We're all OCD now

+ why businesses are shifting coronavirus risks to customers US Edition - Today's top story: Are we all OCD now, with obsessive hand-washing and technology addiction? [View in browser]( US Edition | 15 June 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Living with the constant threat of COVID-19 can make anyone feel a little obsessive-compulsive. We wear face masks in grocery stores, use hand sanitizer after touching anything in public and try to keep at least 6 feet away from other people. We’re online all the time for work, school and social connections. Six months ago, those behaviors would have raised eyebrows. Today, it’s a sign you care about your health – and the health of those around you. So, where is the line between protective behavior in a pandemic and obsessive-compulsive disorder? Wayne State University psychiatrist David Rosenberg and therapist Roen Chiriboga [break down the differences]( and the changing views of what’s normal. Also today: - [The archaeology of disease]( - [How ageism harms health]( - [One of the biggest obstacles to police reform]( Stacy Morford General Assignments Editor What once looked like obsessive-compulsive disorder has become normal when faced with a deadly pandemic. Busà Photography via Getty Images [Are we all OCD now, with obsessive hand-washing and technology addiction?]( David Rosenberg, Wayne State University Behaviors that would have been seen as pathological a few months ago are now applauded as adaptive and resourceful. Where do doctors draw the line? Health + Medicine - [Coronavirus shows how ageism is harmful to health of older adults]( Paul Nash, University of Southern California; Phillip W. Schnarrs, University of Texas at Austin Prejudice toward older Americans can impact their physical and emotional health. Ethics + Religion - [India’s goddesses of contagion provide protection in the pandemic – just don’t make them angry]( Tulasi Srinivas, Emerson College Goddesses have traditionally protected against sickness and cured the ill, according to Hindu belief. More recently they have been coopted to combat AIDS and traffic deaths. - [No justice, no peace: Why Catholic priests are kneeling with George Floyd protesters]( Anna L. Peterson, University of Florida Though often seen as socially conservative, the Catholic church has a strong progressive strain that can be traced back 50 years to Latin America's liberation struggles. Science + Technology - [What the archaeological record reveals about epidemics throughout history – and the human response to them]( Charlotte Roberts, Durham University; Gabriel D. Wrobel, Michigan State University; Michael Westaway, The University of Queensland People have lived with infectious disease throughout the millennia, with culture and biology influencing each other. Archaeologists decode the stories told by bones and what accompanies them. Economy + Business - [Why hairdressers, gyms and the Trump campaign are asking people to sign COVID-19 waivers]( Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon You may want to think twice before giving up your right to sue if you get sick, but you probably won’t have much choice. - [Being convicted of a crime has thousands of consequences besides incarceration – and some last a lifetime]( Cynthia Golembeski, Rutgers University Newark More than 40,000 restrictions, most imposed by states, leave rights, benefits and opportunities out of reach for Americans with past convictions. - [Why stocks are soaring even as coronavirus cases surge, at least 20 million remain unemployed and the US sinks into recession]( Jonathan T. Fluharty-Jaidee, West Virginia University US stocks have nearly erased much of their coronavirus losses even as many Americans continue to suffer from the pandemic's impact. Politics + Society - [Police unions are one of the biggest obstacles to transforming policing]( Jill McCorkel, Villanova University Across the United States, police are shielded from both public and departmental accountability by multiple layers of contractual and legislative protections. - [Was the coronavirus outbreak an intelligence failure?]( Erik J. Dahl, Naval Postgraduate School Warnings about major disease outbreaks are supposed to come from national and international medical intelligence and surveillance agencies that most Americans have never heard of. Environment + Energy - [What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems]( Russ Schumacher, Colorado State University Hurricane and tornado winds spin in circles, but there's another, equally dangerous storm type where winds barrel straight ahead. They're called derechos, and are most common in summer. Most read on site - [100 years ago African-Americans marched down 5th Avenue to declare that black lives matter]( Chad Williams, Brandeis University Thousands marched in silence against racial violence after a riot left hundreds of blacks dead and thousands homeless. The demands of black people in 2017 remain the same as they did in 1917. - [Am I immune to COVID-19 if I have antibodies?]( William Petri, University of Virginia If you have had COVID-19 already, are you protected from another bout of the illness? And is the presence of antibodies in your blood a guarantee of immunity? - [Is it safe to stay in a hotel, cabin or rental home yet?]( Elizabeth Marder, University of California, Davis; Paloma Beamer, University of Arizona Taking a trip this summer? You can do a lot to prevent coronavirus exposure, but you cannot take away all risk. It is important to practice caution. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111