In the pilot episode of Still Here: A Podcast From The Sick Times, co-hosts Miles Griffis and Betsy Ladyzhets talk with podcast producer James Salanga about the latest COVID-19 numbers. Engagement editor Heather Hogan joins James, Miles, and Betsy to recap the NIH RECOVER-TLC meeting from last week. And in research, a hopeful update about a nasal spray effective at blocking respiratory viruses — including COVID-19. 

The transcript for this podcast is available on our website. You can jump to specific sections of the transcript and podcast below.

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:02:15) COVID-19 trends

(00:04:55) Top story — Recap of NIH RECOVER-TLC meeting and reflections

(00:22:15) Research — A nasal spray that performed well in preclinical trials

(00:23:00) Outro and credits

You can also find our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music and iHeartRadio.

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Mentioned in this episode (in order of appearance):

Additional audio in this episode: 

Learn more about The Sick Times' new podcast, Still Here! Our cover design is from Sophie Dimitriou.

The Sick Times is a nonprofit newsroom chronicling the ongoing Long COVID crisis.

Transcript below:

[instrumental from Rude Mechanical Orchestra’s rendition of “Which Side Are You On?”, orig. Florence Reece, throughout the song]

Miles: Many public health authorities and media outlets are ignoring the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Betsy: They’re also failing to cover Long COVID, the most common adverse outcome of COVID-19.

Miles: I’m Miles Griffis. 

Betsy: And I’m Betsy Ladyzhets. We’re the co-founders of The Sick Times. 

Miles: We are covering the continued Long COVID crisis that affects over four hundred million people globally. 

Betsy: We’ve been bringing you the latest Long COVID news and commentary from our non-profit newsroom since fall 2023. 

Miles: Without pandemic denial, minimizing, or gaslighting. 

Betsy: Now we’re expanding with a new weekly podcast.

James: We’re calling it Still Here. Because we know disabled people, and COVID, are still here. 

I’m James Salanga, and I’m Still Here’s producer. 

Betsy: Come with us each week as we share the latest on Long COVID and COVID-19 in the United States, give you more context about the stories we’ve published on our website, and highlight new Long COVID research. 

Miles: We’ll bring the information and perspectives you need.

James: Join us as we continue to hold powerful institutions accountable and amplify the lived experiences of those most impacted by the pandemic. 

Our first episode is coming to a podcast provider near you in early October. Stay tuned!