scholar who studies digital religion. Politics + Society - [Sanders exit opened door for Obama to endorse Biden – and offer up his rhetorical skills]( David A. Frank, University of Oregon In his endorsement of Biden, Obama gave his consent for his former running mate to go beyond the policy platform they built. It also freed Obama to use his rhetorical powers in the upcoming election. - [Explainer: what Donald Trump’s funding cuts to WHO mean for the world]( Adam Kamradt-Scott, University of Sydney If enacted, the funding cuts may cause the WHO to go bankrupt in the middle of a pandemic. Trump's move also signals the US is no longer prepared to provide a leadership role on global health issues. - [Why Boris Johnson won’t have to pay any hospital bills]( Luke Reader, Case Western Reserve University In the UK, nobody collects patients' insurance information or credit card details. There's simply no charge for services, including doctor visits, ambulances and hospitalizations. - [8 ways veterans are particularly at risk from the coronavirus pandemic]( Jamie Rowen, University of Massachusetts Amherst With the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, veterans who were already lacking adequate benefits and resources are now in deeper trouble. Arts + Culture - [How the rich reacted to the bubonic plague has eerie similarities to today’s pandemic]( Kathryn McKinley, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Then – as now – the wealthy fled to the countryside, while the urban poor were forced to work on the front lines. Environment + Energy - [Coastal fish populations didn’t crash after the Deepwater Horizon spill – why not?]( F. Joel Fodrie, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill caused widespread damage in the Gulf of Mexico, but some parts of this complex ecosystem fared better than others. Economy + Business - [Leading in wartime: 5 ways CEOs should communicate with their workers during coronavirus]( Rita Men, University of Florida A scholar of how leaders communicate offers five key traits CEOs should use when communicating with their workers about coronavirus. Most read on site - [Muslim women who cover their faces find greater acceptance among coronavirus masks – ‘Nobody is giving me dirty looks’]( Anna Piela, Northwestern University As people everywhere don face masks, scarves and bandanas to protect against coronavirus, Muslim women who wear the niqab, or Islamic veil, are feeling a lot less conspicuous. - [What we do and do not know about COVID-19’s infectivity and viral load]( Marta Gaglia, Tufts University; Seema Lakdawala, University of Pittsburgh Two phrases you hear a lot these days are viral load and infectious dose. What do they mean? Do they reflect the severity of disease or whether someone will get severely ill? Two experts explain. - [Study shows pangolins may have passed new coronavirus from bats to humans]( Yang Zhang, University of Michigan; Chengxin Zhang, University of Michigan; Wei Zheng, University of Michigan When a new virus emerges and triggers a pandemic, it is important to trace its origins. Knowing more about how the virus jumped species in the first place can help curb future zoonotic diseases. [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111