Two pharmaceutical companies say their new COVID vaccine can is 100 percent effective against severe disease and hospitalization. We take a closer look at how this new vaccine could be utilized.......and whether we all eventually might be getting booster shots of this stuff. Los Angeles County is easing its indoor mask mandate this week. You'll still have to wear one inside unless that business requires proof of vaccination. If so, then it's masks off. To learn more about listener data and our p...
Feb 23, 2022•11 min
Were the COVID booster shots just the start of what will become annual--or even twice annual--vaccine doses to keep up our immunity against the coronavirus? There's new research out that could provide answers to how many more needles might be in our future. And because of our less-than-stellar response to the COVID pandemic, and all of the losses this country has had to absorb over these past two years, will the United States emerge from the pandemic in a much weaker state against global competi...
Feb 22, 2022•19 min
Doctors have been warning of a new COVID variant that could pop up and cause problems like Delta and omicron. It might already be among us.........as we'll turn our attention back toward the so called "little brother" variant of omicron. And the blockade of truckers protesting COVID vaccine mandates in Canada's capitol Ottawa........which captured the attention of Fox News and the broader movement against COVID restrictions in general..........has likely reached the end of the road. To learn mor...
Feb 19, 2022•13 min
Turns out that even with the massive spread of the omicron COVID variant and the resulting spike in hospitalizations and deaths this winter, omicron could turn out to be a long-term benefit in moving on from the COVID pandemic. And another problem people with long COVID might have to worry about---long-term heart issues. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/ad...
Feb 17, 2022•12 min
California's indoor mask mandate disappears at midnight. That is unless you're in LA or Santa Clara counties. Even Disneyland says no more masks. The Coachella and Stagecoach festivals also say no masks will be needed. So why are mask requirements still in place for kids in schools? And if you're feeling especially unsure about the world as the COVID pandemic seems to be winding down, you're not alone. We'll discuss the psychology of dealing with--and accepting--a COVID-changed world. To learn m...
Feb 15, 2022•20 min
While the overwhelming majority of you were probably watching the action on the field yesterday, we couldn't help but notice that during crowd shots of fans at Sofi Stadium during the Super Bowl...........barely a mask could be found, in spite of what were supposed to be strict masking rules. Are mask mandates on life support? And while the hope is that new future COVID variants will get weaker and producer more milder illnesses, thus helping us all move past this pandemic.........what if it doe...
Feb 14, 2022•16 min
Parents who were hoping to get their babies and toddlers vaccinated soon will have to wait even longer--if it ever happens. U-S health regulators have pushed back a public meeting to review Pfizer's COVID vaccine for kids under 5. The FDA says it's delaying the meeting to allow time for Pfizer to provide more data on a three-dose regimen of the vaccine. And you've probably heard these terms thrown around a lot recently: "pandemic" and "endemic." We will take a closer look at what could be a tran...
Feb 11, 2022•15 min
So what did you do right after your COVID or flu shot? Did you go home and take it easy out of concerns of potential side effects? Or did you go for a long run or walk? New research shows exercising right after you're vaccinated could help the dose be more effective. And what if the key to losing weight was something as simple as...........getting more sleep? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choic...
Feb 10, 2022•13 min
One of the big mysteries of the pandemic is why some people haven't gotten sick yet while others around them have. We will try to unravel this as the answers might not be so clear. California's indoor mask mandate ends next week but many people will probably keep their masks on anyway. So is there a "right" time to ditch the masks? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastcho...
Feb 09, 2022•10 min
By now...we've all likely been exposed to COVID somewhere and at some point during this pandemic. Is all of that viral exposure slowly helping our immune systems? Johnson & Johnson reportedly stopped making its COVID vaccine, temporarily, at a plant in the Netherlands. This comes as developing countries badly need the vaccine. The reason behind the halt in vaccine production might make people mad. And the pandemic could be leading to more broken hearts--literally. Researchers have been notic...
