Faculty experts in the media bring clarity and scientific knowledge to a range of topics critical to understanding and managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

View a complete list of SPH COVID-19 media coverage.

Michael Osterholm

• Winter is coming: Why America’s window of opportunity to beat back Covid-19 is closing (STAT) | August 10, 2020
• The Health 202: Why individual models of coronavirus deaths are often wrong (The Washington Post) | August 5, 2020
• Pandemic is overwhelming U.S. public health capacity in many states. What now? (NPR) | July 28, 2020

Susan Arnold

• Five-step plan for reopening business is put to the test in China (The Washington Post) | April 13, 2020

Jeff Bender

• Long Prairie beef processor among latest swept by COVID-19, despite significant prevention (Minnesota Public Radio) | June 10, 2020
• One More Thing: Farmers worry about coronavirus ahead of Spring planting  (KMSP TV – Minneapolis, MN) | March 29, 2020
• Advice for ag producers on proceeding during outbreak (The Country Today – Eau Claire, WI) | March 28, 2020

Jesse Berman

• U.S. air quality got better during pandemic: study (WebMD) | July 20, 2020
• University Of Minnesota researchers find air pollution declines during pandemic (WCCO TV – Minneapolis, MN) | July 13, 2020

Lynn Blewett

• For many, health insurance another likely casualty of COVID-19 (U.S. News & World Report) | June 4, 2020
• Pandemic pushes more people into insurance market (Minnesota Public Radio) | May 27, 2020
• Hospitals knew how to make money. Then coronavirus happened. (The New York Times) | May 15, 2020

Jon Christianson

• COVID-19 forces closure of health care collaborative in Minnesota (Star Tribune – Minneapolis, MN) | June 29, 2020

Ryan Demmer

• Nickelodeon Universe reopens at MOA with safety measures in place (KMSP TV – Minneapolis, MN) | August 10, 2020
• If MLB season reaches October, Twins expect to be there (Pioneer Press – St. Paul, MN) | July 23, 2020
• What will schools look like in the fall (WCCO TV – Minneapolis, MN) | July 17, 2020
• As sports return, experts fear leagues will use up scarce COVID-19 testing resources (USA Today) | July 12, 2020

Eva Enns

• Experts: Avoid Florida for summer travel, and bars tie with jails for COVID risk (Pioneer Press – St. Paul, MN) | August 4, 2020
• How the UMN COVID-19 model helps shape public policy (Minnesota Daily) | June 7, 2020
• Latest MN modeling: Major effect of quarantine is delaying COVID-19 peak, not preventing it (Minnesota Public Radio) | May 14, 2020

John Finnegan

• Health In All Matters Podcast (Twin Cities Public Television) | April 10, 2020
• School of Public Health launches COVID-19 podcast to combat misinformation (Minnesota Daily – University of Minnesota) | April 8, 2020
• School of Public Health created pandemic “task force” in 2006, using findings today (The Minnesota Daily – University of Minnesota-TC) | April 6, 2020

Joe Gaugler

• Minnesota nursing homes, already the site of 81% of COVID-19 deaths, continue taking in infected patients (Star Tribune – Minneapolis, MN) | May 19, 2020
• What coronavirus could mean for the future of long-term care facilities in Minnesota (Minnesota Public Radio) | May 12, 2020
• How to care for loved ones with memory loss during coronavirus outbreak (Wisconsin Public Radio) | April 28, 2020

Ezra Golberstein

• The Coronavirus seems to spare most kids from illness, but its effect on their mental health is deepening (Time Magazine) | July 23, 2020
• How Covid-19 is changing the world’s children (BBC) | June 3, 2020
• Pandemic pushes more people into insurance market (Minnesota Public Radio) | May 27, 2020
• We will have a devastating recession economy until there’s widespread coronavirus testing (USA Today) | March 25, 2020

Sarah Gollust

• On coronavirus, Americans still trust the experts (The New York Times) | June 27, 2020
• How Concerned Are Americans About Coronavirus So Far? (FiveThirtyEight) | March 13, 2020

Rachel Hardeman

• COVID-19 is proof of just how socially determined health is (Vice) | August 4, 2020
• Study of coronavirus in pregnant women finds striking racial differences (The New York Times) | July 10, 2020
• Dismantling structural racism in health care (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder) | June 19, 2020

Craig Hedberg

• A smart guide to food shopping and outdoor dining during coronavirus (The Wall Street Journal) | July 25, 2020
• How risky is using a public restroom during the COVID-19 pandemic? Minnesota experts weigh in (Start Tribune – Minneapolis, MN) | July 14, 2020
• What the Minnesota Health Department hopes to learn from COVID-19 blood tests (MinnPost – Minneapolis, MN) | June 12, 2020

Carrie Henning-Smith

• US reports show racial disparities in kids with COVID-19 (The New York Times) | August 7, 2020
• COVID-19 has arrived in Greater Minnesota (MinnPost – Minneapolis, MN) | July 31, 2020
• ‘Volatile stew’ of factors could see COVID-19 spike in rural United States: expert (CBC News – CAN) | June 12, 2020

Katy Kozhimannil

• America is failing Black moms during the pandemic (Vox) | August 10, 2020
• Providing in a pandemic: The challenges of rural maternity care just got more difficult (The Daily Yonder) | June 24, 2020
• These 3 charts show how rural health care was weakened even before COVID-19 (PBS Newshour) | May 14, 2020

