The demand for deworming drug ivermectin has been surging to more than 80,000 prescriptions per week. Pharmacists have been reporting shortages of the drug which is used in small doses in humans to treat lice, scabies, and other parasites, but most commonly used in animals. The big concern is people trying to get the drug from livestock stores. Emma Goldberg, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for the surging demand despite studies showing it does little to treat Covid. Learn more about your ad-...
Sep 03, 2021•7 min
We have seen the demand for Covid-19 monoclonal antibody treatments skyrocket in the last few weeks. Some states have set up infusion centers where patients can get the treatment and are also passing rules where you can get it without a doctor’s prescription. Karen Weintraub, health reporter at USA Today, joins us for how this underutilized treatment is gaining traction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 02, 2021•7 min
A look inside Pfizer’s Pearl River research center, where the vaccine was created with their partner BioNTech. The team there is in a never-ending effort to stay ahead of the pandemic. The lab has “variant hunters” that continue to track the effectiveness of the vaccine on new variants, a “virus farmer” that grows the latest variants for testing, and scientists developing the next formulation of the vaccine if needed. Olivia Goldhill, investigative reporter at STAT News, joins us for a look insi...
Aug 31, 2021•8 min
The intelligence community has provided President Biden with a report on the origins of Covid-19 and it was inconclusive. Furthermore, the WHO team that was also looking into the start of the pandemic warned that time is running out and it could soon be biologically impossible to obtain the data needed to nail down the cause. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for ongoing delays into the search for the pandemic origins. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...
Aug 30, 2021•7 min
As the Delta variant continues to infect so many people, the demand for at-home Covid tests is going up. The only problem with that, is that the test manufacturers can’t keep up and they are becoming harder to find online and on pharmacy shelves. These antigen tests have faced questions of reliability, but work best on people who are shedding lots of virus particles and provide quick results. Brianna Abbot, health reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
Aug 27, 2021•7 min
Delta Air Lines has upped its game in the vaccine pressure campaign. Stopping short of a mandate, Delta has said that unvaccinated employees will have their health insurance premiums increased by $200 a month. They cited the high cost of treating employees who have been hospitalized which averages out to $50,000 per person. Leslie Josephs, airline reporter at CNBC, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
Aug 26, 2021•7 min
Over 75% of pregnant people have not been vaccinated and doctors are reporting that they are seeing more young and healthy pregnant women ending up in hospitals on ventilators or delivering babies prematurely because of Covid. There are also some extra precautions needed in treating pregnant patients like making sure their oxygen levels are higher. Shira Stein, reporter at Bloomberg Law, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.co...
Aug 25, 2021•7 min
The FDA has finally granted full approval to the Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer to those 16 and older. Children under 11 are still not approved and those ages 12-15 can get the vaccine under emergency use authorization. With this approval, the hope is that some hesitant people might now get their shots, but also that more businesses and local governments might mandate them. Andrew Joseph, reporter at STAT News, joins us for what to know about Pfizer’s full approval. Learn more about your ad-cho...
Aug 24, 2021•7 min
The pandemic has changed the way we eat and what chefs serve us. Restaurants are still trying to recover from prolonged closures, supply chain issues, and lack of staff. In response to all of that we saw menus slimmed down to optimize to-go orders, which is still the case in many areas, but we also saw complete menu overhauls that limited seafood because of costs and less complicated menus that are easier to execute. Patricia Escárcega, reporting fellow at The Counter, joins us for more. Learn m...
Aug 23, 2021•11 min
Governors in Florida, Missouri, and Texas have begun pushing expensive Covid antibody treatments instead of masks. States are setting up and staffing infusion centers with the hope of keeping people out of hospitals. Florida’s surgeon general issued a ruling for anyone to be able to take Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment without a doctor prescription. Dan Goldberg, health care reporter at Politico, joins us for the push for Covid cocktails over masks. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
Aug 20, 2021•8 min
Covid booster shots are coming this fall. The Biden administration has called for boosters to be available for those that are fully vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna eight months after their second shot. With the Delta variant, the coronavirus is still too widespread and too transmissible and the outcome of the pandemic seems pretty certain, the virus is not going away and will be endemic. Sarah Zhang, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for how we are going to have to live with coronavirus. ...
