Infectious Historians Podcast, Episode #78: Covid in Iowa with Emily Mendenhall

Emily Mendenhall joined Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai to discuss Covid in her hometown in northwest Iowa. The conversation began with a definition and reflection on the idea of syndemic, then gravitated towards Emily’s own experiences returning to her hometown of Okoboji during Covid. Emily used the Okoboji case study to disentangle issues within the broader American response to Covid – ranging from the politicization of the question, to the personal and communal interactions and interests, as well as the common values in the community that influenced the overall response of Okoboji to Covid. The interview ended with a few reflections on potential ways forward.