It is hard to believe that Helen Branswell has passed away. Just heartbreaking.

On January 4, 2020, Helen wrote STAT's first story on a mystery pneumonia outbreak in China. She saw the pandemic coming well before anyone was paying attention.

Helen was a journalist who knew more than most of the experts she interviewed. She understood the science, the history and the politics of every outbreak she covered. She asked the hardest (and best) questions and never let me get away with a vague answer

Experts learned from her. I certainly did

It's hard to imagine a world of pandemics, biological threats and so much more without a Helen Branswell to explain it all.

https://www.statnews.com/2026/10/13/helen-branswell-stat-reporter-obituary/