To predict the future, some people look into crystal balls. And some peer into the past. Dr. Nicholas Christakis is a physician and medical sociologist who is a student of pandemics. His latest book is Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live. This week  on White Coat Black Art, he talks to Dr. Brian Goldman about how we get past COVID-19 by looking at how we emerged from previous pandemics. He says in the past, outbreaks have led to austerity and a turn to religion, but when we finally do emerge from COVID-19, he says our behaviour will mirror the "roaring 20s" that followed the 1918 pandemic. But he also predicts new challenges, which include coping with a large cohort of people who are newly disabled because of having had COVID-19, and a shift in the workforce that could have long-term impacts on women in particular. Buckle up. We're going back to the post-covid future, this week on White Coat, Black Art.

What history tells us about life after COVID-19

Trusted ER doctor Brian Goldman brings you honest and surprising stories that can change your health and your life. Expect deep conversations with patients, families and colleagues that show you what is and isn't working in Canadian healthcare. Guaranteed you’ll learn something new. Episodes drop every Friday.

Science

A single book can have the power to help us heal. A panel of celebrated physicians and nurses, along with members of the audience, weigh in on the books that inspired them at a live event recorded at Hamilton’s Central Library, hosted by Dr. Brian Goldman. 

White Coat, Black Art Book Talk

Judith Morrison needs a kidney. While she's on dialysis, her sister Catherine is putting out a public plea for a living donor. But the search has been hard. And if they do find a donor, the sisters say that person will have to go through a long and opaque testing process - one that experts say needs to be improved across Canada.

The kidney transplant waiting game

Provinces are permitting pharmacists to prescribe for minor ailments, but in Alberta, pharmacists have been doing that and much more for 15 years. Because of their expanded powers, they’re filling gaps in health care. But it’s raising questions about the line between pharmacists and family doctors.

ENCORE: Alberta pharmacists filling primary health-care gap

Sharon Chakkalackal was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s at 38. Now, two years later, Sharon’s life is transformed – but not for the worse. Her days are filled with self-care, including exercise and community involvement, to treat and slow her symptoms. Dr. Brian Goldman joins Sharon on her volunteer gardening shift to learn how she's gleaning good from the not-so-good.

Prospering with Young-Onset Parkinson's

At 28 years old, Dr. Soania Mathur was building her medical practice and expecting her first child. Then, she was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease. She tried to ignore her diagnosis for a decade, but as the symptoms progressed, she had to close her practice. Now, the self-described "Unshakeable MD" uses her experience as both a patient and a doctor to advocate for especially young people living with Parkinson's, as up to 10% of patients are under 40.

What history tells us about life after COVID-19

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