Aug 19, 2021•8 min
Many Covid relief programs have been subject to fraud by scammers, but a whole slew of international scam artists have taken advantage of the enhanced unemployment benefits offered up to those affected by the pandemic. Russian scammers, Chinese hackers, and Nigerian scammers have used stolen identities easily accessed from data breaches and relaxed verification requirements to make bogus claims for Covid aid. Aging state unemployment systems also contributed to the problem. The scams are so wide...
Aug 18, 2021•8 min
It’s been a theme we have seen throughout the pandemic, a reassessment of the work-life balance. According to the latest Washington Post poll, a third of workers under 40 considered changing their careers or where they lived during the pandemic. Surprisingly, the majority of workers in this poll also wanted to return to their workplace all or most of the time. Scott Clement, polling director at The Washington Post, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastn...
Aug 17, 2021•6 min
The world is experiencing another major coronavirus surge and every country is dealing with it differently. In those responses we are seeing pockets of people resisting the vaccines, but also a severe lack of access to the shots in poorer countries. Germany and Israel have vaccinated two-thirds of their populations, Great Britain has left it to personal responsibility and is learning to live with the virus, and Indonesia has become a new epicenter dealing with a growing number of deaths. Sammy W...
Aug 16, 2021•12 min
The FDA is moving to authorize booster shots for those that are immunocompromised. This would be a shift in the American vaccination strategy as the Delta variant surges across the country and other countries have also approved boosters. Studies have shown that a third vaccine dose can trigger a more robust immune response in those with weaker immune systems. Jon Rockoff, health business editor at the WSJ, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co...
Aug 13, 2021•7 min
As the Delta variant continues to surge across the U.S., we are hearing more stories of children being hospitalized. Part of it is a numbers game, as cases across the country go up, so will the number of kids infected, but are they getting sicker? For the most part, kids that show up to hospitals have milder symptoms, but there are those that do develop pneumonia and other serious effects from Covid. Emily Anthes, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for kids and the Delta variant. Learn more abou...
Aug 12, 2021•6 min
Children are going back to school and there is still chaos and confusion over masks. We are in the sophomore year of Covid and there is still no consensus on how to keep students and teachers safe. Some school districts across the country are mandating mask wearing and defying state orders to do so. Governors have even threatened to withhold school funding if masks are required. Dan Goldberg, healthcare reporter at Politico joins us for the back to school mess. Learn more about your ad-choices a...
Aug 11, 2021•7 min
The Delta variant of Covid-19 continues to cause surges in cases and hospitalizations around the country. In Florida, where we are seeing big spikes, hospitals are on the race to find open ICU beds. Coronavirus patients fill about 43% of ICU beds there, but when you combine this number with people going to hospitals for other ailments, it becomes hard to find enough space. In the Orlando area, hospital group AdventHealth has even set up a mission control office to track open beds and reallocate ...
Aug 10, 2021•9 min
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have released a report focusing on the origins of the Covid pandemic and zeroed in on the lab leak theory. Citing information about changes in safety protocols and requests for an overhaul of a hazardous waste treatment system, the report says that the virus may have been accidentally released sometime prior to September 2019. Declan Garvey, associate editor at The Dispatch, joins us for this latest report. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht...
Aug 09, 2021•8 min
The FDA has expedited its timetable for full approval of the Pfizer vaccine hoping to have the process completed by early September. The move to full approval is expected to kick off more vaccination mandates especially for hospital workers, college students and federal workers. Moderna has also filed for full approval, but is still submitting data. Sharon LaFraniere, investigative reporter at the NY Times, joins us for what to know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastn...
