Last week unemployment claims totaled 6.6 million, bringing the total number of applications to nearly 17 million since the pandemic has shut down huge parts of the U.S. economy. And as a result of so many applying for unemployment, people are having a tough time getting through and completing the process. Dana Mattioli, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how tough the job market is right now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...
Apr 10, 2020•7 min
One thing to keep an eye out while we social distance and stay at home, Americans are doubling down on some of their worst habits in order to cope with mental and emotional stress of dealing with coronavirus. Alcohol sales and consumption are up, marijuana sales are up, and people are eating more and exercising less. Sara Fischer, reporter for Axios, joins us for how virus vices are taking a toll on people. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.c...
Apr 10, 2020•7 min
In this time of coronavirus, telemedicine is having a moment. It was once a hard sell to get people to see a doctor over the phone or a computer screen, but now some companies can’t keep up with demand. Wait times have increased on some of these services and it is leading them to hire more doctors to help you quicker. Parmy Olsen, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for the rise of telemedicine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for p...
Apr 09, 2020•8 min
The U.S. is eyeing a second coronavirus outbreak in China. In the past few days, officials have noted an emergence of new cases, particularly in asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals. The administration is closely monitoring how China handles this next wave to better understand what we could expect later this year when we too, could possibly see a second outbreak. Erin Banco, national security reporter at The Daily Beast, joins us for how we are keeping an eye on China. Learn more about y...
Apr 09, 2020•7 min
China has officially lifted the lockdown of Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus outbreak first emerged. When this all started, China shut down the city of 11 million and many countries took the same steps in some fashion. Now the city is opening back up, but all is not as it was before. People can leave Wuhan, but a government sanctioned phone app will have to affirm they are not a contagion risk, some businesses have set up street-front counters so customers can get their goods without going ...
Apr 08, 2020•10 min
We have heard a lot of mixed results about the anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine and its effectiveness in treating COVID-19. Not wanting to offer false hope, many health experts have urged caution until more studies have been done. But how did all this talk about this drug get started and why has President Trump pushed for its use so hard. In mid-March, a cryptocurrency investor, a law school graduate, and a self-described philosopher found each other on Twitter and published a paper about ...
Apr 08, 2020•9 min
Something to watch out for in getting tested and seeing a doctor during this pandemic, unforeseen medical bills. While you might not get charged for the test itself, you might not want to go to the emergency room. Some in-network emergency rooms could be staffed with doctors that work for private companies and out-of-network. Emmarie Huetteman, correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/list...
Apr 07, 2020•6 min
As some are starting to recover from COVID-19 they face an uncertain road back to normal. The guidelines vary on when someone can return to their normal pre-quarantine lives. But generally, you want to be symptom free for at least three days and have two consecutive negative tests, although those can be hard to come by in quick fashion. Daniella Hernandez, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for when someone can be considered well again. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...
Apr 07, 2020•7 min
It’s all hands on deck to fight coronavirus and the US Army’s top virus research lab is also helping out with the effort. The US Army Institute of Infectious Diseases is working on the long term game to help beat COVID-19. They are working on animal models to test possible treatments and also working on screening antibodies that could be used to make a universal vaccine. Eric Niiler, contributor to Wired, joins us for how USAMRIID is helping out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Apr 07, 2020•7 min
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says that this week will be one of the hardest and saddest for Americans as we continue to fight our way through the coronavirus pandemic. The next two weeks are critical as experts think multiple states will hit their peak of cases of COVID-19. Several governors are also in a tight situation trying to acquire the proper supplies for their states as the national stockpile of equipment is almost depleted and they are pleading with the federal government to take a...
Apr 06, 2020•7 min
While we brace ourselves to make it through this right now, the scientific community around the world is in a race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. There are currently at least 43 different vaccines in development around the world. But the process remains slow. While many things have changed about how to develop vaccines, such as being able to target the DNA and RNA of the viruses in quick fashion, the rest of the process- tasing in humans and also the manufacturing for wide use remains very s...
Apr 06, 2020•13 min
We’ve known for some time that those with underlying health conditions are more at risk of getting more severe symptoms from COVID-19, but new data from the CDC shows that those with diabetes, lung disease and heart disease face an increased chance of being hospitalized. The CDC found that of those people requiring admission to an ICU, 78% had at least one underlying health condition. Joel Achenbach, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
Apr 03, 2020•7 min
With the global economy coming to a halt, airline flights cancelled, and people staying at home, the unintended consequence has been that air pollution is down. In a somewhat unwanted atmospheric experiment we are seeing levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide go down, but these small gains may not last once things get back to normal. Ula Chrobak, contributor to Popular Science, joins us for how coronavirus has cut down air pollution. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...
Apr 03, 2020•7 min
The CDC is considering recommendations for people to wear face masks while out in public. Previously, the recommendation was not to buy any masks, as medical workers needed them and they were in short supply. But we have gotten to the point where we need to step up efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus. Masks reduce the spread of infectious disease by catching microbes expelled by the wearer and also protecting them from outside microbes, and while they might not catch everything, there’s a ...
Apr 02, 2020•11 min
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially declared a 30-day stay-at-home order for the state after facing criticism for not doing so earlier. The other issue facing Florida is what to do with sick people on the Zaandam cruise ship that wants to dock in Port Everglades. DeSantis only wants to take state residents that are on the ship and the Coast Guard has said that the ships must stay out at sea with the sick on board. A plan is still being worked on for what to do even as another sick cruise sh...
