Prognosis: Misconception

With Covid 19 crippling much of the world, there’s intense uncertainty about what’s next. In the United States, it’s hard to envision when the economy, and our lives, will get back to normal. But it turns out there is a plan to beat the virus, and to get the country back to work. The question is whether the government will follow it. Health reporter Anna Edney spoke to Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and current informal adviser to the White House, about what happens in the coming months, and years.

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Italy has been among the hardest hit countries by coronavirus. An outbreak epicenter, Italy’s cases are at nearly 120,000 with over 14,000 deaths. It’s sobering evidence of how vicious the virus can be. And yet, just to the north, Germany seemed like it was escaping the worst of the outbreak by enacting widespread testing and taking the virus seriously earlier. With fewer cases and, until recently, a mortality rate that hovered under 1%, Germany appeared to be a model of how to successfully navigate the crisis. But now there’s some doubt about whether Germany is really a Covid-19 success story. Naomi Kresge reports.

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Under the $2 Trillion economic stimulus bill passed last week, the US government will make direct payments to Americans who are suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic. Giving everybody money, with no strings attached, has an obvious benefit in an economic emergency. But some economists have always advocated for handing out money to nearly everyone, in good times and bad. Joe Weisenthal explains. Plus the day's Covid-19 headlines.

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Scientists around the world are racing to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. But experts have said it could take a year to 18 months for one to hit the market. The process for testing and approving a vaccine is long and complicated. That can be frustrating when the coronavirus is taking more and more lives every day. But cutting corners to push a vaccine through faster can lead to devastating consequences. We know that, because it’s happened before.

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Around the country and the world, more and more people are locked down in their homes, but people still need to see the doctor. That has made telehealth companies -- businesses that let doctors treat patients remotely -- the new stars of the Covid-19 economy. And companies that until now have mainly offered prescriptions for birth control or hair loss pills are pivoting to provide services related to the pandemic. Plus: Today's headlines.

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Covid-19 acts in a way that scientists are still trying to figure out. In some people who are infected, symptoms are mild -- like a common cold. Some are completely fine. In others, the infection can be fatal, stopping the lungs from functioning and causing the body to shut down. So why are symptoms so mild in some people and deadly in others? It turns out there's a tipping point -- a moment where the virus moves from one part of the body to another -- that takes the infection from manageable to fatal.

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A little known geneticist in Seattle has become something of a CSI detective, unraveling the origins of Covid 19 in the U S. Could his research hold secrets to a better understanding of the disease? Some policymakers seem to think so. Plus: today's headlines.

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How can we make sense of the scary reality we are all now living in? Where do pandemics come from? And why are they occurring more frequently? On this special episode, Bloomberg’s Jason Gale talks to some of the world’s most experienced pandemic experts to get their insights.

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On the series premiere of the Prognosis daily podcast, host Laura Carlson gives the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak. Health officials around the world have been urging countries to conduct widespread testing. Jason Gale explores why some nations have been slow to respond.

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Harnessing Bloomberg's reporting from every continent, Bloomberg's daily Prognosis podcast brings the news, data and analysis you need for living in the time of Covid-19. In around ten minutes, we will explain the latest developments in health and science, the impact on individuals, industries and governments and the adaptions they are making in the face of the global pandemic. Come back every weekday afternoon for a short dose of the best information about the novel coronavirus from more than 120 bureaus around the world. First episode drops Thursday, March 26.

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