Wisconsin And The 1918 Flu, UW System Faces Budgetary Shortfall Amid Coronavirus

Air Date:
Heard On The Morning Show
Nurses tend to influenza patients in 1918
In this 1918 photo made available by the Library of Congress, volunteer nurses from the American Red Cross tend to influenza patients in the Oakland Municipal Auditorium, used as a temporary hospital. As scientists mark the 100th anniversary of the Spanish influenza pandemic, labs around the country are hunting better vaccines to boost protection against ordinary winter flu and guard against future pandemics, too. (Edward A. “Doc” Rogers/Library of Congress via AP)

As the coronavirus crisis raises questions about how to weigh the public’s health with that of the economy, we look back at how Wisconsin responded to the flu pandemic of 1918. Then, we look how the University of Wisconsin System is planning to deal with a $170 million shortfall.

Featured in this Show

  • How Wisconsin’s Pandemic Past Informs Its Coronavirus Future

    More Wisconsin residents died during the six months of the influenza epidemic than were killed in World War I, the Korean War and the Vietnam conflict combined. Yet Wisconsin’s public health approach resulted in fewer deaths than other states. We talk to a journalist about how Wisconsin responded to a deadly pandemic a century ago.

  • The UW System Copes With Revenue Drop From Coronavirus

    The University of Wisconsin System is facing a staggering $170 million revenue shortfall from the coronavirus pandemic. The university is facing system-wide furloughs and an uncertain future. We talk to a university vice president about how the school is planning to deal with the shortfall and what changes students and employees might see.

Episode Credits

  • Kate Archer Kent Host
  • Molly Stentz Producer
  • Joe Tarr Producer
  • Lee Rayburn Technical Director
  • Jim Malewitz Guest
  • Robert Cramer Guest