Reopening America

Latest Episodes:

Demand Is So Low for Covid Vaccines That Millions of Doses Are Being Discarded Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

There are now enough doses of vaccine available globally to vaccinate all adults and children, but the demand has dropped so much that governments, vaccination sites, and even the drugmakers themselves are having to dispose of millions of doses. One of the main problems is that vaccines are packaged in multi-dose vials, and once they’re opened, the rest must be discarded if not used in 12 hours. Peter Loftus, Pharma reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how the supply has now outstripped the demand.

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Why Some People Are Driving Hours Instead of Taking a Plane Jul 05, 2022

Show notes

Finally, the airline industry was waiting for business travelers to come back to get them back up to pre-pandemic levels. Well, some of that has returned, but flight cancellations and delays are causing some professionals to opt for the road trip instead. To avoid delays and missing appointments, they are willing to drive up to 7 hours to get where they need to be. Allison Pohle, travel reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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Booster Shots Coming in the Fall Will Be Tailored to Omicron Subvariants Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

Booster shots coming in the fall will be tailored to the latest wave of the pandemic and target Omicron and its subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. This would hopefully provide more short-term immunity protections as new variants have been better able evade current vaccines. Pfizer would most likely be the first ready with these new boosters. Carolyn Johnson, science reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

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How COVID Killed the Sick Day Jun 21, 2022

Show notes

Workers in the U.S. have a very strange relationship with working and not taking time off. After going through the pandemic, Covid may have done away with the sick day. Because of the pace of work or fears of getting in trouble, many people continued to log in for meetings and answered emails. Managers also weren’t good role models as they took to working while sick too, this is coming despite many companies changing sick day policies to allow people more time to heal. Emma Goldberg, reporter at the NY Times, joins us for why employees can’t seem to take a sick day.

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What Happened to the Kids Who Grew up During the Pandemic Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

There is a whole swath of young kids that have never known life without Covid. Their formative years were spent masking and social distancing and the long-term effects remain unknown. Studies and observations show that some kids are behind in speech, motor and social development and could need counseling, speech therapy and other support to adjust. There is optimism in the resilience of young kids to adapt now that things are a little more back to normal and in some of the positive effects like spending more time with family. Anna North, senior correspondent at Vox, joins us for how the pandemic affected the country’s youngest children.

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The Flu and Other Viruses Are Acting in Unfamiliar Ways Because of COVID Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

After more than 2 years of the pandemic, we are seeing that Covid is making the flu and other common viruses act in unfamiliar ways. Behavioral changes like stay-at-home orders, masking and social distancing could be responsible for viral shifts. For instance, at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, children are being admitted with a range of seven different respiratory viruses, many of which are out of season and seem to be more virulent. Frances Stead Sellers, senior writer at The Washington Post, joins us for how everything is out of whack.

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Did You Stick With Your Employer Through the Pandemic? It Could Be Costing You Jun 14, 2022

Show notes

Did you weather the pandemic storm and stick with your employer over the last couple of years? Well, you could be underpaid. The hot job market and Great Resignation has led to a lot of movement and forced employers to lure new candidates with bigger paychecks and that has led to a divide with current employees. Aki Ito, senior correspondent at Business Insider, joins us for how salaries for new hires are on average 7% higher than existing workers.

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After the Pandemic, How Many Close Friends Do You Really Need? Jun 10, 2022

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After two years of the pandemic, many are reviving their efforts to connect with more people in their networks and it could be overwhelming. But how many friends do you actually need? Research says that the magic number of close friends is about 3-5. Fostering these relationships take time and energy with research saying it takes 200 hours to become close with someone. Allie Volpe, senior reporter at Vox, joins us for more.

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California’s Doomed Covid Vaccine Mandates Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

At the beginning of the year there was a lot of talk in California about vaccine mandates and requirements for employees and students. Now, as politics and Covid fatigue have set in, those plans are all doomed. Low vaccination rates in children and pushback from unions representing police and firefighters have also played big role in doing away with the plans. Rachel Bluth, correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins us for how the most popular vaccine legislation has been those to ban them.

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FDA Advisers Back Novavax Vaccine for Authorization Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

Vaccine experts advising the FDA have endorsed a new Covid vaccine made by Novavax saying that the shot’s benefits outweigh any risks associated with it. The vaccine will still need full approval before coming on the market, but it will be the first one available using a more traditional, protein-based technology. Liz Essley Whyte, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know about its effectiveness and concerns.

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