The federal government has lifted the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, and many Americans are eager to move on from the pandemic entirely. But, COVID-19 is unfortunately still here — and so is the threat of a future pandemic.

Ed Yong, a science journalist at The Atlantic who wrote about the risk of a deadly pandemic in 2018 and later won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on COVID-19, warns that neglecting the pandemic only leaves us unable to address the problems that led to its devastating impacts in the first place.

On the show today, Yong explains how the panic-neglect cycle keeps us vulnerable to COVID-19 flare-ups and new pandemics, why social solutions are just as important as medical ones when it comes to preventing the spread of disease, and why long COVID is misunderstood. Plus, what needs to change to make the United States better prepared for the inevitable next pandemic.

In the News Fix: Many retailers (including in the luxury segment) are expecting a drop in sales, and some sellers are starting to limit free return options. These could be signs that consumer spending is finally tightening after the Federal Reserve’s relentless interest rate hikes. Plus, we’ll talk about the benefits of buying secondhand.

Later, a listener suggests fun emojis to brighten up a conversation on Slack. And, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from Kimberly’s mermaid instructor, Jen Downey.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

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