The Daily Dive

As we continue to track and monitor the spread of COVID-19 cases across the country one important metric is the total death count. But depending on which state we are getting numbers from, these deaths can be tallied in very different ways. Some states only count the death if there is a confirmed laboratory test, others count probable cases of coronavirus. Some, like Dr. Deborah Birx say a death should count to the total tally if someone has COVID-19 regardless of the cause of death, others wouldn’t count it if someone for example died by a heart attack. All of these inconsistencies amount to what could be an undercount in official numbers. Emma Brown, reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for which deaths count toward the COVID-19 death toll.

Next, coronavirus and social distancing has disrupted the power of touch. While we maintain distance, things like the handshake may be dying, you can’t hug a friend or loved one, and some feel like they may be in touch isolation. So what does this mean for how we connect with each other when this is all over? It may take some time to get things back to normal and feel comfortable with the way we touch and want to be touched. In the mean time, experts agree you should give your skin whatever it needs to make it feel its best. Tim Teeman, senior editor at the Daily Beast, joins us for a conversation about the power of touch… its importance and how it might comeback

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This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is still so much yet to be learned about the novel coronavirus causing the pandemic we are currently in. One such thing we still don’t fully understand is the origin of the virus itself. State Department cables dating back to 2015 warned of safety issues at a Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses and potential human transmission. So while it seems that the coronavirus was probably not engineered in a lab, could it have somehow escaped from that lab. Josh Rogin, columnist from the Washington Post who obtained these State Department cables, joins us for what we know.

Next, we take a look inside Italy’s fight against COVID-19. Isobel Yeung, senior correspondent at Vice News was embedded in the Lombardy region of Italy, a global hotspot for the coronavirus. While she was there she reported from the Papa Giovanni Hospital and spoke to doctors in the ER and ICU about their experiences treating patients, she spoke with local residents about how their lives have changed and if they feel things are getting any better. Isobel also went to a local funeral to observe how social distancing has affected the whole thing. It is an emotional and informative look into how the pandemic has changed Italy and you can see it all on Vice TV.

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As the country gets ready to re-open the economy, states are already preparing test-and-trace programs that will help in the effort. Massachusetts, Utah, and North Dakota are among those working on a comprehensive strategy that includes increased testing and contact tracing that will monitor those that are infected and their close contacts. Emma Court, health reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for how technology will play a major role.

Next, throughout this pandemic, there are those ready to take advantage of others with fake cures, scams and price gouging. One huge scam that came to light recently involved a union group in CA that was supposed to buy 39 million masks, the only problem… the masks never existed and the union was duped by a supposed broker in Australia and supplier in Kuwait. Adam Elmahrek, investigative reporter at the LA Times, joins us for more.

Finally, as 17 million Americans file claims for unemployment, many are having problems completing the process online. For some states, the problem is rooted in crashing websites due to a decades old coding language known as COBOL that almost no one knows. There aren’t many programmers that are fluent in this language as most systems have modernized. Makena Kelly, policy reporter at The Verge, joins us for why some unemployment checks are being held up.

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As we continue to monitor the effect that social distancing and closing down large parts of the economy is having on the country we are beginning to see a second round of layoffs. People who thought they were safe are increasingly facing unemployment. Employees working from home, government employees, and even some healthcare workers are all in danger the longer that business is shut down. Harriet Torry, economics reporter at the WSJ, join us for round two of job losses.

Next, worries about the food supply are growing after the world’s biggest pork processing plant had to close its doors due to coronavirus. Smithfield Foods in South Dakota has seen nearly 300 of its employees contract COVID-19 and will be closed for at least two weeks. South Dakota did not have stay-at-home orders in place and workers there had been calling for more personal protective equipment. Alex Gangitano, reporter at The Hill, joins us for more.

Finally, Joe Biden has picked up a pair of crucial endorsement in his run for president. President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders have both come out in support of Biden. In his endorsement, Obama also addressed the coronavirus pandemic and called out the GOP and the administration for lack of action. Zach Montellaro, campaign reporter at Politico, joins us for what this means for the transition to the general election.

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Researchers are looking into how an immune system gone haywire may be doing the most damage in patients experiencing some of the most severe symptoms and even death because of COVID-19. This might be happening in two stages, first the immune system fails to respond quickly enough to the virus, then responds too aggressively and causes more damage. Joe Walker, reporter for the WSJ, joins us for why a hyperactive immune response may make things worse.

Next, last week we heard about Nadia, a tiger in the Bronx zoo that had contracted COVID-19. The tiger and a few other big cats had come down with dry coughs, so the decision was made to test, and the test was one made specifically for the animals. It’s important to understand how the transmission works… can it spread to other animals or even pets? Kate Knibbs, writer at Wired, joins us for more.

Finally, as we track and map out the spread of the coronavirus, we are learning that most of the cases in New York actually came from Europe and not China. Early travel restrictions from those coming from China were put in place, but the virus had already spread making it much more difficult to contain. Carl Zimmer, Columnist at the NY Times, joins us for how coronavirus came to New York.

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Everyone is looking forward to how and when we can get back to work and get back to normal. We still have yet to hit the peak number of cases in the U.S. but some are hoping that testing for antibodies in the blood could help get us back. If you have antibodies to COVID-19 it means you already had the disease and could be immune, at least in the short term. Rachel Becker, reporter at CalMatters, joins us how antibody testing could help, but there are still many questions left to be answered.

Next, the virus has changed the way we internet. While some things may be obvious… people are starting to have more video chats with friends, family and co-workers, other aspects of the way we spend our time online can be surprising. People are moving away from their phones and using desktop computers more, people are consuming more news from local and established newspapers and less on partisan sites, and video games have seen an increase while sports have lost out. Nathaniel Popper, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for how we are spending our lives online during the pandemic.

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This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a compilation of some of the most compelling stories of the week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.