There are a lot of questions about vaccine passports and when they might be available in the U.S. These could be paper or digital documents that show you are fully vaccinated or recently tested negative for coronavirus and may allow you to travel internationally more freely, or avoid local quarantines. Dr. John Torres, senior medical contributor to NBC News, joins us for how the U.S. is still far from laying any groundwork to get these vaccine passports implemented. Learn more about your ad-choi...
Mar 16, 2021•8 min
As more states start to open up and vaccine distribution continues to grow, many are looking at who did what right during the pandemic. Two states that are often compared for how different an approach they each took are California and Florida. Gov. Newsom in CA if facing a recall effort for his handling of the pandemic, while Gov. Ron DeSantis is being praised in some conservative circles for his handling. California has a better death rate, but higher unemployment. Florida has more kids in scho...
Mar 16, 2021•12 min
For many, this past year of the pandemic has been a lost year. And for our kids and teens, the disruption to school life has had major impacts on both academic life and also took on emotional toll. In Hobbs, New Mexico, the high school there close and sports were canceled, taking away activities that gave many meaning and provided social interaction. Kooper Davis was one such student who despite his best efforts, felt lost without his normal routine and outlets and the stress eventually overcame...
Mar 12, 2021•11 min
Many businesses thrived because of the shifts in spending during lockdowns. Now, looking forward to an economy that will hopefully be getting back to normal soon, these companies are facing questions about if they can keep up. Will people continue to order from DoorDash or go back to restaurants? Will the home improvement sector continue to grow or are people going on vacations? Paul Ziobro, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...
Mar 11, 2021•7 min
The late stage pandemic has been messing with our brains and no one remembers how to be normal. As more people get their vaccines and states ease restrictions, it’s raising hopes about getting back out there, but we are out of practice and stress and boredom has been a strain on our brains. Ellen Cushing, special projects editor at The Atlantic, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 11, 2021•7 min
As vaccine distribution continues to ramp up, we are still hearing about people resistant to getting the shot. A recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation says that nearly one-third of Republicans would not get the vaccine. Reasons range anywhere from side effects, being developed too quickly, and distrust of the government. Dan Diamond, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for the upcoming messaging effort to get more people on board. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihear...
Mar 10, 2021•7 min
The CDC has issued new guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. The good news is that those people can now visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or social distancing. And if they are exposed to the virus, there’s no need to quarantine or get tested if they show no symptoms. Lev Facher, Washington correspondent at STAT News, joins us for the new rules for those that have gotten their vaccine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...
Mar 09, 2021•8 min
The Covid vaccines have been major breakthroughs in science and technology. They've produced a class of vaccines that researchers believe can protect people from other illnesses and outbreaks. From Pfizer and Moderna we have mRNA platforms and Johnson & Johnson used viral-vector technology. With new insights into the immune system, scientists are reprogramming the body to muster better defenses against viruses. Peter Loftus, health care reporter at the WSJ, joins us to talk about the promisi...
Mar 08, 2021•11 min
The investigation by a team of scientists from the WHO into the origins of Covid- 19 continues to cause tension between the U.S. and China. Now, an interim report that was set to be released has been scrapped and another team of scientists is calling for an all-new investigation with more transparency and access. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for more problems for the WHO probe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener...
Mar 05, 2021•8 min
Some estimates say that we could face a shortage of doctors in the next decade, but right now there are thousands of doctors that can't get a job. Medical schools are producing more graduates, but residency programs haven't kept up with matching doctors. Part of the problem is matching doctors who went to medical school abroad. Emma Goldberg, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for why many young doctors are in debt and unmatched with residency programs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Mar 04, 2021•7 min
Researchers are looking to disease resistant patients in the hopes to expose weaknesses in Covid-19. Studies are being done to identify people who were heavily exposed to the virus, but never came down with it and also had no antibodies. Some of the answers lie in gene susceptibility, autoantibodies, and mutations. David Cox, freelance journalist at the BBC, joins us for how scientists are looking for Covid’s weak spots. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com Se...
Mar 03, 2021•8 min
A team of scientists with the WHO are exploring the origins of Covid-19 and are focusing on two animal types for possible vectors where the illness jumped to humans. Investigators say that ferret badgers and rabbits, which were sold at the Wuhan market could have played a role in the spread. Drew Hinshaw, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more on the WHO investigation into Covid-19. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Mar 02, 2021•7 min
Pandemic numbers have been trending in the right direction and the vaccine rollout has been ramping up, but when can we all get back to normal? The next few months will look just as they have been, continued mask wearing and social distancing, but the summer could be the closest to normal that we have seen in a long time. Joe Pinkser, staff writer at The Atlantic, previews what the next few seasons might look like on our road to pre-pandemic normalcy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
Mar 01, 2021•7 min
More vaccines could be approved very soon. One from Johnson & Johnson and another from a company called Novavax. If authorized, this vaccine could be one of the most potent weapons against the pandemic. Early data shows that it could be the first shot to slow down asymptomatic spread and potentially provide longer-lasting protection. The other part of this story is the company itself, Novavax was a small biotech company that had tried to develop an approved vaccine with no success. Gregory Z...
