Contact tracing is a key strategy touted by Pennsylvania health officials as an integral part of stopping, or mitigating, the spread of the coronavirus. The process of tracking the contacts of an infected person is a disease control measure that is also used by public health officials to prevent the spread of other infectious diseases, … Continue reading "Smart Talk Monday: Contact tracing moves forward with varying success and helping refugees is one woman’s life’s work"

Last year, WITF’s Transforming Health reporter Brett Sholtis told the story of then 27-year-old Kimberly Stringer — a Bucks County woman who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in high school, but was refusing to take medication or see a therapist — claiming she wasn’t mentally ill.  Kim lived a metal shed even though she … Continue reading "Smart Talk Friday: Woman living with mental illness suffers in jail; HS sports plan comeback from shutdown"

Systemic problems require systemic change. WITF presents a bi-weekly summer series of virtual community conversations to address systemic racism and injustice. The series will be a forum for essential conversations about race and racism — its effects on housing, education, finance, healthcare, relations with police and inequality. Appearing on Smart Talk to share details is … Continue reading "Smart Talk Thursday: WITF’s Toward Racial Justice engagement series; Economic recovery efforts after pandemic"

Nearly 51 years ago, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular club in Greenwich Village with a mostly gay clientele, who were accused of serving liquor without a license. Raiding gay clubs in the city was not uncommon at that time, but this one sparked a riot that led to days-long protests and … Continue reading "Smart Talk Wednesday; A community celebrates pride and protests find common ground"

The Black Lives Matter demonstrations over the past three weeks and subsequent attention on discrimination, inequality and violence toward African-Americans may re-open a conversation that up until now has not gained widespread national support — reparations for the descendants of enslaved people in America. There is near universal agreement today that kidnapping Africans and enslaving … Continue reading "Smart Talk Tuesday: Reparations for descendants of enslaved people? Should Confederate Memorials come down?"

At the beginning of every summer, Smart Talk produces a program that focuses on books to read on the beach or during vacation. This year is different. During the coronavirus pandemic, many people are home — either not working or not going on a getaway vacation. Many people haven’t used the opportunity at home to … Continue reading "Smart Talk’s books for summer reading"

African Americans are more likely to encounter the coronavirus, less likely to be tested for it, and more likely to die from it. They are also less likely to have jobs that allow them to work from home, to have high-speed internet to access telemedicine and online education, and to live in the types of … Continue reading "Smart Talk Friday: African Americans face disproportionate risk of COVID-19; Battle brewing over the state’s lockdown"

Since Pennsylvania schools closed their physical buildings last March due to the coronavirus pandemic, there has been speculation about whether classes would begin on time in August and September and, if so, how they would be different. Plans are being made for a fall opening of classes with dozens of guidelines from the Pennsylvania Department … Continue reading "Smart Talk Thursday: Pa. education chief talks school this fall; How many hours to work to pay rent; Seniors play ball"

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, dental care for most non-emergency procedures was deemed non-essential and many providers closed their doors. Because the virus is most frequently transmitted through direct contact and respiratory droplets, the decision to stop routine dental treatments was considered imperative. The danger is in the aerosols that are created in … Continue reading "Smart Talk Wednesday: Dental care resumes in Pa., but how to safeguard patients and providers?"

Dauphin County may have had at least ten times more COVID-19 cases than reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. That’s one of the findings of tests being conducted on sewage by an MIT research firm — Biobot Analytics. Capital Region Water is one of about 400 systems across the country participating in the research. … Continue reading "Smart Talk Tuesday: Sewage tested for COVID-19 show more cases in Dauphin County; Rural real estate sales explode during pandemic"