Reopening America

Companies are still in a rush working on drugs that can help treat COVID-19 and stay ahead of new, more transmissible variants that are popping up all over. Monoclonal antibody drugs are administered intravenously making them a little cumbersome, and some are working on new ones that are more accessible and maybe given as a shot. Joseph Walker, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for the race to stay ahead of coronavirus mutations.

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A large study of patients that have had COVID-19 shows that six months later, more than three quarters of them were still experiencing at least one lingering symptom. The most common issue was ongoing exhaustion, followed by muscle weakness and difficulty sleeping. Pam Belluck, health and science writer at the NY Times, joins us for the continued health issues covid survivors face.

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One of the biggest lingering questions about the vaccines we have on deck right now is how long it bestows immunity on a person. Good news is that Moderna’s CEO says that their vaccine should provide immunity for at least one year. They’re also on track to deliver at least 600 million doses this year. Leah Rosenbaum, healthcare reporter at Forbes, joins us for this and another vaccine hitting phase 3 trials.

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The Trump administration has changed its vaccine rollout plans. It is now recommending for people over 65 and those with high-risk conditions such as heart disease or diabetes to get the vaccine immediately. They also want to send out more first doses without reserving the second shot, hoping more people can start the process. Dan Vergano, science reporter at BuzzFeed News, joins us for the rollout changes and concerns from the Biden administration about the new plan.

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As vaccinations in the U.S. continue to ramp up slowly, the next phase may be even harder to administer. Finding and scheduling people in the next priority group could be a logistical nightmare. Doctors’ offices and pharmacies are expected to offer the vaccines next and mass vaccination sites are also being set up. Sarah Zhang, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for continued challenges in vaccinating everyone.

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Because of the pandemic, grocery trends are looking different this year. Instead of seeing large product lines or product innovations, there will be a focus on supply chain issues and keeping shelves stocked instead. We will see changes in grocery store layouts, more plant-based items, and new functional foods and beverages. Cara Rosenbloom, registered dietician and president of Words to Eat By, joins us for what to look out for this year.

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Once again we are trying to learn about the origins of the coronavirus that has caused a global pandemic. A team of scientists from the WHO is beginning an investigation as to how it has emerged. While the leading theory is that the virus jumped from bats to humans, another theory posits that it could all have been an accident... a virus made more infections in a lab through something called "gain of function" research. Nicholson Baker, author of 17 books and contributor to NY Magazine joins us to talk about this lab-leak hypothesis as we try to understand the origins of the COVID-19 so we can prevent the next pandemic.

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The pandemic has taken a toll on relationships in many ways, but interestingly, both marriages and divorces are down. Many had to cancel or postpone weddings due to lockdowns, and on the other side, some are avoiding divorce for practical reasons and economic uncertainty. Ben Steverman, reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for why these rates may be falling and whether they might tick back up after the pandemic is over.

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Throughout the pandemic, many have had issues with claiming unemployment benefits, some waiting months for payments. But there has also been scammers cashing in on fraud in the system to the tune of $32 billion. Many of the scammers are coming out of Nigeria, but they can’t do it alone and use a “mule” network to get it done. Many of the victims are also people who are employed, but have had their identities stolen. Nick Penzenstadler, reporter at USA Today, joins us for how scammers are cashing in on unemployment.

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With a new strain of coronavirus spreading through the U.K. and very strict lockdowns, Britain is taking a different approach to vaccinating its people. Instead of following the two shot protocol of the Pfizer vaccine taken about 3 weeks apart, officials have said they will try to give more people their first dose of the shot and delay the second shot by as much as three months. Helen Branswell, senior writer at STAT News, joins us for this modified rollout.

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