If you’re a science journalist interested in using datasets to tell stories, you might be interested in a workshop that I will be running with The Open Notebook on October 31 that will cover reporting and producing data stories about science topics.
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For the last few months, I’ve been working with the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) on a new resource website for science journalists and communicators. The site launched this past week, and I’m sharing it here because I think it might be useful for a lot of COVID-19 Data Dispatch readers.
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After I shared my travel experience last week, a couple of readers reached out asking for more details on using a portable HEPA filter, essentially a small air filter that can be moved from one place to another. So, here are a few tips and resources.
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A few days ago, my partner and I returned home from a two-week vacation to several cities in Europe. It was our first time traveling internationally since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the trip required a lot of time on planes, on public transportation, and in crowded spaces.
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COVID-era Pride has been more complicated than past years, as we layer safety measures onto the celebration. For me and many others I know in the LGBTQ+ community, Pride has become an opportunity to reflect on the importance of connecting this community and those calling for COVID-19 safety—disabled and immunocompromised people, those with Long COVID, and others at higher risk. This practice can be challenging, as others push for a return to the Pride we knew before the pandemic. But it’s not impossible, especially when we remember our values of inclusion and solidarity.
Read MoreThank you to everyone who logged onto Slack for last Sunday’s community event! Attendees shared a number of COVID-related resources, which I’ve compiled here for all readers.
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This week, much of the eastern U.S. was inundated with wildfire smoke that traveled south from Canada. The smoke reminded us how important clean air is for our health. The same public health measures that help reduce COVID-19 risk can also reduce the impacts of wildfire smoke. High-quality masks filter out both the pollution in smoke and coronavirus particles at the individual level; ventilation improvements do this at the collective level.
Read MoreIt’s pretty clear, at this point, that the U.S.’s political leaders would like for us all to pretend that the pandemic is over. And the mainstream media—tasked with holding these powerful people accountable—has let them do it.
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On Friday, I led a workshop at NICAR about covering Long COVID. NICAR is a data journalism conference, so my session focused on data sources, along with suggestions for public records requests and for interviewing long-haulers.
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I recently bought a carbon dioxide monitor, and have been using it to collect data in my apartment and other places. In the week since I’ve been monitoring, I’ve noticed how personal data collection like this can be helpful in identifying ventilation issues, but comes with many caveats.
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