I’m Betsy Ladyzhets, an independent data journalist and science writer currently focused on tracking the pandemic. I’m the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the COVID-19 Data Dispatch, a publication that provides news, resources, and original reporting on COVID-19 data sources. Previously, I worked as a data journalist at Stacker, where I managed the outlet’s science, health, and lifestyle content. I also volunteered for the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic, where I worked on the core Testing and Outcomes dataset and the COVID Racial Data Tracker. My past freelance work has appeared in Science News, MIT Technology Review, The Open Notebook, and other popular science publications.

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What science tells us about reducing coronavirus spread from wind instruments

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Wind musicians struggled to find evidence that would free them from musical lockdown, so they partnered with researchers to get some answers. This feature was Science News’ cover story for the magazine’s August 14, 2021 issue.

We investigated whether digital contact tracing actually worked in the US

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A year ago, engineers built apps to track potential virus exposure. MIT Technology Review investigated how widely these apps were used and what users thought of the technology. This research shows the impact has been mixed—but there’s still potential.

The Way We Think About COVID Testing Is About to Change

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As millions of Americans get vaccinated for COVID-19, many of us are starting to hope those painful nose swab tests will soon be a thing of the past. Alas, the future of COVID-19 testing is more complicated.

How 5 universities tried to handle COVID-19 on campus

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Science News took a look at five universities that opened in the fall. Each school cobbled together testing and other surveillance measures, coupled with uneven rules about wearing masks and public gatherings.

Tipsheet: Covering COVID-19 Vaccines

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Since December, the pandemic news cycle has revolved around one thing: vaccines. This article provides tips to keep in mind and resources to bookmark, for both veteran science writers and journalists just now wading into the vaccine beat.

Pandemic tracking for all

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As her final assignment for the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, Betsy reflected on why she started the COVID-19 Data Dispatch and lessons she learned through the 100-day Creators Program.