To help manage the shortage, the authorities sent a message that made them untrustworthy.
“Research shows that during disasters, people can show strikingly altruistic behavior, but interventions by authorities can backfire if they fuel mistrust or treat the public as an adversary rather than people who will step up if treated with respect,” writes Zeynep Tufekci. “Given that even homemade masks may work better than no masks, wearing them might be something to direct people to do while they stay at home more, as we all should.”