Since I started reporting on health and medicine five years ago, I’ve covered the Ebola outbreak, the Zika threat, West Nile Virus and botulism — not to mention plenty of bad flu seasons. But as far as public health emergencies go, nothing has been as worrisome as COVID-19.

Early on, I took the lead in helping the newsroom identify needs for our audience: accurate information, timely updates, action items, resource lists and stories of inspiration. As the severity of the virus became clear, I worked late and rose early to do extra research on its origins, its symptoms and its potential impact to help build foundational knowledge.

In the past two weeks, I’ve looked at special education, food insecurity, mental health and domestic violence — important angles on the virus that might have been overlooked in a smaller newsroom. This week I’m collaborating with our data reporter Emily Zentner to provide our listeners with a clear, data-driven picture of how prepared Northern California hospitals are to treat a surge of COVID-19 patients.

People often ask me if it’s scary to be working during this time. But I feel I’m as safe as I can be. I’m doing almost all of my reporting by phone, and when I go into the field, it’s with a six-foot boom mic that allows me to keep my distance from sources. I’m recording my stories in a makeshift home recording studio (i.e., in my bedroom, under a comforter like in the picture below). I’m not on the frontlines the way healthcare workers and grocery cashiers are. But I know CapRadio is providing a vital service during this chaotic time, and I’m honored to be a part of it.

Sammy Caiola
Healthcare Reporter

Coronavirus Resources

COVID-19 Treatment, Recovery And Immunity: What You Need To Know

How To Donate Masks And Medical Supplies To Sacramento Region Hospitals

Are Your Symptoms Allergies, The Flu, Or COVID-19? An Allergy Expert Explains

Sacramento County Schools Providing Kids Free Meals During Closure

‘This Too Shall Pass’ — But Until Then, CapRadio Answers Your Questions About Seniors And COVID-19

Sacramento Region Will See ‘Major Impact’ From Coronavirus Shut Downs. Here's How Workers Can Get Assistance

City Of Sacramento Launches Free Childcare Program For Essential Employees

The coronavirus has upended daily life in California and around the world. People who can are staying home, schools are closed and the regular patterns of our days have changed. I'm spending my days sharing a desk with a new coworker — my 5-year-old daughter — while I work from my living room.

For us at CapRadio, that means that people are coming to us at different times in different ways, and looking for different types of information. We've modified how we do things on our Digital Team, and tried to create new tools to help you get information you need in an easy and accessible way.

Early on we started a blog page to capture the daily updates that seem to be coming in faster and faster. We heard from people that they wanted to know how many confirmed cases were not just in the state but their county, so we made a way to track that each day. And with more people spending time on social media and not getting to see people face-to-face, we've been holding chats on Instagram Live to not only share news but also create another place to hear a friendly voice.

But our major focus has been taking your questions and using that to drive what we report. Last week we created a way for you to look back at all of the questions we've answered, and search for questions you may have yourself. We know right now that it's not just being able to find an answer that's important but seeing that someone is experiencing the same thing you are, and we want to show that, too.

Chris Hagan
Senior Editor, Digital Content

Insight is the only daily public affairs broadcast in the greater Sacramento area, and we have devoted our hour to getting our listeners the most up-to-the-minute news and resources to help navigate through the coronavirus crisis.

Because the news is so fluid these days, Beth Ruyak and our team of producers have thrown out the playbook of how we normally prepare the show. We are no longer booking guests days or weeks ahead. We are now reacting to the latest local, statewide and national headlines and getting people on the air who can share information that is timely, relevant and helpful. Insight has also hosted several statewide broadcasts of Governor Newsom’s briefings with analysis from across California to all of our partner NPR stations.

The beauty of Insight is that you don’t just hear soundbites. You get context. Beth is masterful at talking to her guests in a soothing, informative and non-alarming manner. Those qualities are extremely important in these critical times. Our team is very careful with facts, and our guests are brought on to expand and go in-depth on topics related to the coronavirus crisis. Insight also provides unique perspectives by covering a large geographic area — we take pride in reaching deep into communities who are not typically heard from.

Ultimately, we recognize how difficult these times are. That’s why we end our program every day with what we call “The Uplift,” which includes an inspiring story of a person or group of people doing something positive in the community during this crisis. We hope to leave our listeners with a smile on their faces as we sign-off for the day.

Aram Sarkissian
Managing Editor, News-Talk

Listen to Insight on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts

I love that my job can’t be done entirely over the phone or email. I truly enjoy going out into the community and meeting people and telling their stories through images and sound. Photojournalism is often about entering space others might not, and reporting back in photos and video what is happening.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus story adds a layer of logistical concern. I don’t want to catch this virus, and I definitely don’t want to transmit it as an asymptomatic vector. I stay home and avoid unnecessary trips. But when I’m out in the field, I make sure to wash my hands often or at least use hand sanitizer, check my temperature at least twice a day and wear gloves when appropriate. I’m trying hard to avoid infection so I can still get pictures out of how our neighbors are responding to this crisis.