Shalini Kulasingam

• Latest MN modeling: Major effect of quarantine is delaying COVID-19 peak, not preventing it (Minnesota Public Radio) | May 14, 2020
• 360 deaths or 22,000? Why Minnesota’s COVID-19 models are so different (Star Tribune – Minneapolis, MN) | April 25, 2020
• Coronavirus in Minnesota: Researchers explain their method of predicting COVID-19’s potential deadliness (WCCO TV – Minneapolis, MN) | April 10, 2020

Melissa Laska 

• Gas stations depend on getting customers inside. Is that a problem right now? (Marketplace) | March 30, 2020

JP Leider 

• When the going gets tough, the tough must be ethical (JPHMP Direct) | April 1, 2020
• Getting creative but remaining rigorous and scientific in responding to a pandemic (JPHMP Direct) | March 25, 2020
• What’s the Deal with Public Health Funding? (JPHMP) | March 16, 2020

Donna McAlpine

• Isolation a risk for vulnerable populations (Southwest Journal – Minneapolis, MN) | April 21, 2020
• Your View: How to stay socially connected while physically apart (The Morning Call) | April 2, 2020

Jude Mikal 

• Managing your child’s social media ‘hygiene’ during a time of social distancing (KARE TV – Minneapolis, MN) | May 26, 2020
• Social media as a 21st-century emergency broadcast system (MinnPost – Minneapolis, MN) | May 1, 2020
• Screens in the time of COVID (Minnesota Parent) | April 27, 2020

Ruby Nguyen

• Arrests drop in Duluth, St. Louis County, though crime rates persist (Star Tribune – Minneapolis, MN) | April 29, 2020

Peter Raynor 

• Ball pits were gross even before the pandemic. Will we ever dive in again? (The Washington Post) | July 25, 2020
• Managing COVID-19 is part of the new business reality for Thief River Falls’ DigiKey (Minnesota Public Radio) | June 9, 2020
• Good Question: Can air conditioning put us at risk for COVID-19? (WCCO TV – Minneapolis, MN) | May 18, 2020

Gary Schwitzer

• How science communication is failing during COVID-19 (American Medical Association) | July 27, 2020
• Science by press release: When the story gets ahead of the science (CNN) | June 27, 2020
• How can reporters responsibly cover preliminary research on COVID-19 drugs and vaccines? (Center for Health Journalism – University of Southern California) | June 4, 2020

Kelly Searle

• The Risk List: Here’s what you face in each training scenario (Triathlete) | May 26, 2020
• Are Minnesotans better at social distancing? (The Timberjay – Tower, MN) | April 8, 2020
• Parkways around Lake Harriet to close to free space during stay-at-home order (Southwest Journal – Minneapolis, MN) | March 27, 2020

Tetyana Shippee

• A new public health crisis: caring for older adults living in nursing homes, assisted living and senior care (MinnPost – Minneapolis, MN) | April 29, 2020

Matt Simcik

• The science of soap and handwashing (WTIP Radio – Grand Marais, MN) | July 20, 2020

Jaime Slaughter-Acey

• People of color hit harder by COVID-19 in Twin Cities, ZIP code data confirm (Star Tribune – Minneapolis, MN) | August 1, 2020
• ‘The Hungriest Summer’: Without weekly $600 checks, more families may struggle to put food on tables (WCCO TV – Minneapolis, MN) | July 28, 2020
• ‘Mixed messages from Day One’: Rising cases prove summer is no barrier to COVID-19 (USA Today) | July 17, 2020

Kumi Smith

• Anti-maskers explain themselves (Vox) | August 7, 2020
• Is it safe to fly yet? (Refinery29) | July 15, 2020
• TPG’s safe travel guide: How to minimize risk on your summer vacation (The Points Guy) | June 30, 2020

Gillian Tarr

• Minnesotans slip in social distancing measures as confirmed virus cases rise (Pioneer Press – St. Paul, MN) | May 10, 2020

Beth Virnig 

• A user’s guide to drive-in movie theaters: Staying safe and having fun (USA Today) | June 11, 2020
• The education of a public health worker (UMN Alumni Association) | June 10, 2020
• A new public health crisis: caring for older adults living in nursing homes, assisted living and senior care (MinnPost – Minneapolis, MN) | April 29, 2020

Rachel Widome

• The coronavirus has made it obvious. Teenagers should start school later. (The New York Times) | May 27, 2020

Joel Wu 

• Lessons from a bioethicist (TPT Almanac – St. Paul, MN) | June 12, 2020
• Discussing the ethics of hydroxychloroquine prescriptions for COVID-19 prevention (KARE 11 – Minneapolis, MN) |  May 19, 2020
• ‘Really hard’ ethical choices may be needed if coronavirus cases exceed health care capacity (St. Paul Pioneer Press – MN) | March 28, 2020

Rebecca Wurtz

• Here’s what happened the last time we had a vaccine during a pandemic (Healthline) | August 10, 2020
• COVID-19 testing falls short in long-term care facilities (Route Fifty) | July 15, 2020
• How expanded testing would work in Minnesota (Minnesota Public Radio) | April 15, 2020

Real-time Twitter updates on COVID-19 from trusted Public Health Sources