Aug 06, 2021•7 min
The nationwide moratorium on evictions lapsed just last Saturday, but only a few days later the CDC stepped in and provided an extension for those that live in counties experiencing high or substantial community spread of the virus. This has led to a lot of confusion and worry among those at risk of being evicted. For some, it was a little too late as some were kicked out of their homes already. Abha Bhattarai, business reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for the last minute eviction ban e...
Aug 05, 2021•7 min
The Biden administration wants to reform state drug laws and focus on what’s called “harm reduction,” which promotes safe drug use instead of abstinence and threats of jail time. The Office of National Drug Control Policy will be promoting draft model laws that supports harm reduction programs, increase treatment options, and reform criminal statutes. Dan Vergano, science reporter at BuzzFeed News, joins us for this and also how a Cape Cod Covid outbreak in mostly vaccinated people prompted the ...
Aug 03, 2021•11 min
Let’s talk about vaccine breakthrough infections of Covid-19. Some recent numbers from the CDC say that breakthroughs represent about 0.098% of those that are fully vaccinated. Still, they are happening, but those cases are often mild or asymptomatic. Getting vaccinated is not a free pass, but it gives you the best defenses possible to fight the virus. Katherine Wu, staff writer at the Atlantic, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnys...
Aug 02, 2021•7 min
Despite rising cases of Covid in the unvaccinated, it can be very tough to persuade the vaccine hesitant, it can be even tougher to talking to family and friends. Experts say that the first step is to listen closer. You have to understand their reasons for refusing the shot before trying to convince them. It’s also important to focus on your relationship and de-escalate if things get heated. Derek Hawkins, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for how to talk to vaccine hesitant friends and ...
Jul 30, 2021•8 min
Mask and vaccine mandates are coming, Covid cases are rising and so is the anger. There is a growing frustration that the vaccinated are having with the unvaccinated as we see the majority of cases are all happening with those refusing the shot. Roni Rabin, health reporter at the NY Times, joins us for all the anger surrounding vaccines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 29, 2021•7 min
The CDC has issued new guidance saying that everyone should wear masks in certain high transmission indoor areas regardless of vaccination status as well as universal masking for schools. This comes as the Delta variant continues to spread throughout the country. Public health officials are also worried that more variants could be on the way and the system to sequence the genetic mutations of the virus isn’t ready to track them. The U.S. is only sequencing about 10% of all Covid cases and more n...
Jul 28, 2021•12 min
Here come the vaccine mandates! The Dept. of Veterans Affairs has become the first federal agency to require its healthcare workers to be vaccinated. New York City is mandating vaccines for city employees or weekly tests. And California is the first state requiring health care workers and state employees to show proof of vaccination or get tested weekly. Erin Allday, health writer at the SF Chronicle, joins us for the new vaccine requirements. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
Jul 27, 2021•7 min
The restaurant industry has been having a hard time coming back after the pandemic. Each month so far this year, about 5% of restaurant and hospitality workers have quit their jobs largely due to low pay, no benefits, and rude customers. There are currently 1.2 million jobs unfilled in the industry despite rising wages and signing bonuses. Alina Selyukh, business correspondent at NPR joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/li...
Jul 26, 2021•8 min
The Tokyo Olympics are now officially under way and they will definitely be an Olympics like no other. Happening amid the pandemic and rising numbers locally in Japan, these Games will also not have any spectators. The big question now is how that might affect the athletes, having no cheering fans and the bigger concern, not having their families present. Questions have also been raised about athletes not being subject to the usual, rigorous drug testing standards. Erin Doherty, reporter at Axio...
Jul 23, 2021•7 min
Largely driven by the pandemic, drug overdoses and homicides, U.S. life expectancy fell by 1.5 years in 2020. This is the biggest decline since World War II. The group that fared the worst were Hispanic men who had a drop of 3.7 years. Life expectancy is an important number because it is a measure of a nation’s well-being and prosperity. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for the big drop. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/li...
Jul 22, 2021•6 min
