Public Health

Rat-ical Solutions to Chicago’s Rodent Problem

Rats! Whether categorized as rodents, wildlife, vermin or pests, they have a profound impact on human populations in big cities — affecting wide-ranging aspects of residents’ lives from food to psychology to safety. In Chicago, which has been ranked the rattiest city in the United States for eight years by pest control company Orkin, experts are finding new solutions to educate about and hopefully eradicate the invasive species known as the sewer rat.
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Confluence: Stewarding Cleveland’s Water

The Great Lakes are one of the largest freshwater systems in the world, accounting for 21% of the world's surface freshwater and 84% of...

The Psychology Behind Ohio’s Vax-a-Million — and What Experts Say Would Work Better

In May, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a lottery: the state would give five residents who got the COVID-19 vaccine $1 million each and five...

What’s the Deal With Post-vaccination COVID-19 Antibody Tests? Answers from Experts

As the United States reopens, mask mandates wane and variants continue to spread, some people are looking to receive antibody tests to see if...

The Pandemic Travel Dilemma: How the Midwest is Faring this Holiday Season

The holiday season is looking different this year with decreased mobility, and while some places are seeing a surge of cases post-Thanksgiving, some states across the Midwest have managed to prevent and mitigate the predicted danger through public health announcements and limited mobility and gatherings.

Sustained Outrage in the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic: A Review of Death in Mud Lick

Pulitzer-prize winner Eric Eyre’s new book exposes how hard drug distributors work to keep eyes off of their numbers and how important it is for journalists to keep looking. In the small towns of America, it can literally mean life or death. The opinions expressed in this series are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official organizational stance. Cover graphic by Ruth Chang for Midstory.
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COVID-19 Risk Assessment for Ohio: Identifying Risks for Ongoing Reopening and Resilience to Future Hazards

As our researchers watched Ohio’s response to the pandemic, they wished to contribute meaningfully toward the next stage of disaster response and help to prepare our state for future crises. This risk assessment brief is a comprehensive look, county by county, of factors that put Ohio’s populations at risk for COVID-19, including socio-economic status, mobility, race, overcrowded housing and more.

Can We Be Re-infected with COVID-19? Answers from Immune System Experts

Recently, reported cases of “re-infection”—people testing positive only months after a previous instance of COVID-19—have led to worries about how our immune system responds to COVID-19. We speak with Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology from Yale School of Medicine, and Dr. Sydney Ramirez, a researcher at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, about our immune response and immunity to COVID-19.

Isolated Amidst Illness: Pandemic Responses in Ohio Correctional Facilities

Jason Goudlock is used to being alone. Much of his 27 years in prison has been spent in solitary confinement, oftentimes voluntarily in order...

Fighting COVID-19: It’s In Our Blood

With the rapid progression of COVID-19 through the U.S. and rest of the world, chances are either you or someone you know has needed...

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