| Biden announces top public health nominees, South Korea implements new measures, and the pandemic offers pathways to change. Here's what you should know: Headlines Biden taps nominees to lead Health and Human Services and the CDC President-elect Joe Biden has announced his picks for several key public health postings in his administration. Xavier Becerra, California's attorney general and leader of a legal campaign to protect the Affordable Care Act, has been tapped to lead the Health and Human Services Department, and Harvard Medical School professor Rochelle Walensky has been nominated as the director of the CDC. If confirmed, both will assume massive roles during the nation's greatest public health crisis in the last century. South Korea implements new testing, tracing, and distancing measures as cases rise South Korea is expanding its testing, tracing, and social distancing measures in response to a steep uptick in cases. Though infections were below 50 per day for much of the summer, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 615 new cases on Sunday and 8,311 patients in quarantine, the most ever for the country. President Moon Jae-in has even called for deploying the military and more people from the public service to help expand testing. The trauma of this pandemic raises questions about how society can and should change With vaccines on the horizon and the end of the pandemic just barely in sight, people are starting to ask: Who will we be when this is all over? Some psychologists underscore that the collective and individual traumas of this year can create the opportunity to think more deliberately about how our world can and should change. This pandemic has accelerated innovation, but it has also highlighted inequities that have long plagued our society, giving us a starting place for exactly where and how we can do better. Daily Distraction Global warming has wrought havoc on so many aspects of life. One unexpected victim? The Great British Bake Off. Something to Read We're living in the golden age of subscriptions and newsletters. On the one hand, it's great: Creators should be paid for their work, and readers clearly think so, too. But most only pay for one of two news sources. And the way things are trending, that could spell trouble. Sanity Check Congratulations, we've almost made it to the end of 2020! You deserve a treat for that alone. Here's our ultimate guide to quarantine self-care. One Question How should I talk to relatives who are hesitant about getting vaccinated? Once vaccines arrive, it's critical that people who can get vaccinated do. But what with all of the misinformation and skepticism swirling around, it's likely that many will have at least a few loved ones who are wary of getting inoculated. Research shows that empathy and an established relationship can change people's minds, and that "prosocial" messages that focus on altruism, family, and community work better than scare tactics. So if any of your relatives are vaccine-averse, try explaining gently that getting a shot is good and valuable—both for them and for society. Covid-19 Care Package ❓ From social distancing to viral spread to staying sane, here's everything we know and advise about the coronavirus. 📦 The Covid-19 virus can linger on objects for as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of days, depending on the surface. Here's an updated look at the research. 😷 If you're planning to go out in public anytime soon, you're going to need a mask. Here are the best ones you can buy, or how to make one at home. 🧼 It's not just your hands that need washing—your gadgets, clothes, and home need it too. Here's how to properly disinfect your stuff. 💻 Some of you are work-from-home pros, but if you're new to it, here's how to stay productive without losing your mind. 😔 It's hard not to be anxious about a global pandemic, but here's how you can protect yourself and your family without spiraling and how to not hate the loved ones you're quarantined with. ✂️ It may still be a while before you can see your hairstylist, so here's how to cut your hair at home, plus other ways to keep yourself lookin' fresh. 🦠Read all of our coronavirus coverage here. | 
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