Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

468 - Dr. Tom Inglesby Returns From the White House COVID Team May 13, 2022

Show notes

Since February 2021, Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security, has been working with HHS as part of the government response to COVID-19. Now, Dr. Inglesby returns to the podcast to talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what he learned from inside government, the importance of renewed funding from Congress, the potential of test-to-treat programs, and his assessment of the state of the pandemic.

467 - A Talk with an Alaskan Public Health Nurse May 11, 2022

Show notes

Since 1893, public health nurses have served the rural communities of Alaska, mainly providing individual patient care for infectious diseases like TB. Public health nurse Lorne Carroll serves an area of about 15,000 people across four Alaskan native villages. He talks with Stephanie Desmon about how public health nursing has changed in recent years with more emphasis on community and systems care, the unique demands of a public health nurse in Alaska, and how COVID has impacted their work, highlighting both challenges and strengths.

466 - An Update on Ukraine's Humanitarian Crisis May 09, 2022

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Humanitarian expert Dr. Paul Spiegel is back from Poland where he has been working with the WHO for the last six weeks. Spiegel talks with Stephanie Desmon about his work helping to coordinate the massive response for millions of Ukranian refugees seeking shelter throughout Europe. They talk about providing psychological first aid and basic care for refugees, what makes this situation different from others, and the frustration that many humanitarian crises aren't always met with the same resources and support.

465- A Special Mother's Day Episode May 06, 2022

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On this special Mother's Day episode, Public Health On Call host Dr. Josh Sharfstein interviews retired pediatrician, Dr. Margaret Sharfstein, aka Josh's mom. Together they discuss the early stages of COVID, the impact it had on her perception of age, her concerns throughout the pandemic, and even why she nicknamed him "Dr. No".

464 - How Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Is Causing a Global Food Crisis May 04, 2022

Show notes

Ukraine's strangled food exports of commodities like wheat and sunflower oil are disrupting food supplies and causing food insecurity around the world. William Masters, professor of food economics and policy at Tufts University, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about these and other consequences of the war for food, in the United States and internationally. They also discuss short- and long-term solutions.

463 - Is COVID-19 Aging Us? May 02, 2022

Show notes

Emerging research shows that COVID-19 infection can accelerate the aging process, especially for older people with chronic conditions. But the pandemic may also be aging those who haven't been sick, from social isolation and depression to burnout and worsening of chronic conditions. Hopkins geriatrician Dr. Alicia Arbaje talks with Stephanie Desmon about how chronic stress and uncertainty may be affecting us. They also discuss implications of the health care staffing crisis, including an increased burden on an "invisible workforce" of caregivers.

462 - Friday Q&A With Dr. Amesh Adalja Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

How did omicron numbers affect hospitalization rates? Why are positivity rates so high in some areas, and should we even pay attention to those? How accurate are rapid tests, and how forgiving are they of user error? Are our immune systems more "naive" after two years of physical distancing and masks?

Dr. Amesh Adalja from the Center for Health Security returns to the podcast to talk with Lindsay Smith Rogers and answer your questions sent to publichealthquestion@jhu.edu.

461 - How COVID-19 Became a "Watershed" Moment for Wastewater Surveillance Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Wastewater surveillance has become an indispensable leading indicator of community COVID levels, providing real time data a week or so ahead of health department testing reports. Johns Hopkins environmental health scientist Dr. Natalie Exum talks with Stephanie Desmon about wastewater surveillance for COVID and tracking new variants, why it's not a replacement for nasal testing, and how the technology could help warn hospitals about other outbreaks like flu, RSV, and antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.

BONUS - The Obstacles Slowing Down America's "Test-to-Treat" Program for COVID-19 Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

The federal "test-to-treat" program was designed to reduce hospitalizations and deaths by getting antivirals to people who test positive for COVID-19 as quickly as possible. Hannah Recht, a reporter at Kaiser Health News who has written about the topic, talks to Stephanie Desmon about how confusing websites, lack of up-to-date information and costs have kept many of the neediest from receiving prompt care.

460 - World Malaria Day: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

Malaria, a serious disease caused by the plasmodium pathogen which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, affects some 228 million people worldwide each year and kills more than 600,000—90% of whom live in Africa. On World Malaria Day, Dr. George Dimopolous of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute talks with Stephanie Desmon about his lab's research into genetically modifying mosquitoes so they can't carry plasmodium—a potential game-changer in the fight against malaria. They also talk about other approaches to controlling and ending malaria, and techniques being used in the US to fight dengue and Zika.

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