Feb 26, 2021•9 min
FDA scientists have given their stamp of approval and said that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is safe and effective in fighting Covid-19. This could lead to its emergency-use authorization very soon. The vaccine reduced moderate to severe cases by 66%, does not require cold storage and is most importantly only a single shot. Matthew Herper, senior writer at STAT News, joins us for more on the J&J vaccine which can also help protect against new variants. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
Feb 25, 2021•8 min
Drug companies Pfizer and Moderna have pledged to boost the doses of vaccines delivered after solving some manufacturing issues they had. While they are stepping up production many ask, why can’t we make these doses any faster? Much of the answer in that lies in the very specialized process and raw materials that go into making them. Isaac Arnsdorf, reporter at ProPublica, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
Feb 24, 2021•7 min
It seems counterintuitive, but some Covid tests can’t pick up on certain variants in their results, and labs are using those very same tests to help flag if you might have the U.K. variant. If tests come back positive for Covid-19, but fail a specific section of the test, that could be an indicator that someone is infected with the U.K. strain. Brianna Abbott, health reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how some tests are being used to flag different Covid variants. Learn more about your ad-choices...
Feb 23, 2021•7 min
The pace of vaccinations in the U.S. is starting to pick up, but many distribution sites are still recovering from an initial botched rollout. Many local health departments and hospitals were in the dark about how many doses they were getting and when they would be delivered. Officials overestimated how many doses to set aside for nursing homes, and reporting from states was also uneven. Sarah Krouse, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for vaccine distribution problems. Learn more about your ad-choic...
Feb 22, 2021•8 min
The latest data from Pfizer shows that its vaccine is less effective against the South African variant of coronavirus. While clinical trials have not been done, lab experiments show that there is about a two-thirds drop in the neutralization powers against this variant. Andrew Joseph, reporter at STAT News, joins us for what this means for the current batch of vaccines we have. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Feb 19, 2021•7 min
We are recovering from the pandemic, but to a different economy. According to a new report, millions of jobs that have been affected by the pandemic are unlikely to come back as increased automation takes hold, more people work from home, and business travel not expected to rebound so quickly. Heather Long, economics correspondent at The Washington Post, joins us for why we need to invest more in retraining workers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omn...
Feb 18, 2021•7 min
As cases were soaring last year, the government bought millions of dollars of rapid covid tests and distributed them to states, now we are finding out that millions of those tests have gone unused. One area of concern is that many of these tests are also reaching their six month expiration dates. States have cited accuracy concerns and also other challenges such as training and demand for not using them. Sarah Krouse, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how millions of rapid tests have remained un...
Feb 17, 2021•8 min
The rate of infections in the U.S. is starting to trend in the right direction despite the rise in concern with more transmissible covid variants. While we are seeing these better numbers, experts are divided on why and chalk it up to four possibilities. Good behavior and mask wearing, improved vaccine distribution, changing seasonality, and more cases going undetected because of less testing. Reis Thebault, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us why coronavirus cases are dropping. Learn more...
Feb 16, 2021•7 min
The process of getting a coronavirus vaccine appointment can seem like trying to get a PS5 with all available appointments gone before you know it. This can be especially hard if you might be helping out a parent or grandparent navigating the sites. Part of the problem is poorly designed sites and also too many vaccine sites from state, local, and hospitals all having their own web portals. Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist at The Washington Post, joins us for tips on how to master the vaccine app...
Feb 16, 2021•8 min
How much does it cost for treatment of some of the most severe cases of coronavirus? For one woman, it cost over $1.3 million dollars before insurance covered a large portion, leaving her to still owe over $42,000 which she cannot afford. The trouble lies in the fact that despite some insurers waiving certain costs, people may still be on the hook for a percentage which adds up quickly. Maria La Ganga, reporter at the LA Times, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...
Feb 15, 2021•7 min
The loss of smell and taste that people experience is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. For some, it can come back quickly enough, but then steps in a distortion of those familiar smells. Months later people can have this lingering effect leading them to try anything to get it back. One of the techniques that people are using to re-train their brains is called smell training. Brittny Mejia, reporter at the LA Times, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ih...
Feb 12, 2021•8 min
There is only one airline left where you can book a flight with no one in the middle seat, at least until the end of April, and that is on Delta. Despite a pandemic, most people just want the cheapest fare possible and Delta has even lost money with this plan, but they feel like they are building up some goodwill when business travelers come back. Scott McCartney, Middle Seat columnist at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omn...
Feb 12, 2021•7 min
Amid some early stumbles and lack of doses hampering the rollout of vaccines, we are seeing hesitancy and skepticism by many health-care workers who are refusing their doses. Many cite the speed at which they were developed and for others it is a trust problem, distrust of the government and even the health care systems they work for. Dhruv Khullar, practicing physician and contributor to The New Yorker, joins us for why so many health care workers are resisting the Covid vaccine. Learn more abo...
Feb 11, 2021•8 min
A recent study has shown that the U.K. coronavirus variant is indeed rapidly spreading through the U.S. and supports a CDC forecast that it could be the dominant strain here by late March. The good news is that cases and hospitalizations are going down, but experts are worried that the easing of restrictions by some states might let this more transmissible strain continue to take hold. Joel Achenbach, science reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for more on the spread of Covid variants. Lea...
Feb 10, 2021•8 min
With the current state of the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that the virus is here to stay for the long term. It is easily transmissible, we have new strains, and it will still take time to vaccinate the world. While we may not have the most restrictive measures in place forever, it will eventually be endemic, something we learn to live with and it will also mean big business. Think testing, ventilation for schools and businesses, and masking. Drew Hinshaw, senior reporter at the WSJ, joins us ...
Feb 09, 2021•8 min
The pandemic has disrupted our lives in many ways including our social lives and friendships, and has possibly erased an entire category of friends we once enjoyed. People that may not be in our inner circle, but acquaintances, friends you see while watching sports, even co-workers you don’t see as much anymore. Amanda Mull staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for why these types of friendships are vital and the deeper appreciation we have for them after the pandemic. Learn more about your ad-...
Feb 08, 2021•10 min
