Good news when it comes to the treatment of COVID-19. Studies involving 1,700 patients showed that deaths were significantly reduced by the use of steroids, raising hopes that cheap and widely available drugs could become standard treatments for severe cases of coronavirus. The steroids helped in dampening an overactive immune system. Joseph Walker, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Sep 03, 2020•6 min
COVID-19 has impacted the public health system so much that it will have to change to accommodate and incorporate COVID-19 into doctors’ offices, virus surveillance, and hospital planning. The good news is that the health care system has done it before with HIV and H1N1. Nicole Wetsman, health reporter at The Verge, joins us for how the coronavirus has changed the health care system. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
Sep 02, 2020•7 min
California is facing a backlash for its tiered system for reopening businesses during the pandemic. Counties throughout the state used to be on a watch list, but are now in a color-coded system of yellow, orange, red, and purple, with purple being the worst designation. Critics say the system hits some businesses harder than others. Chris Woodyard, LA Bureau Chief for USA Today, joins us for the plan to reopen California. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com S...
Sep 02, 2020•8 min
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control says that 94% of people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions, while only 6% of people had COVID-19 listed as the only cause of death. Some of the top comorbidities that people had were influenza, hypertensive disease, diabetes and cardiac arrest. Ursula Perano, reporter at Axios, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 01, 2020•5 min
Some new clues are emerging as to why the coronavirus hits men harder. Simply put, men produce a weaker immune response to the virus than women do, and the findings could have implications for vaccine dosing. Women produce more T-cells and a stronger immune response, possibly because their bodies are primed to fight pathogens that threaten their unborn children. Apoorva Mandavilli, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c...
Aug 31, 2020•6 min
Are you getting ready to travel during the pandemic? There's a lot to know about testing before you get out there. Some places require proof of a negative test before you arrive and other locations require you to quarantine before you can move freely. There is also the big question of timing so you can get your results in time. Natalie Compton, reporter at the Washington Post, tells us what you need to know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio....
Aug 31, 2020•7 min
As colleges and universities are heading back to school many are sounding the alarm as coronavirus cases were emerging just days into classes. At the University of Alabama, there were more than 500 cases. And at Ohio State University, over 200 students were suspended for violating virus related rules. Hannah Knowles, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how back-to-school is going so far during the pandemic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See om...
Aug 28, 2020•7 min
Good news on the vaccine front. Moderna said that its experimental vaccine induced an immune response in people aged 56 and older. The immune response was comparable to those seen in younger adults. This is significant because there had been a concern that vaccines might not offer the same amount of protection to older adults. Peter Loftus, healthcare reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...
Aug 28, 2020•6 min
Many of the transmission chains of COVID-19 begin with “superspreading” events. That’s when one person, usually in a crowded indoor space, passes the virus to dozens of others. Some estimates say that 10% of people have been causing 80% of infections. But one big question, who is the superspreader… the person or the event? Katherine Harmon Courage, contributor to Vox, joins us for how superspreading is fueling the pandemic and how we can stop it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Aug 27, 2020•8 min
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telemedicine and its role in the health-care system by at least three years, some experts say. This increased use is also driving a slew of possible business deals. Some telehealth companies are getting ready for initial public offerings, while others are exploring sales and acquisitions. Sarah Krouse, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener f...
Aug 26, 2020•7 min
The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma as a coronavirus treatment. Some 70,000 Americans have already received blood plasma as part of their treatment. While the president has said that the treatment is “very safe and effective,” The FDA did not go that far because there have been no controlled clinical trials. Sarah Owermohle, healthcare reporter at Politico, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnyst...
Aug 25, 2020•8 min
Researchers in Hong Kong have confirmed the first case of COVID-19 reinfection. The man who is 33 years-old, first had the coronavirus in late March and contracted the virus again in August while traveling in Europe. One thing to note, the second time around the man did not have any symptoms. Andrew Joseph, reporter at Stat News, joins us for what to know about the first COVID reinfection. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
Aug 25, 2020•6 min
At the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, canine studies are being done to see if man's best friend can sniff out coronavirus. So far, they are doing a pretty good job of it! Nine dogs are currently enrolled in the study with the hopes that one day they might be able to pick out infected individuals, including those that are asymptomatic, in nursing homes, businesses and airports. Dogs have already been proven to be able to detect explosives and some diseases such as hidden cancers, diabetes, and bact...
Aug 24, 2020•8 min
As kids are returning to school in various forms whether it be in person, hybrid, or online learning, many are experiencing a level of anxiety with how different things are during the pandemic. Psychologists suggest that parents need to keep calm and listen to children’s anxieties and enforce good routines of mask wearing and social distancing. Andrea Peterson, health reporter at the WSJ, joins us for tips on how to manage back-to-school anxiety. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Aug 21, 2020•8 min
Public health experts have said that casinos are a high-risk environment for COVID-19 and a new analysis of smartphone data shows just how interconnected the country is with visitors to Las Vegas. During a four day period in July, 26,000 devices were identified on the Las Vegas Strip, and in that same weekend, those same smartphones showed up in every state on the mainland except for Maine. Marshall Allen, healthcare reporter at ProPublica, joins us for how mobile people are despite the pandemic...
