Population Healthy

In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of the population but represent 33% of the state’s COVID-19 cases and 41% of deaths. Michigan is not unique in this respect—experts have seen similar statistics across the country. Michigan Public Health professor Enrique Neblett, a leading expert on racism and health, explains how and why the coronavirus pandemic is causing Black Americans to be infected...

Now that the weather is getting nicer and states like Michigan are beginning to loosen their restrictions on gatherings, retail shopping, and more, how do we assess our own personal risk—and the risks to friends and family—as we head out of our homes to reconnect and return to public spaces? Michigan Public Health research scientist Ryan Malosh, a survivor of leukemia and a bone marrow transplant,...

What's it like to manage health care systems and personnel during a global pandemic? And how can you mobilize and redeploy thousands of workers and set up hundreds of surge facilities across the nation in just a few weeks? For an inside view of how we are managing surge staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we connected with alum Kelly Rakowski, a national staffing solutions leader. She and her t...

As the United States slowly reopens the economy, we will see a variety of new safety measures nearly everywhere we look. Some we might have seen already, such as transparent barriers at a grocery store between you and the cashier. With his expertise in occupational health, we asked Rick Neitzel, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, how businesses of all shapes and sizes, across al...

It’s estimated that more than 500,000 people in the United States experience homelessness on any given night. In recent weeks, social distancing and stay-at-home orders have been implemented across the United States in order to slow the spread of coronavirus. But, for people currently staying in homeless shelters which may serve hundreds of people at once and have communal living spaces, this pres...

There are nearly 40 million Americans, including 11 million children, who are food insecure. That means, they don't have reliable, consistent access to the nutritious, quality food they need to lead healthy lives. With growing pressure on the food supply chain, and tens of millions of Americans now out of work, the coronavirus pandemic could cause that 40 million to climb. Cindy Leung and Susan Aa...

Long before we could sequence a virus’s genome in a matter of weeks, we used public health tactics like contact tracing to sort out the movement of a disease in a population. Contact tracing is one of the “traditional” tools of epidemiologists—an epidemiologist calls up dozens or even hundreds of people who might have had contact with an infected person. By tracking these interactions, they can un...

People over the age of 65 are at higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19. But that’s not the only way this pandemic is disproportionately impacting older adults. Social distancing and other pandemic control strategies can take a particular toll on older individuals, some of whom don’t have access to or experience with the technologies like FaceTime and Zoom that are helping many peop...

We are all getting antsy, wondering when we can return to work, see our friends and family in person, and get back to some sense of normal. Meanwhile, we might notice a planned temporary hospital wasn’t built or that some data on the local news seems to show a reduction in the spread of coronavirus. What are we supposed to do with these emerging shades of gray in a situation that felt so black and...

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have been damaging to the economy, and now many are finding that it’s also intensifying the existing shortcomings of housing and health in the United States as about 22 million people have lost their main sources of income. There’s also an even greater risk of spread of COVID-19 for those who don’t have the ability to “stay at home”. In this episode, Roshana...

The coronavirus pandemic has turned our lives upside-down. The uncertainty of a global crisis—layered with the challenges of job losses, school closures, lifestyle changes, and social isolation—can generate stress, anxiety, and depression. And for those who previously relied on face-to-face contact with therapists or support groups to cope with mental health issues or substance use disorders, this...

According to the American Diabetes association, more than 34 million Americans have diabetes. That's 1 out of every 10 people. The CDC says, all of those people are “at higher risk for severe illness” from coronavirus because of this chronic illness. In this episode, we speak with Gretchen Piatt, an associate professor and the Associate Chair for Education within the Department of Learning Health...

In recent weeks, Detroit has become a national area of concern during the coronavirus pandemic - it’s emptied the streets of the Motor City and taken a toll on the local health care systems and communities. Nearly half of the cases and deaths in the state of Michigan have been confirmed in the county surrounding Detroit, which has the third most coronavirus cases in any of the US states. In this e...

In addition to limited supplies of hospital beds, ventilators, masks, and other personal protective equipment, there is another limited—yet vital—health care resource needed to help us get through this pandemic: The workforce of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and others who are putting their own health at risk to care for patients. Angela Beck, a clinical assistant professor of Health Be...

Among the many new things we are learning in the age of coronavirus is that humans can produce a lot of data. To help us sort through some of it, we connected with Neil Mehta, assistant professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Mehta’s research and teaching lies at the intersection of demography, epidemiology, and sociology. Mehta’s clear sugg...

The need for diagnostic testing has been a critical issue throughout the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. But another form of testing may be the key to gaining control over the pandemic. Surveillance testing currently being performed throughout the world is what is used to gather the data that tells health officials where, who, and how populations are being affected and that can then be used to...

Right now, the coronavirus pandemic and the measures we’ve undertaken to stop it are reshaping how millions of people live, work, learn, and manage their health. Though these measures bring difficult new challenges for each of us, for vulnerable populations like the elderly, those with chronic illness and mental health issues, and those without the means to work from home or access affordable heal...

While many families are feeling additional stressors due to the spread of coronavirus, there are unique challenges to what kids are facing. How do we talk to kids about what is happening? Alison Miller from the University of Michigan School of Public Health explains how stress may manifest in children and some of the activities families can do to lessen the impact. Join the conversation on social...

In just a few weeks, our lifestyles have changed dramatically because of the coronavirus. What does it mean to "flatten the curve" of infections, and what will it look like if we don't? On this special edition of Population Healthy, preventive medicine expert and clinical assistant professor of Epidemiology Laura Power shares perspectives from the fields of public health and preventive medicine an...

As coronavirus spreads in hotspots like New York City, New Orleans, Chicago and Detroit, hospitals are operationalizing their personnel and resources to meet the demands of caring for the sick. News coverage is sounding the alarm on supply shortages and overburdened health care workers. In the complex world of health care, how do hospitals prepare for and react to something like the coronavirus? D...

Social distancing is a tried and true preventive step in public health to slow the transmission of infectious diseases. As people around the United States and around the world practice social distancing and pay attention to directives to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic, we're still seeing case counts go up. Is this an indictment of social distancing? David Hutton, associate professor of...

In recent days, theories about drugs that will supposedly help treat coronavirus have floated around the media. So-called treatments being debunked, lauded, and may even be putting people at risk. As the public holds out hope for a quick treatment, people are questioning - when are we going to have a vaccine for this disease? Epidemiologist, Emily Martin explains the process of creating a usable v...

The spread of COVID-19 has caused added stress for many. Those practicing social distancing may feel isolated from others, gig economy workers are worried about their exposure risk, and low income individuals are worried about their jobs. Alison Miller from the University of Michigan School of Public Health addresses methods for alleviating stress and who may be most vulnerable to these added stre...

One month ago, Americans were just learning the term "coronavirus", and now coronavirus seems to be affecting every aspect of our lives. The incredibly rapid rise of the disease has at times created confusion and seemingly conflicting reports. On this special edition of Population Healthy, infectious disease expert and professor of Epidemiology Joseph Eisenberg traces the origins of coronavirus, a...

University of Michigan School of Public Health and School for Environment and Sustainability experts explain how food production, transportation, and waste contribute to climate change and describe some of the changes we can make to reduce the impact. Join the conversation on social media with @umichsph ----- Learn more about the University of Michigan School of Public Health: publichealth.umich.e...