Apr 02, 2020•8 min
As COVID-19 testing capabilities ramp up and companies are coming up with new tests, why does it still take so long to get results? First, it is a multi-step process… once a sample is taken, it needs to travel to a lab, then it needs to be processed. And different circumstances in processing will lead to different turnaround times. Julie Appleby, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, joins us for the steps involved in testing and new ones on the way. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...
Apr 01, 2020•7 min
Coronavirus is forcing pregnant women to make tough choices. There are many hospitals with such tight restrictions that in some cases a woman’s partner might not even be allowed into the delivery room. Women are having to resort to FaceTime to have their partners present, and it could be falling to nurses to provide supportive care and camerawork. Laura Kusisto, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/lis...
Apr 01, 2020•6 min
We hear a lot about confirmed cases of coronavirus. The U.S. has the most confirmed cases in the world right now, but unfortunately, that metric does little for us in the way of tracking how fast it is spreading due to uneven testing. Instead, some suggest we track the rate of hospitalizations and other factors. Faye Flam, columnist at Bloomberg News, joins us for why we still need a lot more data to find out true rates of infection and spread. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihe...
Apr 01, 2020•6 min
With coronavirus, it’s all about the genetic mutations. Two critical mutations occurred… the first altered the spikes in the virus to allow it to latch onto proteins that line the respiratory tract, the second mutation, allowed the virus to grow a protein dagger that lets it bind tightly to throat and lung cells making it infectious and deadly. Robert Bazell, professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale, joins us for coronavirus mutations. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
Mar 31, 2020•7 min
President Trump has extended the social distancing guidelines until at least April 30. Previously Trump wanted to open the economy back up by Easter, instead we are now learning that the peak of the outbreak in America could come about that time. Gabby Orr, White House reporter at Politico, joins us for how Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, convinced the president to extend the guidelines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener ...
Mar 31, 2020•7 min
This could be a make-or-break week for the American economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bills and rent are coming due for millions of laid off workers and businesses, big and small, alike. Tough decisions will have to be made on what to pay first and what to put off. The restaurant industry alone has lost $25 billion in sales since March 1, and many are feeling the pain. Ruth Simon, senior special writer at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
Mar 31, 2020•8 min
With the most number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, here in U.S., new hotspots are emerging. While mostly concentrated on the coasts, more cases are creeping into other cities. The CDC has issued a domestic travel advisory urging residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut not to travel for 14 days. In other news, GM and Ford are working to make more ventilators and new polls show Joe Biden and Trump in a competitive race for 2020. Julia Manchester, political reporter for The H...
Mar 30, 2020•8 min
As travel is restricted across much of the world, there are a ton of cheap airfare deals. While you shouldn’t fly during a pandemic, you might want to consider booking a short getaway later in the year once things calm down. The good thing is that fares will remain low until people start traveling again. Scott McCartney, Middle Seat columnist for the WSJ, joins us for what to consider before snagging a travel bargain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See o...
Mar 30, 2020•7 min
Fearing a surge of coronavirus cases that could tear through prisons and jails, counties and states are releasing thousands of inmates. Health and corrections officials have issued warnings about cramped and unsanitary conditions that could spread the virus and put inmates, corrections officers, and prison healthcare workers at risk. Kimberly Kindy, national investigative reporter at the Washington Post, tells us who is getting out of jail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp...
Mar 30, 2020•7 min
As the search for an effective COVID-19 treatment continues, doctors are looking to an old method of delivering antibodies to an infected person, by using blood plasma from recovered patients. While a vaccine could still be a year away, the FDA has expedited the use of this blood plasma infusion in NY to see if it is an effective short term treatment. Mike Hixenbaugh, national investigative reporter for NBC News, join us for how doctors are exploring all options. Learn more about your ad-choices...
Mar 27, 2020•7 min
Something a little lighter while we practice social distancing… How has coronavirus impacted those looking for love and dating? Dating apps have seen big increases in people still looking to connect with others and singles are doing the best they can with video dates, all that’s lacking is the physical chemistry. There is even an app called Quarantine Together . Georgia Wells, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how dating works in the time of coronavirus Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Mar 27, 2020•7 min
As the rush to find effective treatments for COVID-19 intensifies, much is being made about other anti-viral drugs that have been used in the past. The president has named drugs like chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as potential ways to help treat the coronavirus. There has not been enough testing to see how it might help specifically with COVID-19, but there are clinical trails going on right now. Dr. Leo Galland, internist practicing in New York City, talks to us about some of the anti-viral...
Mar 26, 2020•5 min
Congress is working to pass a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package to keep the economy moving while everything is shut down to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This will be the third emergency spending package Congress has advanced and the largest economic aid measure in U.S. history. It will include direct payments to Americans, help for small businesses, extended unemployment programs, and help for hospitals and healthcare workers. Alayna Treene, White House reporter at Axios, joins us fo...
Mar 26, 2020•8 min
Many people have lost jobs or had their wages cut back as companies are slowing or shutting down due to coronavirus concerns. But right now, some of America’s biggest employers are trying to hire hundreds of thousands of workers, often forgoing normal hiring practices hoping to get people started right away. Michael Corkery, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for why Walmart, Amazon, grocery stores, and pizza chains are all hiring. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnet...
Mar 26, 2020•7 min
New York has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. It has 50% of the cases in the country and is facing severe shortages of critical medical supplies needed for patients and medical workers. New York is throwing everything it can against the wall in its fight against the virus and some expect the peak of the epidemic to still be weeks away. Jennifer Kingson, managing editor at Axios, joins us for the fight for New York. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...
Mar 26, 2020•8 min
