In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, professor of epidemiology and community health sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. 

Topics today include: 

• California’s indoor mask mandate will expire on Feb. 16 for the vaccinated. 

  • L.A. County’s mandate will remain in place until transmission levels fall. 
• Lessons learned as we enter year 3 of the pandemic. 
• The future of the pandemic is becoming more clear. 
• Deer populations could harbor the coronavirus long term. 
• The BA.2 variant of Omicron is spreading rapidly across Europe. 
• Previously uncatalogued mutations of coronavirus are popping up in California sewage. 
• California appears close to changing school masking rules. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.