Articles by Rob Ferrett

COVID-19 And Summer Homes In Northern Wisconsin

Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
May 27, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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Many Wisconsinites may be thinking about summer travel plans to northern Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire geography professor Ryan Weichelt discusses the number of second homeowners in Northwoods communities, and what that may mean for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: May 2020

The Perennial Lessons To Learn From Public Health Policy Battles

Andy Soth
PBS Wisconsin
Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
May 27, 2020 | 11 a.m.
Many people have heard of Typhoid Mary, but far fewer know the name Mary Mallon.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: May 2020

The Purpose Of Contact Tracing For COVID-19 Prevention, Detection

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Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
May 20, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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Contact tracing people exposed to COVID-19 is becoming increasingly important as Wisconsin starts to reopen, but what does the process actually look like? WisContext associate editor Will Cushman discusses how this public health effort is expanding around the state.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: May 2020

The Legacy Of The 1894 Smallpox Riots In Milwaukee

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Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
May 13, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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The protests to reopen Wisconsin aren't the first time the state has seen a backlash to aggressive public health measures. UW-Madison professor emerita Judith Walzer Leavitt discusses the1894 smallpox riots in Milwaukee and the lessons that were learned from them.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: May 2020

A Closer Look At What Wisconsin's COVID-19 Test And Case Numbers Mean

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Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
May 6, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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Wisconsin reported 460 new cases of COVID-19 on May 1 — a record number since the state started tracking the disease. WisContext associate editor Will Cushman discusses how case and test data are used by state officials as they consder relaxinng public health guidelines.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: April 2020

What Smartphone Data Shows On Staying 'Safer At Home' Around Wisconsin

Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
April 29, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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After Wisconsin's "Safer at Home" order took effect, how much did the movement of people drop off around the state? WisContext associate editor Will Cushman discusses what smartphones reveal about how much people are staying at home and privacy concerns related to this data.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: April 2020

The Economic Fallout Of The 1918 Flu Pandemic And COVID-19

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Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
April 22, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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How can the economic impacts of the 1918 influenza pandemic inform understanding about COVID-19's effects? UW-Madison economist Tessa Conroy discusses the differences between each crisis, including how the current unprecedented level of federal stimulus fits into the picture.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: April 2020

Understanding The Changing Guidance On Face Masks For COVID-19

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Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
April 15, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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The American public didn't wear face masks widely as COVID-19 emerged, but new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be change that practice. WisContext associate editor Will Cushman discusses how the culture of face masks is shifting.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

The Impacts Of The 1918 Influenza Pandemic In Wisconsin

Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
April 8, 2020 | 3:15 p.m.
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COVID-19 isn't the first deadly viral disease to have a big effect on Wisconsin. Steven Burg, a history professor at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, discusses the 1918 influenza pandemic and how the state responded to it more than a century ago.
Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: April 2020

How Mayo Clinic Developed Its Own COVID-19 Test

Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
April 2, 2020 | 3:30 p.m.
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With the need for COVID-19 tests exceeding their availability, alongside shortages in testing supplies, health systems and hospitals are seeking to fill in the gaps. Dr. Bobbi Pritt, the director of the clinical parasitology laboratory at Mayo Clinic, discusses how it developed its own test.