Trusted sources on COVID-19 information
April 27, 2020
PhD, MPH, RN, SANE-A, FAAN
Director of global health
The speed at which the COVID-19 pandemic is unfolding and the number of uncertainties associated with it has made using accurate sources of information all the more important. So where do the experts get their information? Carolyn Porta, PhD, MPH, RN, SANE-A, FAAN, director of global health and professor at the School of Nursing, relies on a host of academic, government and news organizations – with an eye on those talking about social determinants of health and disparities. Below are a few of Porta’s top sources.
Government sources
University sources
- The University of Minnesota and Office of Academic Clinic Affairs have useful updates on the University’s response.
- School of Public Health’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy gives an overview of how we got here and insight on where we are going. The school’s podcast Health In All Matters is worth a listen.
- The University COVID Action Network is a coalition of faculty, staff and students that are helping to support response, recovery and resilience efforts
Social media
I mostly use Twitter to get my information. Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell), a global health reporter for Stat News, and Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett), who wrote The Coming Plague, are beacons. For information specific to Minnesota, such as the Governor or Minnesota Department of Health briefings, I rely on Jill Burcum (@jburcum) from the Star Tribune. Other news organizations I follow are @bbcworld and @bbchealth. For data visualization, James Fransham (@JamesFransham) at The Economist.
For a social determinants of health/disparities lens, I follow Rachel Hardeman (@rrhdr), Chris Uggen (@chrisuggen), Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams), Uche Blackstock (@uche_blackstock), Arrianna Planey (@Arrianna_Planey), Rachel Walker (@umasswalker) and John Hopkins Nursing Dean Patricia Davidson (@nursingdean).
For academic infectious disease perspectives, obviously, I follow Michael Osterholm (@mtosterholm), and other great academics are Madhu Pai (@paimadhu), an epidemiologist in Canada, Oumya Swaminathan (@doctorsoumya), a tuberculosis researcher in India, and The Lancet Executive Editor Jocalyn Clark (@jocalynclark).
For global perspectives, I enjoy @worldbank, @unicef, @un_women, @sdg2030, @CGDev and @kentbuse.
For self-care, I follow the Center for Spirituality and Healing (@umncsh). And for laughs, @Calvinn_Hobbes and @thedailyshow are my favorites. On TikTok, I follow @alex.stemp for photography, many of health care providers, and PAWS therapy dog @goldenretrieverlife (Kevin Bubolz), who was featured on Ellen recently.