As the COVID-19 outbreak graduates to pandemic status, United States public health officials are urging individuals to practice social distancing. Schools have closed, social gatherings have been cancelled, and employees are being asked to work from home. As Americans grapple with the implications of a pandemic, health officials are advocating for drastic measures to prevent the American healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Direct Relief's Vice President of Research and Analytics Andrew Schroeder who has been tracking social distancing using population data. According to Schroeder, the U.S. is a tipping point: "A lot of what happens for the rest of the year will actually be decided in the next five days." In this episode, we discuss the projected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and what, if anything, can be done to mitigate the most severe effects.