Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

392 - Idaho's COVID-19 Crisis Standards of Care: Low Vaccination, Full Hospitals, and Difficult Decisions Around Who Gets Ideal Care Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

A few months ago, the state of Idaho declared Crisis Standards of Care when COVID cases peaked and hospitals were full. Dr. David Pate, a member of the governor's Coronavirus Working Group, talks with Stephanie Desmon about the difficult decisions health care workers have to make during Crisis Standards of Care, how this is and isn't the same as rationing care, why vaccination status shouldn't come into play for those decisions, and what has contributed to Idaho being the state with the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.

BONUS - The FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids Ages 5-11—What's Next? Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

After months of scrutinizing data from clinical trials, the FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11. Many parents and guardians are eager for their child to be first in line but what do those who might feel hesitant need to know? Dr. Gigi Gronvall, parent and immunologist at the Center for Health Security, returns to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about the importance of vaccinating kids, why it's not worth it to wait for the "adult" dose for kids who are 11, and why authorization took longer for children than for adults.

391 - Underappreciated: The COVID-19 Pandemic's Mental Health Effects On Non-Clinical Health Care Workers Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Fear of COVID exposure and overflowing hospital units are two of the known stressors contributing to burnout among nurses and doctors. But there are a slew of other factors exacerbating health care workers' distress—many of which don't just affect clinical staff. Researchers Dr. Johannes Thrul and Dr. Svea Closser talk with Stephanie Desmon about a recent report from the Center For Health Security looking at the pandemic burnout and anxiety on people often left out of the "Health Care Heroes" narratives—and lower on the payscale—such as security staff, cleaners, and food workers in hospitals.

390 - Halloween Episode: All About Bats Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

Happy Halloween! Today, epidemiologist Dr. Emily Gurley talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about bats and why they are so critical for public health. They also discuss theories of why bats tend to harbor viruses capable of infecting humans, how we can coexist with bats, why some people consider bats cute, and what it's like to actually work with bats.

389 - The Perfect Storm Behind Ongoing COVID-19 Misinformation Oct 27, 2021

Show notes

Where are we now on combating mis- and disinformation about COVID and vaccines that has run rampant online since the early days of the pandemic? Clint Watts and Rachel Chernaskey of Miburo, a digital consulting company that focuses on misinformation and extremism, talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the current ecosystem of persisting misinformation, where we are in terms of combating purveyors, and what can be done on the individual, local, and societal level to drown out harmful noise.

388 - An Update on COVID-19 In Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

Across the US, 84% of residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities are vaccinated for COVID-19, but only 64% of staff. Federal mandates could help but it's unclear when or how those would be enforced and, in the meantime, the industry is already suffering from a severe staffing shortage. Dr. David Grabowski, a health policy researcher and professor at Harvard, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about this largely underpaid and overworked group of people, how vaccine mandates could play out, and what can be done to prevent a staffing and care crisis.

387 - Why We Need Better (and More!) Masks Before the Next Pandemic Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

At this point in the pandemic, what do we need to know about masks? Dr. Amesh Adalja from the Center for Health Security talks with Stephanie Desmon about a new report, "Masks and Respirators for the 21st Century: Policy Changes Needed to Save Lives and Prevent Societal Disruption." They talk about which masks are best for day-to-day use and why innovation is necessary to develop masks that are comfortable and wearable. They also talk about HOW to overcome supply chain issues and why it's critical to start solving these problems now before the next infectious disease outbreak. Read the report here: https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/publications/masks-and-respirators-for-the-21st-century

Bonus - How COVID Is Pushing People Out Of and Into Public Health Careers: A Special Episode From The Tradeoffs Podcast Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

On a special episode, Tradeoffs host Dan Gorenstein talks about how the pandemic has affected the public health workforce: More than 300 officials quit, were fired, or retired while, at the same time, applications to public health programs jumped 40%. Gorenstein introduces a conversation between Jen Miller, who left her job with the Montana Department of Public Health after constant harassment and conflict, and Nicole Snyder, a first-year master's student at UNC Chapel who was called to public health after seeing impacts of the pandemic—two individual examples of a nationwide trend in public health. Learn more here: https://tradeoffs.org/

386 - What To Expect From This Year's Flu Season Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

There was virtually no flu in the U.S. last year thanks to a confluence of factors including COVID-related mask wearing and social distancing. But, now that more and more of life is "back to normal," what can we expect to see this year? Virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz returns to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about why a resurgence of flu could complicate the COVID pandemic, how virologists can make predictions about flu when there was so little virus circulating last year, and why it's more important than ever to get your flu shot.

385 - How COVID-19 Is Impacting Kids' Vision Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

School closures and unprecedented screen time may be contributing to vision problems for kids. Pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Megan Collins talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about a rise in near-sightedness in children, why vision problems are often missed without school screenings, potential health and learning effects, and how vision problems in kids can be addressed on the individual and national levels.

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