Petrie Dish

To rein in the invisible spread of the virus, a special branch of science has exploded: Contact tracing. It's the careful, sometimes intimate task of figuring out where the coronavirus might have spread in a community, and who is at risk. This week on Petrie Dish, TPR's podcast about the science of the pandemic, we hear from the disease detectives who are tracking down possible Covid-19 carriers before they even get sick. We also dig into state-by-state plans to ramp up contact tracing to safely restart the economy, and compare U.S. contact tracing efforts with those across the world.

A huge swath of the American workforce is unable to work from home, and the repercussions of a crowded workplace, rather than one that is social-distanced, are gradually becoming clear. This week on Petrie Dish, Texas Public Radio's explainer podcast about the coronavirus, we hear from essential workers about their worries on the job and their struggle to stay safe.

In past viral outbreaks, pregnant women have been at heightened risk of severe symptoms, sometimes leading to birth defects and complications during delivery. This week on Petrie Dish, TPR's weekly explainer on the coronavirus, we ask what COVID-19 means for pregnancy, and how women are adjusting to the new uncertainties this pandemic has created.

Creating a brand-new drug is painstaking and tricky — under normal circumstances. In the age of coronavirus, drug researchers are working in overdrive. This week on Petrie Dish, TPR's explainer podcast about the virus pandemic, we hear from the experts trying to balance safety and speed in their search for a cure, and from a woman who suffered the side effects from that search.

If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19, one of your first conversations will likely be with a nurse. And during your journey to recovery, nurses will be stationed at your side every step of the way. This week on Petrie Dish, TPR's weekly show on the coronavirus, nurses describe how they're adjusting to this sudden new role in the front lines of the crisis.

Almost overnight, "flatten the curve" became a national motto. This week on Petrie Dish, TPR's weekly podcast about the coronavirus, we unpack the origins of that phrase with a public health expert who helped popularize it. And, we hear from reporters across Texas about some of the negative consequences of quarantine, from a spike in domestic violence reports to the relocation of migrants in camps along the U.S.-Mexico border. 

In the span of a few weeks, a medical device most of us have never seen or used became a national concern, the signature shortage in our response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This week on Petrie Dish, TPR's explainer podcast about the coronavirus pandemic, we explore how the coronavirus affects the lungs and how our government, our hospitals, and industrious YouTubers are responding to the vast shortage of ventilators.  

Subscribe to Petrie Dish on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

The virus sweeping across the planet right now is frightening, in part, because there is so much we don't know about it. In the first episode of Petrie Dish, TPR's explainer podcast about the coronavirus pandemic, Bonnie Petrie talks to a virologist about what exactly the coronavirus is and how scientists are studying it. 

Tell us about how the coronavirus has changed your life. Email us at petriedish@tpr.org.