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A rural county in Washington state hasn't wasted a single Covid-19 vaccine dose. Here's its secret

Christina Zdanowicz

January 25, 2021 |

CNN |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kittitas County, Washington

Kittitas County is leading the way in Washington state in efforts to distribute the coronavirus vaccine thanks to having a strong disaster management system in place. The county is accustomed to responding to disasters, such as wildfires, and tapped the deputy fire chief of Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue to lead the incident response team. He explains, "The infrastructure that we have with everybody communicating, everybody willing to be flexible and play whatever role's necessary and an understanding of (incident command system) and emergency operation centers gives us the framework to do it."

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Hurricane Sandy battered NYC 8 years ago. Since then, how has the city shored up against future superstorms? Oyster castles.

Carmen Russo

December 22, 2020 |

The Counter |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

As a way to soften the impacts of a future storm, an artificial oyster reef was installed in New York City. This green infrastructure can absorb the shock of waves and decrease the amount of flooding, as well as build up the shore over time effectively reversing erosion. Environmentalists argue that this type of barrier is more cost-effective than traditional seawalls and will adapt to sea level changes over time.

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There are worse viruses than Covid-19 out there. How do we avoid the next big one?

Debora MacKenzie

December 08, 2020 |

Ensia |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: China

Public health experts are strategizing for how to combat the next pandemic by learning from what failed to prevent the most recent coronavirus pandemic. From increasing surveillance of viruses to using diagnostic technologies to "screen for novel infections more systematically," there are a series of protocols that countries failed to utilize that can be enacted now as a preventative measure.

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Lessons learned in real time at rural hospitals during pandemic

Lyle Muller

October 16, 2020 |

IowaWatch |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Osceola, Iowa

Small hospitals in rural regions in America have quickly had to learn how to cope with the influx of COVID-19 cases during the pandemic. While many lessons have been learned, in Iowa, hospital personnel have seen success from joining forces with municipal, school district, business, and other civic leaders, as well as allocating stimulus funding toward safety steps.

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How Finland kept Covid in check

Richard Milne

September 23, 2020 |

Financial Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Finland

Finland has been able to keep their COVID-19 infection rate and death toll much lower than other countries by "shutting down rapidly" and relying on a law on preparedness that was devised after the Winter War in 1939-40. The law, which "explicitly mentions pandemics," helped the country to stockpile medical and protective equipment. According to Sweden's state epidemiologist, “Their level of preparedness is just way beyond anything we would even dream about in Sweden."

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Who Can Breathe in Lane County?

Taylor Griggs Henry Houston

September 18, 2020 |

Eugene Weekly |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

As smoke from local wildfires created an unhealthy outdoor environment, cities in Oregon looked to expand temporary housing options for those experiencing homelessness. While not all have been successful, the Portland area saw success from being able to rely on their "system for responding to severe weather, as well as the Multnomah County’s Emergency Management Department."

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India's first two ‘Tsunami Ready' villages in Odisha

Manish Kumar

August 26, 2020 |

Mongabay |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Ventakraipur, Odisha

Two decades after a massive cyclone killed close to 10,000 people in India's Odisha state, the government's efforts to protect coastal villages vulnerable to cyclones and tsunamis has produced a host of safety measures, from reinforced shelters and early-warning systems to search and evacuation training. Two villages were singled out as the first in the Indian Ocean region to achieve UNESCO's "tsunami ready" certification. A drill in 2019 showed how quickly villagers were trained to respond to an imminent threat.

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How Mexico City's poorest neighbourhood is battling climate change

Laura Puttkamer

August 03, 2020 |

Inkline |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Mexico City

The people in a neighborhood in Mexico City are coming up with innovative solutions to handle climate-related disasters like flood. They use an early warning system that uses a radio signal and WhatsApp to warn residents of environmental dangers. However, the app does not always work. And a mobile classroom offers simulations about how government decisions are made when deciding danger levels of disasters. While thousands of residents had been trained, the classroom is usually only in the neighborhood for a day. Yet, these solutions based on education and communication could be applied to other communities.

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The disaster recovery groups helping rural North Carolina weather COVID-19

Antionette Kerr

May 27, 2020 |

Southerly |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

Mobilized to help North Carolina’s second-poorest county recover from two major hurricanes over the past four years, the Robeson County Disaster Recovery Coalition pivoted to provide COVID-19 relief and brace for the possibility of a hurricane during the pandemic. The coalition and other small nonprofits have filled gaps left by state-run relief efforts that either wasted federal aid or failed to take advantage of available aid. During the pandemic, the groups have distributed personal protective equipment and educated a region hard-hit by both kinds of natural disaster.

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Microbe Mappers Are Tracking Covid-19's Invisible Traces

Megan Molteni

April 29, 2020 |

Wired |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Scientists have been mapping microbes in public places for a long time and are now tracking Covid-19 by swabbing subways, park benches, ATMs, and even the air, for traces of genetic material to better understand the virus’ transmission dynamics and detect hotspots before transmission becomes widespread. Molecular monitoring has identified how long the virus can live on different surfaces and the origin of different strains, which can flag sanitation priorities and help contact tracers. There are limits to what it can reveal because finding virus on surfaces does not always lead to definite infection.

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