6 Positive News Stories To Brighten Up Your Day Amid COVID-19

Last week, we gave you some of our favorite positive news pieces that we saw come out of the COVID-19 crisis. While it can be tough to avoid getting bogged down by all the negativity surrounding us, sometimes it's important to take a step back and focus on the good in the world. Here are more stories that have inspired us to help others in any way we can:

1. Avocado Mattress makes masks: The mattress manufacturer has dedicated part of their Los Angeles production facility to create organic cotton face masks, hoping to reduce exposure to the virus for those who are at risk.

2. Dyson produces ventilators: The company most known for its vacuums, hairdryers, and other home products has partnered with The Technology Partnership to begin production of ventilators, as the growth of COVID-19 has left many hospitals in shortage of the medical necessity. 

3. Rewarding those on the front lines: In an effort to focus on female empowerment, Keds is asking their social media followers to help them give back to the women at the forefront of fighting COVID-19—doctors, nurses, grocery store employees, etc.—by nominating them for a free pair of Keds. According to their Instagram, "Power is supporting one another."

4. A step toward defeating the virus: A very experienced scientist named Stanley Plotkin has donated his time to consult companies hoping to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus. His previous work? Creating the vaccine that defeated the rubella epidemic in 1964. 

5. The air is getting cleaner: With everyone staying inside, officials have noted a decline in air pollution. Check out this interactive map that shows the stark difference in nitrogen dioxide levels when comparing March 2020 with March 2019. Paul Monks, a professor of air pollution in the U.K., tells the Guardian, "What I think will come out of this is a realization—because we are forced to—that there is considerable potential to change working practices and lifestyles."