Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

407 - Navigating Another COVID Holiday Season Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

Coming into this holiday season, things seemed a lot brighter than they did a year ago in terms of COVID safety: We have a broader toolbox including masks, ventilation, rapid tests, vaccines, and more. But a new variant of concern and rising levels of transmission remind us that we are still in a pandemic. Epidemiologist Keri Althoff and mental health expert Elizabeth Stuart return to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about navigating holiday gatherings and travel this year, and how we're slowly moving towards the ultimate goal of living with COVID as an endemic virus.

406 - Better Together: Helping Young People at Risk for Addiction Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

Addiction prevention often comes in the form of "Just Say No" campaigns. But Dr. Terri Powell knows that to be successful, prevention strategies must be thoughtful and holistic—and focus on connections and support systems that help young people make the best decisions for themselves. Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Dr. Powell about Better Together, a prevention program that's based in a public library. Joining them is Diana Fortee-Mason, one of the young leaders of the program.

Bonus - The Latest on Omicron Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh Sharfstein checks in again with Hopkins virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz about omicron and what the data are saying about how easily it can spread. So far, there's good news and bad news about this variant—and still a lot we don't know. Still, Dr. Pekosz explains, we can start to make some guesses based on current data and what we know about other viruses like flu.

405 - International Finance for COVID Vaccines Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

Prior to COVID-19, the world had the capacity to produce about 5 billion vaccines a year. In the age of COVID, much greater capacity is needed. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, is a little-known federal agency making big investments to build the global vaccine pipeline. DFC's chief operating officer, David Marchick, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about these efforts and their impact.

404 - How Colombia Weathered One of the World's Most Severe COVID-19 Outbreaks Dec 03, 2021

Show notes

Throughout the pandemic, Colombia has fared better than other South American countries in terms of hospital overload and deaths, due in no small part to its emphasis on testing, contact tracing, and isolating of positive and suspected cases. Hopkins health economist Dr. Antonio Trujillo talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about Colombia's pandemic strategies, and his research calculating the ROI of testing, tracing, and isolating both in terms of dollars and lives saved.

403 - World AIDS day: The Impacts of the COVID Pandemic on the HIV Pandemic Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

In the more than 40 years since HIV was first detected there have been incredible advances in testing, prevention, and treatment. But COVID-19 disrupted global gains and will continue to cause backslides until vaccinations are much more widespread. In recognition of World AIDS Day, infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Chris Beyrer talks with Stephanie Desmon about where the HIV pandemic currently stands in the US, Africa, and around the world.

Bonus - The Omicron Variant Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

How did omicron come to the world's attention? Why is this variant generating so much concern? Is it expected that vaccines will provide substantial protection? What can governments do to protect their populations? What can people do to protect themselves? Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Hopkins virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz about all things omicron.

402 - Special Episode: Public Health In The Field—The Supreme Court and Abortion in Mississippi Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

A potentially landmark battle is in play over abortion rights, and it's headed to the U.S. Supreme Court on December 1. In a special episode of the podcast, guest hosts Annalies Winny and Alissa Zhu explore the real life public health impacts of abortion policy on parents and families and how the upcoming Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization could have major stakes for the future of abortion rights in the U.S. Read more about the public health case for abortion rights here.

401 - School in the Time of COVID: A Tour Of Hampstead Hill Academy Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Principal Matt Hornbeck of the award-winning Baltimore City public school Hampstead Hill Academy has been on the podcast to talk about how the school community coped with closures, virtual and hybrid learning, scheduling changes, learning losses and more. Today for a very special episode, Principal Hornbeck invites Dr. Josh Sharfstein to visit the school in person and see how things are going. Note: This episode was recorded before vaccines were authorized for children 5-11 years old.

Special thanks to Hannah Bennett and Caroline Wang for co-producing this episode.

400 - Can Spillover—How Viruses Move From Animals to Humans—Be Prevented? Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

SARS-CoV-2, like other zoonotic diseases, originated in animals before "spilling over" into humans. Dr. Raina Plowright of Montana State University studies these events and the complex series of things that have to happen for them to take place. Dr. Plowright talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how these occur, why these events are relatively rare, and what's important to understand about them so we can learn how to prevent them from happening.

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