Public Health On Call

This week, the CDC released new guidance for vaccinated people who can resume some lower-risk activities. Dr. Tara Kirk Sell from the Center for Health Security talks with Stephanie Desmon about the impacts of "relaxing the rules," how this might help vaccine uptake, what we might expect next in terms of "Phase 2" guidance, and how we can all help those who are still awaiting their shot(s). KEYWOR...

Does taking immunosuppressant drugs put you at higher risk of more serious disease from COVID-19? Dr. Caleb Alexander and PhD candidate Kayte Andersen talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about their new research looking into this question. They also discuss future research to tackle the next set of critical questions for the millions of people who need these medications to stay healthy. KEYWORDS: immune...

How do you have meaningful conversations around really big, complex problems like climate change or COVID-19? How can we address "climate anxiety?" Dr. Adam Levy —aka ClimateAdam on YouTube—a science journalist and communicator with a degree in atmospheric physics, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about his work trying to creatively "close the gap between research and action." KEYWORDS: environment...

We know that having diabetes is a risk factor for more serious COVID-19 disease, but is being seriously ill from COVID-19 a risk factor for diabetes? Hopkins endocrinologist Dr. Mihail Zilbermint talks with Stephanie Desmon about what we know—and don't know—about the relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes. KEYWORDS: chronic disease; health equity

Dr. David Relman, a professor of medicine and microbiology at Stanford, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about his view that more investigation is needed into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Dr. Relman also explains why stronger controls on research that involves pathogens with pandemic potential are urgently needed. KEYWORDS: zoonotic virus; policy

With a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, the focus has been on getting the most vulnerable vaccinated first. But to reach the kind of population-level immunity needed to truly curb the pandemic, children will also need to be vaccinated. Dr. Kawsar Talaat, who led one of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trials in adults, talks with Stephanie Desmon about when and how vaccines will be authorized for chi...

Morale is up and case numbers are down at Johns Hopkins Hospital, but infection prevention expert Dr. Lisa Maragakis says vaccines are in a race against variants and we shouldn't let our guard down. Dr. Maragakis talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about "watching evolution in real time" with mutations of SARS-CoV-2, staying the course with infection prevention, and when things could really take a turn...

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Monica Gandhi returns to the podcast to talk about why she's so optimistic about COVID-19 vaccines and their ability to free us from the pandemic. Dr. Gandhi talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the great results from clinical trials, why she is hopeful the vaccines will work against variants, some guidance for the newly-vaccinated about returning to "normal" life...

Although America is struggling to vaccinate our most vulnerable populations in a race against variants, just vaccinating people here won't help bring the pandemic to an end around the world. Lawrence Gostin , a Georgetown University professor and public health expert, talks with Stephanie Desmon about how our ethical duty to ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine worldwide is not only the mo...

This week, the US passed the tragic milestone of 500,000 lives lost to COVID-19. Each death generates a circle of trauma for family and friends. Annette March Grier is a nurse and the founder and president of Roberta's House, a support center to help grieving families in Baltimore. Grier talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how to cope with grief, how to help others, and what the nation needs to d...

From seasonal flu to SARS, outbreaks and epidemics occur regularly and require sophisticated data analysis to help decision makers know how to respond. Dr. Caitlin Rivers from the Center for Health Security talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about President Biden's new federal directive to create a National Weather Service model for epidemics to track infectious disease threats. Someday soon, perhaps:...

While some predicted that lockdowns in the US might lead to a baby boom, the reality is that COVID-19 seems to be impacting demographics more like a disaster or a recession than a snowstorm. Sociologist Dr. Philip Cohen talks with Stephanie Desmon about the pandemic's effects on babies, marriages, and divorces, some unique methods of predicting trends, and the likely demographic effects of a situa...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stress test for democracy, exposing fault lines that already existed. So, where do we go from here? Dr. Hahrie Han , inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute and Hopkins political science professor, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what it means for democracy to be in crisis, the parallels of this moment to a century ago, why the pandemic became politicall...

