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How Statistics Are Helping Us Navigate The COVID-19 Pandemic

A phone displays the How We Feel App after completing a check-in, showing how many people feel healthy or not in New Haven
The How We Feel App after completing a check-in

As Connecticut and other states begin to reopen during the pandemic, data is more important than ever. Today, we talk about the role of statistics in shaping our understanding of the COVID-19.

We hear from one of the researchers behind the How We Feel App, a volunteer system of symptom tracking. They plan to turn the symptoms users record into useful information about emerging hotspots.

And later, we talk with statistician Talithia Williams about how all of us are using statistical thinking in our everyday lives.

GUESTS:

  • Gary King - Weatherhead University Professor at Harvard, Director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science; he is one of the researchers who helped develop the How We Feel COVID-19 symptom reporting app
  • Talithia Williams - Associate professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College; she is also the host of the PBS show Nova Wonders

Catie Talarski contributed to this show.

Carmen Baskauf was a producer for Connecticut Public Radio's news-talk show Where We Live, hosted by Lucy Nalpathanchil from 2017-2021. She has also contributed to The Colin McEnroe Show.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

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