The Addictive Power of Doom Messaging is Undermining Our Power to Stop the Spread of COVID-19

Just like abstinence-only teaching didn’t work with the HIV epidemic in the 1980s, strict social distancing mandates didn’t stop the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Early in the pandemic, lockdowns, closures and fear were used to flatten the curve. Nearly a year later, hospitals are full, numerous businesses are closed, and many Americans are losing trust in public health officials. NBCLX storyteller Cody Broadway shows why the doom and gloom messaging and measures do more harm than good.