A person's worldview is a fundamental, gut-level set of instincts that has played a larger role in influencing political attitudes and affiliations in the last two decades. It can also influence thinking on the COVID-19 pandemic and on protective actions like mask wearing and social distancing. Marc Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler , UNC professors and authors of the book "Prius or Pickup? How the...

In this episode, Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Hopkins researchers who break down three research papers with implications for the national discussion over COVID and schools. Dr. Nikolas Wada talks about a paper related to how the coronavirus is transmitted in schools in the United Kingdom; Dr. Sheree Schwartz talks about a paper examining children's role in the household transmission of COVID-19;...

Jim Golen , a nurse in Minnesota, became sick with COVID in March of 2020. Nearly one year later, he still suffers from severe shortness of breath and brain fog and may have permanent lung damage. Golen talks with Stephanie Desmon about how he got COVID, the doctors who misdiagnosed him with anxiety and depression, and how long-haul COVID has completely changed life for him and his wife. Golen als...

150 years ago, it was common—even expected—that children would die, and tragedy struck families from the poor to the rich and powerful. Dr. Perri Klass , a pediatrician and author of A Good Time to Be Born, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the incredible scientific, public health, and social movements that made child mortality so rare in the United States. They also discuss why disparities per...

On a special episode, Tradeoffs host Dan Gorenstein talks with Tracey , a staff member at a long term care facility, about her experience with having COVID-19, her hesitancy to get vaccinated, and how her workplace has used "learning circles" to address questions and concerns. Gorenstein also talks with Dr. Jasmine Travers , an NYU nursing professor about the pros and cons of mandates and incentiv...

COVID-19 is tied to sleep issues like insomnia but is this a result of stress and anxiety or is there a biological issue caused by the virus? Dr. Rachel Salas , a neurologist and sleep specialist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness talks with D r. Josh Sharfstein about sleep anxiety and the neurological drivers behind insomnia in patients regardless of whether or not they've had COV...

While schools may not be inherently safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, they can be made safer. Dr. Caitlin Rivers of the Center for Health Security talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what schools can do to consider reopening safely including the data to consider, and risk-reduction methods like masks, distancing, testing, and more. They also discuss how variants of SARS-CoV-2 could factor into t...

Matthew Hornbeck , principal of Hampstead Hill Academy—a K-8 public school in Baltimore City—talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the challenges of virtual learning, the excitement and fears of teachers and staff, and plans to reopen for in-person learning in the coming weeks. They also talk about how the vaccine might make a difference in giving confidence to reopen, and how some teachers are cen...

COVID-19 has increased awareness of public health, health inequities, and shortcomings of the US health system, but it may also negatively impact college students in terms of opportunities for personal and professional growth. Dr. José Ramón Fernández-Peña , APHA President and Northwestern's director of Health Professions Advising, talks with Stephanie Desmon about how the pandemic is affecting un...

Although the CDC has found little evidence of COVID spreading in schools with proper precautions in place, 17% of districts in the US are fully open for in-person learning. Dr. Annette Anderson of the Johns Hopkins School of Education returns to the podcast to give an update about the impacts of the pandemic, academically and socially, on K-12 students. Dr. Anderson also talks with Stephanie Desmo...

Although private schools and daycares have been open across Chicago since June, public schools are only now preparing to reopen for in-person learning. Dr. Ken Fox , chief health officer and "the district's pediatrician", talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about centering the well-being of kids in reopening, what the science says about how to do things as safely as possible, and his hopes for getting...

Dating is already so much about trust and safety—COVID-19 adds new complications. Dr. Keri Althoff and Dr. Laura Murray return to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about why human connection is so important, how to navigate difficult conversations, the new ways people are meeting—not just online!—and how COVID-19 may change dating forever, possibly for the best. KEYWORDS: community mental...