When I go somewhere to report I keep distance. It's a challenge to not be in someone's personal space when photographing them or asking for caption information, but it's absolutely necessary to keep apart physically for social distancing. Compositionally, this means the photos I'm getting look and feel different than before. However, it seems so much of our interactions have changed, it only follows that our photos are a little different, too. I believe the key is, and always has been, to focus on people in visual reporting.

Andrew Nixon
Multimedia Producer

Photo And Video Reporting

During Quarantine Times, Performing Artists Say The Show Must Go On

California National Guard Helps Sacramento Food Bank During Coronavirus Outbreak

Twenty Trailers Arrive At Cal Expo In Sacramento To House Homeless Residents

Coronavirus Left Him Furloughed. Now, This Software Engineer Is 3-D Printing Medical Shields

Working from home has been a challenge in a lot of ways, but one thing that keeps me going is knowing I’m not alone in it. My colleagues are working hard from their homes, and beyond that, many Californians are finding meaningful ways to cope with their own isolation. That’s why we launched the project #IsolatedTogether — to help foster a deeper sense of community during this time of unprecedented separation from each other.

Are you playing music or learning a new hobby? Inventing games with your kids or cooking adventurous cuisine? Whatever it is, we’re inviting listeners to capture those sounds, tell us a little about it and send it our way.

If you’d like to participate, here’s what you can do. First, record up to a minute of an activity’s distinctive sounds using your smartphone. Then, record up to a minute of just you describing what you’re doing and why it’s meaningful in this moment. Make sure to say your name and where you’re from. (Tip: Don’t script it out — be organic!)

Once you’re done, send it to [email protected]. If you have any questions or need technical help, just reach out! We’re excited to hear what you share, and we have lots of ideas on how to use your sounds to tell compelling stories on the radio and capradio.org. Don't be afraid to think outside the box! We would love to hear all kinds of things, including family time, virtual happy hours and more.

Scott Rodd
State Government Reporter

To broadcast the local news updates you hear during Morning Edition and All Things Considered, we are part of a skeleton crew that is still going into the station. Communication with reporters and editors now mostly takes place through Slack (instant messaging), Zoom (video conference calls) and phone calls. We also now pre-record many of the interviews you hear on-air so that we can all practice safe social distancing.

But, when we are in a rapidly changing news situation like the coronavirus, we shift gears to be able to provide you the most up-to-date and vital information. For us, that means continually writing, rewriting and updating headlines. Also, unscheduled press briefings from Governor Newsom and other leaders mean planning for a newscast can be a little unpredictable. With so much information coming out so frequently, we have doubled our Latest News podcast updates to four times a day.

Randol White (All Things Considered Anchor) and Steve Milne (Morning Edition Anchor)

Listen to Latest News on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts

PG&E To Plead Guilty To 84 Counts Of Involuntary Manslaughter Related To Camp Fire

California Poised To Sue Trump Again To Stop Another Clean Car Rollback

Newsom And PG&E Strike Deal To End Company’s Bankruptcy

Fact Check: Did Bernie Sanders Win ‘People Of Color’ In California, And Was It ‘Not Even Close’?

Trail Camera Footage Reveals An Elusive Weasel-like Creature Roaming North In Yosemite

Music is a great way to manage fears and anxieties, helping you stay present and connected. Give a listen to our Spotify playlists curated by our hosts to help you get through your day.

If you are looking to preoccupy your time and to unplug from the news for a bit, make sure to check out the CapRadio podcasts. A few worth giving a listen to include:

TahoeLand: The Tahoe we love is changing, and CapRadio's Environment Reporter Ezra David Romero explores how climate change is shaping the future of this iconic region.

Making Meadowview: CapRadio spent a year in one of Sacramento's most culturally diverse neighborhoods to discover and tell the stories of individuals who define a community.

The Drive: From CapRadio and American Leadership Forum, host Katie McCleary uncovers ideas, lessons and wisdom from leaders in our communities.

Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Tour the Louvre

Dance training from a Sac Dance Company

Tour NASA's Langley or Glenn research centers

Tour New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art

Livestream the Human to Human Music Festival featuring artists like Grouplove and Andrew McMahon (April 11 from 12 p.m. - 12 a.m.)

Watch Global Citizen's musical special One World: Together at Home featuring artists like Elton John and John Legend (April 18 at 5 p.m.)

With the current local and state guidelines in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), attractions, events, venues, restaurants, bars, and organizations have been forced to temporarily close or cancel/postpone their events at this time.

In tandem with our partner calendar Sacramento365, CapRadio has temporarily paused our website listings except for the promotion of virtual events. Currently, this will be in effect through the end of April.

We encourage you to follow CapRadio on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where we are sharing highlights from our community and important updates from city and business leaders.

#HereInSac – We are all in this together and your continued support of our online calendar is truly appreciated. We look forward to sharing your events with the Sacramento community again soon!

CapRadio and NPR are accessible any time you want through your Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple Homepod smart speaker. To help you out, our digital products team put together a guide so you can easily stream the news and music you love.