Pulmonary Medicine

Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD

Guest: Jennifer Nuzzo, MD

If bats are immune to the novel coronavirus, can we learn something to help fight the virus in humans? How can I tell if my cough is spring allergies or COVID-19? Is it too soon for businesses like barber shops and salons to reopen? Can the virus crawl or be blown by the wind into your nose? Why are some people asymptomatic? Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security addresses questions.

Published April 24, 2020

Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD

Host: Stephanie Desmon

Guest: Annette C. Anderson, PhD

Most schools closed suddenly and have had to scramble to stand up online learning or other solutions to continue instruction in the midst of the pandemic. Further complicating the response is the fact that no one knows how long this will last.

Dr. Annette Anderson of the Johns Hopkins School of Education talks to Stephanie Desmon about the Digital Divide, how schools are trying to prevent a “COVID slide,” the fear that learning can be lost over long breaks. They also discuss the burden on parents and how some districts are stepping up to address disruptions to vital services like food and mental health support for students and their families.

Published April 23, 2020

Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD

Guest: Caitlin Rivers, PhD, MPH

Much of our world was suddenly postponed, canceled, or shuttered in the last month or so. There’s now an opportunity to be more thoughtful about reopening. There are risks either way: wait too long and there are consequences for health, safety, and the economy. Open too soon, and viral transmission may ramp up and out of control.

Dr. Caitlin Rivers of the Center for Health Security is coauthor of a recent report geared towards governors considering how to reopen non-essential businesses. She talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the basic principles behind deciding when to reopen bars, gyms, salons, and other nonessential businesses.

Published April 22, 2020

Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc

Guest: Renata Schiavo, PhD, MA

COVID-19 is constantly referred to as a global pandemic, but how often do you think of it as an info-demic? Or as a health equity issue? Joining Mario Nacinovich to give us a look at COVID-19 through a different lens is Dr. Renata Schiavo, Senior Lecturer, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences and Founder and President of the Board of Directors of the Health Equity Initiative. Dr. Schiavo discusses common barriers faced by the most vulnerable populations and how we can protect them during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published April 28, 2020

Host: Shira Johnson, MD

Guest: James Withers, MD

The street medicine movement is faced with the challenge of administering treatments and protection methods to a population that is often excluded and in dire need of care, and that challenge has only been intensified during this unprecedented time. Street physician Dr. Jim Withers, who’s credited with starting the street medicine movement, is here to share what it’s like to care for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published April 27, 2020

Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD

Host: Stephanie Desmon

Guest: Julie Messersmith

Guest: Denis Wirtz

The challenges presented by the pandemic are giving rise to a pipeline of research proposals focused on COVID-19. Julie Messersmith and Denis Wirtz are leading Johns Hopkins University's multidisciplinary research projects to develop better detection and protection tools and treatments for COVID-19 patients. They talk to Stephanie Desmon about how engineers, public health specialists, and medical doctors are teaming up to develop better testing and treatment solutions on incredibly fast-tracked timelines.

Published April 21, 2020

Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a new guidance for the issuance of oral Schedule II prescriptions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide public health emergency. Pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein details the DEA’s temporary exceptions to the regulations to ease prescribing and dispensing of these controlled substances during this challenging time.

Published April 24, 2020

Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D.

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized clinicians to prescribe chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for hospitalized patients with COVID-19, despite warnings from scientific advisers that no randomized controlled trial has been conducted to support the drugs’ safety and efficacy in this population. Pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein takes us through the FDA’s decision process, the parameters of the issuance, and comments made by the experts on this emergency ruling.

Published April 24, 2020

Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D.

Join pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein as she highlights several articles from recent literature describing coagulopathies in severely ill COVID-19 patients in China. She explores the cause and effect theories behind these findings and whether the observed coagulopathies are due directly to the virus, the critically ill condition of the patient that predisposes them to thromboembolism, or some combination of the two.

Published April 24, 2020

Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD

Guest: Preeti N. Malani MD

Colleges and universities are already starting to think about what it would take to reopen for the fall semester. But bringing back students, faculty, and staff—and welcoming the class of 2024—will require a complete rethinking of campus life. Dr. Preeti Malani, Chief Health Officer of the University of Michigan, talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how she’s considering the health and safety of 50,000 students plus faculty and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published April 20, 2020