Confronting Coronavirus

Ireland may have to cope with repeated waves of Covid-19 epidemics until a large enough proportion of the population is infected to provide possible herd immunity, new research warns. But does that mean we have to stay locked down indefinitely, or is there a different strategy that can allow us to manage the disease?

Dr Rosalyn Moran is an Irish scientist based in London who led the research team. She talks to Irish Times deputy editor Deirdre Veldon.

The Leaving Cert class of 2020 might be the unluckiest ever. Covid-19 has upended the familiar rite of passage and replaced it with uncertainty, worry, stress and a bit of anger too.

Education editor Carl O'Brien explains why the government made its decision to postpone the Leaving Cert, and the obstacles that still have to be overcome for the exams to take place.

But first, Leaving Cert students Eva Newell, Martha Rose Neville and Luke Casserly tell us how Covid-19 has cast doubt on their futures.

Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary explains the new role the European Commission is taking on, setting out a "road map" for member states to end their pandemic lockdowns. What does ending lockdown look like, and what is the role of your smartphone? Plus, remember Brexit?

After 76 days shut off from the rest of the world, China finally lifted the lockdown order on the city of Wuhan. Now begins the process to resume normal life and get businesses back up and running. Wuhan is home to just over 11 million people, many of whom have not been able to leave their homes since mid January. Irish Times correspondent Peter Goff reports from Beijing on the reality of life after lockdown.

As we enter yet another week in lockdown, many aspects of our lives have been placed on hold, but when it comes to pregnancy and labour, there is no pause button. How have Irish maternity hospitals adapted in the crisis and how are new parents coping with the stricter rules and regulations? In this episode, we hear from Lizanne Tormey who is due her first child in a matter of weeks, Amy Rochford a Dublin based midwife and Aideen Goggin who gave birth to her baby boy Henry, on March 26th.

Pete Lunn, a behavioural economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute, talks about what will drive people to abide by, or break, the social distancing and stay-at-home rules in the weeks ahead. But first health editor Paul Cullen on the state of play in the nation's efforts to overcome the outbreak.

As the coronavirus outbreak forces us all to stay apart, technology is playing a crucial role in keeping us all connected. From online lessons, business meetings over zoom and Saturday nights spent on Houseparty with friends; interactions are now predominantly taking place in a virtual world. In this episode we hear from Irish Times tech journalist Ciara O'Brien, on the new and innovative ways people are staying in touch.

To protect themselves from Covid-19, all those over 70 have been asked to "cocoon" - basically to stay at home all day, every day. How are they finding it? We ask cocooners Gemma, Kieran and Mary. And then we talk to Professor Des O'Neill, a specialist in geriatric medicine and director of the Centre for Ageing, Neuroscience and the Humanities about the specific challenges facing the elderly in this crisis. In particular, does the way Covid-19 emerged in nursing homes hold lessons for how we treat the elderly in Ireland?

A recent study from the US has shown that countries with high BCG vaccination rates have fewer coronavirus deaths. This may be due to the known immunological benefits of the vaccine. Trials have now begun in Australia and The Netherlands to test whether the vaccination can prevent thousands of healthcare workers from becoming infected. To understand this study and the potential behind the findings, we spoke with Luke O'Neill, an immunologist and Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College.

Berlin correspondent Derek Scally on the response to the pandemic in Germany, which has seen over 100,000 cases but yet reported far fewer deaths than Spain, Italy, the UK or France.