Wait, There's More

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a drastic impact on pregnant women. It’s affecting everything from their access to medical care to plans for childbirth. And there are questions around whether the virus can impact fetuses and newborns. Today on the show, we’re talking to Amil Niazi, a Toronto-based journalist who is expecting her second child, about what it’s like to be pregnant at this time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re at a critical point in our response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Canada. Experts say that we need to keep up with drastic measures in order to flatten the curve. And if we don’t, the number of cases will continue to rise to the point where the healthcare system will become overwhelmed and thousands of people will die. So today, we’ve got André Picard, a health columnist with the Globe and Mail, to  help us assess how Canada is doing and whether we need to be doing more to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Advocates are warning that an outbreak of the new coronavirus within the homeless shelter system would be a disaster. Shelters across Canada are regularly overcrowded and they’re already struggling to deal with a severe opioid overdose crisis. On top of that, a lot of homeless people also have underlying health issues that make them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. Today, we’re joined by nurse practitioner Jessica Hales to talk about how the crisis is hitting this population and whether it’s possible to practice social distancing when you have no home.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though provinces and cities have declared states of emergency over COVID-19 and ordered people to practice social distancing and stay home, a lot of people are finding ways around these rules. And with the number of new coronavirus cases rising in Canada every day, a lot of people are urging Canada to invoke the Emergencies Act, a law that would give the federal government sweeping powers. Today, we’re joined by Philippe Lagassé, a professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa to talk about the law and whether it’s even necessary.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers and scientists around the world have been scrambling to find treatments and vaccines to stop the coronavirus pandemic. But vaccines can take a year or more to develop, and time is of the essence as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase every day. Today, we’re talking to people on the frontlines of the efforts to get a COVID-19 vaccine: a man who’s volunteering for one of the first human vaccine trials in the U.S., and a professor in Ontario who’s part of a research team developing another vaccine.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So on any regular weekend, you might have been looking forward to getting all dressed up and going on a date. Maybe with your partner, maybe with someone you just started seeing, or maybe even a first date. But that’s all changed now as we’re being told to practice strict forms of social distancing. Today, we’re joined by Jess O’Reilly, a sexologist and host of the Sex With Dr. Jess Podcast, to talk about how we can still date and maintain our romantic relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here's a link to Dr. Jess’ “Passion Interview” questions mentioned in this episode: https://www.sexwithdrjess.com/wp-content/uploads/Passion-Interview-Handout.pdf

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the country, workers are losing their jobs. Hours are getting cut, and their contracts are getting cancelled as businesses are shutting down on their own, or being forced to. The economy is being crippled by the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a massive $82-billion financial aid package to help workers and businesses get by in the short-term. Economist Rosalie Wyonch with the C.D. Howe Institute is on the show to talk about the plan and whether it goes far enough.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, we’re at the point now where health officials are saying the only way to slow the spread of COVID-19 is through social distancing. But the thing is, in order for us to have any kind of impact and get back to our normal lives, experts are stressing that we have to do it properly. Today, we’re joined by scientist and host of the Super Awesome Science Show Jason Tetro to talk about what we know about how the coronavirus spreads and how to properly practice social distancing.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the unprecedented announcement that the Canadian border would be closed to foreign nationals. There are a few exceptions, including that American citizens will still be allowed in. There are a lot of questions about the logic of imposing a travel ban and why Americans are exempted. Today, we’re joined by Global’s Washington bureau chief Jackson Proskow and Global columnist and radio host Supriya Dwivedi to make sense of it all.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting today, we’ll be recording this podcast from home. A lot of you are probably doing the same because you’ve been told to self-isolate or are doing it voluntarily to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. But working from home and being in isolation can take a toll on our mental health. And all the uncertainty and distressing news around the global pandemic doesn’t help. Today, we’re joined by Steve Joordens, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, to talk about how to cope with anxiety around the coronavirus. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.