health

COVID-19 Case Rates in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania

Author: Raeven Faye Chandler, Ph.D. , Katrina Alford, M.S. , Leif Jensen, Ph.D.
Published: Mar 10, 2021

Article Topics: school districts, racial disparities, health, education When the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread in the United States, much of the discussion and attention centered on urban epicenters with rapid spread due to the high population density. While rural areas are less populous, other characteristics of rural America make those individuals living there far more vulnerable than their urban counterparts. In this post we describe the unique dynamics making rural residents more vulnerable, provide a comparison of COVID-19 trends in rural and urban areas in Pennsylvania, and offer insight as to why the COVID-19 pandemic highlights and magnifies the…

Adding Nuance to School Reopening Plans during COVID-19

Author: Erica Frankenberg, Ed.D. , Katharine Dulaney
Published: Jan 4, 2021

Article Topics: school districts, racial disparities, health, education Note: This blog is a follow-up to our August report published at the Center for Education and Civil Rights. You can find that here: https://cecr.ed.psu.edu/sites/default/files/COVID_Fall_2020_plans_in_PA.pdf In 2020, as school boards around the country weighed the public health and education concerns brought on by COVID-19, we observed that districts were developing vastly different reopening plans for the fall. The distinctions between these plans were especially apparent when compared to the similarities observed between districts in mid-March, a time when virtually all districts decided…

COVID-19 and Social Injustice – A Wake-up Call in 2020(?)

Author: Damon Jones, Ph.D. , Diana Fishbein, Ph.D.
Published: Aug 28, 2020

Article Topics: prevention, community, health, disparities, racial injustice Introduction As 2020 continues, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a way of life. Across the globe, people are engaging in novel routines that these unprecedented times demand to stay healthy, gainfully employed, and connected, and to navigate the roller coaster of emotions. Compounding the personal rigors of managing daily lives is the increasing scarcity of community resources on which people depend. Community leaders and government officials are scrambling to determine the most efficient and effective ways to assist people during a crisis with no apparent end, facing decisions that were, up…

Reflections from Living in Sweden during COVID-19

Author: Lara Fowler, JD
Published: Aug 3, 2020

Article Topics: health, prevention, international, health care This is the second of a three-part post describing my family’s experience as visiting scholars in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this post, I will provide a chronological description of Sweden’s response to COVID-19, including my husband’s personal experience with what was most likely COVID-19. In the final post, I will summarize where Sweden stands now and what can be learned from their experience. Through our personal experiences I hope to shed some light on what is happening in Sweden and to provide recommendations for the future. Introduction As noted in the original post, our…

Reflections from Living in Sweden during COVID-19

Author: Lara Fowler, JD
Published: Jul 16, 2020

Article Topics: health, prevention, international, health care This three-part post will describe my family’s experience as visiting scholars in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this first part, to appropriately contextualize our experiences, I will describe the unique dynamics of Sweden including its health care system, its citizens’ trust in government, and population demographics. In the second post, I will provide a chronological description of Sweden’s response to COVID-19, including my husband’s personal experience with what was most likely COVID-19. In the final post, I will summarize where Sweden stands now and what can be learned from…

Staying Active During a Global Pandemic

Author: Dr. Danielle Downs
Published: Jul 10, 2020

Article Topics: prevention, health, exercise Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials, medical professionals, researchers, and messaging from the media have encouraged people of all ages to regularly wash hands, practice social distancing, wear a mask when advised, and to get outdoors and engage in physical activity. Outside physical activity during a pandemic? On the surface, this guidance seems counterintuitive to county- and state-wide stay at home orders. In Pennsylvania, a three-phrase matrix is used to determine when counties and/or regions can ease restrictions on work and social interactions. Across…