When the Pandemic Came to Rural Wisconsin

When the pandemic struck, Patty Schachtner, in her capacity as both a member of the Wisconsin State Senate and chief medical officer for St. Croix County, tried to remain one step ahead. It was an approach criticized by many in her conservative community.

She was preparing for the worst-case scenario. And now it has arrived — cases and deaths are on the rise in Wisconsin.

We chart her journey through the months of the pandemic.

Guest: Julie Bosman, who covers the Midwest for The New York Times, spoke with Patty Schachtner over several months about how she was experiencing the pandemic.

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Background reading:

• The recent coronavirus outbreak in Wisconsin has escalated rapidly. Here is our case tracker for the state.
• As coronavirus cases rise across the United States, death rates have been rising far more slowly. But there are signs that this is shifting. Last week, Wisconsin was among a number of states that recorded more deaths in the previous seven days than in any other week of the pandemic.

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