Aug 20, 2020•12 min
Some good coronavirus news today as scientists are seeing that the body does show signs of lasting immunity to COVID-19, even in those that only had mild symptoms. We still don’t know how long immunity will last, that will have to be looked at in real time, but recent studies show that antibodies, B-cells and T-cells are all doing their jobs. Katherine Wu, science reporter at the NY Times, joins us for what we are learning about coronavirus immunity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...
Aug 19, 2020•8 min
The FDA has approved a new and inexpensive saliva test for COVID-19 that was developed by Yale University and funded in part by the NBA and the NBA Players Association. So far, the test has yielded similar results to other diagnostic tests and also avoids a key step that has caused shortages in chemical reagents in other tests. Ed Silverman, @Pharmalot columnist and senior writer at STAT News, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystu...
Aug 18, 2020•6 min
The first Bluetooth “exposure-notification” app has launched in Virginia and it’s called Covidwise. The app uses Bluetooth chirps to detect if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. While it is very easy to use, for it to really be effective, it needs widespread adoption. Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist at the Washington Post, joins us this useful app with little privacy risk. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.co...
Aug 18, 2020•8 min
Coronavirus fatigue has hit the country. The pandemic has upended society on a scale and duration that has not been seen before, and the worst part about it is that there is no end in sight. Waiting for a vaccine to get approved is just the beginning, then comes the hard part, distributing it to millions of Americans. In the meantime, parents are worried about how to balance work and school for their kids, healthcare workers continue to work long hours, and unemployed workers struggle to keep up...
Aug 17, 2020•7 min
As dentists have started to open up, they are seeing patients come in with a new set of symptoms and they are dubbing it “mask mouth.” Dentists are seeing inflammation in gums, decaying teeth, and really bad breath. Wearing a mask can lead to dry mouth and a host of other problems unless proper precautions are taken. Melkorka Licea, features writer at the NY Post, joins us for what to do about mask mouth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com...
Aug 14, 2020•5 min
Doctors’ offices, nursing homes, and federal officials are in a scramble to obtain point-of-care COVID-19 tests from the only two companies that have emergency approval to produce them. There has been some concern about accuracy with these tests but they are useful for quicker results and don’t need to be sent away to a lab. Sarah Krouse, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Aug 14, 2020•7 min
We all remember the panic buying at the start of the pandemic and how tough it was to find toilet paper and cleaning supplies. While some of those products are back in stores in steady supply, other groceries are still hard to find. Baking ingredients, coffee and tea, barbeque and other items are hard to come by. Annie Gasparro, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why it’s still so hard to find things. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/list...
Aug 13, 2020•7 min
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has announced that they have approved the first vaccine for COVID-19. He said that the vaccine, dubbed Sputnik-V, “works quite effectively” and it has even been given to his daughter. However, many health experts are skeptical because it has not gone through late stage clinical trials, Tina Hesman Saey, senior writer at Science News, joins us for what we know about Russia’s vaccine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omn...
Aug 13, 2020•8 min
As companies begin to resume operations while the pandemic continues to endure, many are hiring new executives as Chief Medical Officers in industries where they normally would not be. Tyson Foods and Royal Caribbean Cruises recently made the appointments because they need expert medical advice on how to keep employees and consumers safe. Patrick Thomas, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener fo...
Aug 12, 2020•6 min
As the pandemic stretches on, many people are looking for places to go on vacation, and some are still risking going to traditional summer getaways despite them being coronavirus hotspots. Places like Florida, Nevada, and California are still the most searched travel destinations. Dian Zhang, data reporter at USA Today, joins us for how some Americans are visiting these virus hotspots anyway. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...
Aug 12, 2020•5 min
The problem with making decisions about kids going back to school is that the research takes time to conduct and when it comes to children and the virus, there is still so much that remains unknown. A recent report found that more than 97,000 children tested positive in the last two weeks of July. And while they can contract and spread the virus, the questions is… to what extent? In the few schools that have re-opened, we are seeing pictures of students not wearing masks and hearing about outbre...
Aug 11, 2020•10 min
Contact tracing was supposed to be one of the biggest tools in the fight to contain the spread of coronavirus, but many health departments across the country are losing the race to warn the contacts of COVID victims. City and county health departments say they don't have enough money or staff to keep up with the surge of cases. On Alabama's Gulf Coast, the contact tracers are stretched so thin that they are telling people who get the virus to notify any contacts themselves. The country only has ...
Aug 10, 2020•11 min
Major League Baseball is getting serious with new protocols to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks among players and staff. Anyone found in violation of these new rules could be suspended for the remainder of the season. Face coverings are required at all times and are even discouraged from talking to or facing each other when eating or drinking together. Bob Nightengale, MLB columnist at USA Today Sports, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omn...
Aug 07, 2020•7 min
As a result of the pandemic, Halloween could be cancelled, or at least look very different than in the past. Many major theme parks have already cancelled their Halloween events and now, big questions remain about trick-or-treating and also how it could impact the costume and candy industries. Hugo Martin, business writer at the LA Times, joins us for how Halloween could be different this year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener f...
Aug 07, 2020•6 min
A new study looking at the movements of Americans during the pandemic shutdown orders shows that rich Americans stayed put while poor Americans increased their movements, presumably because they were essential workers and could not work from home. Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired, joins us for how your income could be a predictor of how well you can social distance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...
Aug 07, 2020•8 min
