Should Americans be wearing masks?

The number of reported coronavirus cases passed 950,000 worldwide, with some 217,000 cases in the US — nearly double that of Italy. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( Novel coronavirus cases continue their exponential rise. But desperately needed global leadership is retreating behind national borders — and in some cases, leaders continue to deny the severity of the crisis. Unemployment in the US has hit record numbers, and health care workers around the globe continue to face personal and financial risks. And, should Americans be wearing masks in public? When the people are away, the animals will come out to play. In Wales, a herd of goats has taken to the streets of a resort town. --------------------------------------------------------------- Our coronavirus coverage has never been behind a paywall. No paywalls, ever. Your donations help us make our nonprofit journalism available to everyone. [donate]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Global leadership withers as strongmen grab power [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives to attend the plenary session of the Parliament ahead of a vote to grant the government special powers to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis in Budapest, Hungary, March 30, 2020.]( Credit: MTI Zoltan Mathe/Pool via Reuters The number of reported coronavirus cases passed 950,000 worldwide, with some 217,000 cases in the US — nearly double those of Italy. A global response is critical to tackling the challenges posed by the virus — but there is [little evidence of effective cooperation]( as countries retreat behind hardening national borders. Cambodia is accused of using the outbreak to assert [absolute power]( “over all aspects of civil, political, social, and economic life." And the [European Commission]( was slow to chastise Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has effectively created a "[coronavirus autocracy](" — hastening the democratic decline pursued throughout his tenure. In Brazil, [President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay]( the severity of COVID-19, calling on Brazilians to go back to work. But opposition is rife as some call for his impeachment. From The World: [Is coronavirus reshuffling the global power deck?]( And: [Biden calls for Democratic Convention to be delayed because of virus]( Unemployment rises, frontline workers fear for livelihoods Over a two-week period, nearly [10 million people]( in the US filed for unemployment. Analysts warn that the pain will spread widely — far beyond the industries initially hit. And though medical workers are the heroes of the moment, some have [lost their jobs]( in retaliation for petitioning for desperately needed personal protective equipment. In the Philippines, where President Rodrigo Duterte has [ordered lockdown troublemakers to be shot dead](, health care workers f[ace insufficient wages and outright hostility](. And: [As coronavirus spreads, so do reports of companies mistreating workers]( [Gaza Strip fears spread of the coronavirus, Palestinian epidemiologist says]( In the Gaza Strip, roughly 2 million Palestinians are squeezed into a small, densely populated territory, where social distance is difficult to practice. Smoking, high rates of obesity and stress-related disorders, along with with a blockade and overwhelmed health care facilities, leave [Gaza’s population especially vulnerable]( to the coronavirus. And: [US military must recognize civilian deaths in Somali drone strikes, says Amnesty International]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Number in the News: 2 "The more the waste, the better the taste." That's the motto of a café in India. Not just any café. The Garbage Café. Here's the concept: Bring in a kilogram of plastic trash — about two pounds worth — and you get a free hot meal. The café, which opened in October 2019 in the small city of Ambikapur, India, comes at a time when India still generates 57,320,188 pounds of plastic waste every day, according to government data. The waste is often dumped in streets, drains and landfills. On today’s episode of The Number in the News, hear about the origin of the cafe and how it’s helping India achieve its larger sustainability goals. [The Number in the News]( is The World’s daily smart speaker show. You’ll learn one number you won’t forget and why it’s in the news today. [Click here]( to add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google flash briefing and hear a new episode seven days a week. [Will the US ever mimic Asia’s culture of ‘universal masking’?]( Having fended off the first wave of COVID-19 cases, [Asian health officials]( are now looking over at a virus-ravaged US and asking: [Shouldn’t more Americans wear surgical masks](? There are studies suggesting masks help prevent an infected person from spreading the coronavirus. A paper published in [The Lancet]( suggests universal masking can be effective “if supplies permit.” But whether cotton masks are better than nothing is still debated. One study suggests cloth masks — which grow moist from breath — hardly filter out any particles at all and “may result in increased risk of infection.” Yet the [CDC is considering urging Americans to wear cloth masks]( in public; there are too few N95 masks available even for frontline health care workers. And: [Everything you need to know about making your own face mask]( [Herd of goats takes over deserted resort in Britain amid lockdown]( [A goat is seen in Llandudno, Wales, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues.]( Credit: Carl Recine/Reuters A herd of Kashmir goats has invaded a Welsh seaside resort after the coronavirus lockdown left the streets deserted. Like other countries affected by the global coronavirus crisis, the United Kingdom has imposed strict social distancing measures. And with the streets of Llandudno unnaturally quiet, the goats have been free to wander the streets undisturbed. "Because of the lockdown, there are no people, no cars, no noise, there's nothing to stop them. [So they are just exploring places which they haven't explored before](," Andrew Stuart of Llandundo tells The World. --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning meme If balancing work and home schooling is leaving you exhausted, [Dolly Parton is ready to take on bedtime]( for you. [Dolly Parton reads "The Little Engine that could"]( Credit: Screenshot from YouTube --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Goats take over the streets of a small, seaside town]( - [Kenya lockdown may hurt the poorest communities]( - [Civilian casualties from US airstrikes in Somalia]( - [Delivery man death in South Korea]( - [COVID-19 triggers mass migration in India]( - [Citizen scientists get busy while locked down]( - [Sir David Attenborough: 'A national treasure']( - [Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reflects on Ebola outbreak amid COVID-19]( - [Does temperature and humidity affect the spread of the coronavirus?]( - [Activists object to infected US sailors on Guam]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX](, [WGBH](, and the [BBC](.