Feb 09, 2022•19 min
The CDC would really like to see and know what you're flushing down the toilet. The public health agency is expanding programs so scientists can study wastewater, which may hold the key to learning about COVID spread in your city. And the future of COVID prevention through vaccines might not involve any needles at all............it could be a vaccine delivered through a nasal spray. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn ...
Feb 07, 2022•13 min
When your grandmother used to tell you that getting a little sunshine would do you good, turns out she knew what she was talking about. The sun could help you avoid the worst of COVID. A new study out of Israel found a correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and the severity of COVID illnesses. Vitamin D deficient patients were 14 times more likely to have a severe or a critical case of COVID than those who aren't deficient. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: htt...
Feb 04, 2022•8 min
Doctors and scientists have been saying COVID will eventually become endemic......meaning the virus is still there, still circulating but it's manageable---nowhere near as rampant and deadly as it is now. But one biosecurity expert in Australia say COVID will never get to that point. It'll remain an epidemic. She says it's because there are large rapid rises in case numbers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more abo...
Feb 03, 2022•8 min
Think back to when this all started, March of 2020 when the world basically shut down. We were told we all had to stay home to both flatten the curve and save lives. Well, new analysis from Johns Hopkins University found that all those lockdowns had very little impact on saving lives in both the U-S and Europe. With the worst of omicron seemingly behind us as cases continue to drop, many doctors are now saying it's time to start easing COVID restrictions--and that includes taking off our masks. ...
Feb 02, 2022•12 min
Pfizer has formally submitted its COVID vaccine to the FDA for emergency use authorization for use in children ages 5 and younger. Scientists have had a tough time perfecting the vaccine dosage for little bodies--strong enough to illicit an immune response against coronavirus but not too strong to bring on side effects. So we'll take a closer look. Here in California we just had a battle of NorCal vs. SoCal, but that was in football with the Rams and 49ers going at it in the NFC Championship. Th...
Feb 01, 2022•10 min
After the governor of California, the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco plus a whole bunch of their VIP guests were all photographed without masks at yesterday's NFC Championship at Sofi stadium..........a lot of people are asking today if mask mandates have officially jumped the shark. An LA County Supervisor says it may be time to let people make their own decisions and calculated risks on when and where to mask up--so we'll talk with her about what comes next on mask policies. To learn ...
Jan 31, 2022•7 min
More countries in Europe are easing COVID restrictions; and several U.S. cities and states that had tough COVID precautions in place are gradually lifting them. San Francisco even is loosening its indoor mask requirements. But not in Los Angeles County. When should restrictions be eased? Doctors want everyone now to where N-95 and KN-95 masks--out with the old cloth and thinner surgical masks. But there are lots of questions on how to wear them, for how long and if they can be reused; so we'll t...
Jan 28, 2022•24 min
It was supposed to be iron clad and strictly enforced: the COVID vaccine mandate on indoor spaces in Los Angeles meant that if you wanted to go to a gym, or movie theater or restaurant, you had to show proof of being vaccinated. Turns out no one seems to be enforcing it..........and no fines or warnings have been issued by city public health officials. And If you took a COVID test recently and are still waiting for the results after two days...you're far from alone. We talk to one man who had to...
Jan 27, 2022•12 min
The COVID vaccine booster shot effort is in need of............a boost. The numbers of booster shots going into arms of Americans has slowed considerably in recent weeks and public health officials are wondering what they can do to kickstart the effort. Also on today's podcast, we're looking at why some pharmacies are telling immunocompromised people they can't get a fourth booster shot............even though the CDC has given it the green light. To learn more about listener data and our privacy...
Jan 26, 2022•15 min
What if the Omicron variant had a little brother? Well, it kind of does. Scientists are paying attention to a variant of this troublesome COVID variant. The Omicron relative is being called B-A 2, it's been found in both Europe and the U.S.--so we'll get to know this omicron relative and try to decipher how big of a problem it could be. Ethical questions are being raised about a hospital refusing to perform a heart transplant until a man gets vaccinated. So far, he's refused to get the shots.......
Jan 25, 2022•15 min
School aged kids here in California must receive about seven different inoculations before they're allowed in classrooms--they include vaccines against things like Polio, the chickenpox, measles mumps and rubella. Well one California lawmaker would like to add COVID-19 vaccinations to the list. So we'll take a closer look at making COVID vaccinations a permanent requirement for kids in the classroom. Those government-provided free, at-home rapid COVID testing kits are allegedly in the mail to th...
Jan 24, 2022•22 min
Teenagers are now cleared by the CDC and FDA to be vaccinated against COVID-19; but what if their parents won't let them get the shots? A bill in California would let kids as young as 12 get vaccinated without their parents consent. But can kids that young really make their own medical decisions? The pandemic has more parents in California taking their kids out of school and moving them into homeschooling. Some even form their own small groups and co-ops--we'll take a closer look. Then: There ar...
Jan 21, 2022•24 min
Two years ago on this very day...life in the United States would change as we know it. The CDC confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the country. It came from samples taken in Washington State. Since then, the virus has spread everywhere infecting tens of millions of people and killing more than 850,000 so far. So today we're taking stock of the COVID-19 pandemic two years later. We'll explore what we've learned and the progress that's been made in trying to save lives and slow the spread of t...
Jan 20, 2022•29 min
We've been told for a few weeks now that the omicron COVID variant is producing milder illnesses in the people unlucky enough to catch it--and indeed, there have even been some very preliminary studies backing up that notion. But what if we had it all wrong? We're starting to see an increase in COVID deaths here in L-A County. Last Tuesday, 15 deaths from COVID complications were reported by public health; that jumped to 66 recorded on Saturday, the highest in more than nine months. So we'll tak...
Jan 17, 2022•12 min
The Supreme Court strikes down President Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees. But the justices are allowing a mandate for healthcare workers to stand. President Biden is pledging more free at-home tests and high-quality masks for Americans as the Omicron surge continues. Many hospitals are at a breaking point right now. And nurses in Southern California are unhappy with new rules allowing them to come back to work after testing positive for Covid-19 if they don't ha...
Jan 13, 2022•15 min
Private insurance will start covering the cost of at-home Covid-19 tests. Will it be easy to get reimbursed? And will it remain hard to find them? Pfizer is producing an Omicron-specific version of its Covid vaccine, but will it be too late to make a difference by the time it's available? And we could soon see the number of Covid cases plummet in the U.S. Scientists say we may be close to the peak of the Omicron surge. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://ww...
Jan 12, 2022•17 min
The United States set a new record with more than 140,000 Covid-19 patients in the hospital, but the good news is that most cases don't appear to be as severe. The CEO at United Airlines says none of the company's vaccinated employees died of Covid-19. Will this convince other businesses to implement vaccine mandates. We still don't have vaccines approved for children under the age of 5. When will that change? And even though more kids are getting Covid-19, some health experts think it's smart a...
Jan 11, 2022•19 min
Scammers are taking advantage of how hard it is to get a Covid-19 test amid the current Omicron surge. They're selling fake testing kits online and even setting up fake testing sites. Like doctors, veterinarians are being hit hard by the pandemic. There's extra pressure on them with all the new pets people have bought over the last couple years. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit http...
Jan 10, 2022•16 min
The number of kids hospitalized with Covid-19 in the United States is higher now than at any point during the pandemic. Is Omicron more dangerous to children or is it just the fact that kids under 5 can't get vaccinated? The CDC's changing guidance and messaging has been confusing and often frustrating to many Americans. And with Covid-19 cases surging, people might already be doing away with their 2022 New Year's resolutions. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: ht...
Jan 07, 2022•15 min
A new Covid-19 vaccine already approved for use in India could be a "game changer" for developing countries. It's cheaper and easier to produce than most of the vaccines we have now. Some medical advisors to President Biden's transition team have been critical of the administration's response to Covid-19. They say we need to learn to live with the virus rather than tying to wipe it out. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Le...
Jan 06, 2022•12 min
