Reopening America

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Researchers Looking at Disease Resistant Patients to Find COVID-19 Weaknesses Mar 03, 2021

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Researchers are looking to disease resistant patients in the hopes to expose weaknesses in Covid-19. Studies are being done to identify people who were heavily exposed to the virus, but never came down with it and also had no antibodies. Some of the answers lie in gene susceptibility, autoantibodies, and mutations. David Cox, freelance journalist at the BBC, joins us for how scientists are looking for Covid’s weak spots.

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WHO Focuses on Ferret Badgers and Rabbits in the Possible Origins of COVID-19 Mar 02, 2021

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A team of scientists with the WHO are exploring the origins of Covid-19 and are focusing on two animal types for possible vectors where the illness jumped to humans. Investigators say that ferret badgers and rabbits, which were sold at the Wuhan market could have played a role in the spread. Drew Hinshaw, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more on the WHO investigation into Covid-19.

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When Will We Get Back to Normal? Here's a Timeline by Seasons Mar 01, 2021

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Pandemic numbers have been trending in the right direction and the vaccine rollout has been ramping up, but when can we all get back to normal? The next few months will look just as they have been, continued mask wearing and social distancing, but the summer could be the closest to normal that we have seen in a long time. Joe Pinkser, staff writer at The Atlantic, previews what the next few seasons might look like on our road to pre-pandemic normalcy.

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New Novavax Vaccine Could Be a Game Changer Feb 26, 2021

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More vaccines could be approved very soon. One from Johnson & Johnson and another from a company called Novavax. If authorized, this vaccine could be one of the most potent weapons against the pandemic. Early data shows that it could be the first shot to slow down asymptomatic spread and potentially provide longer-lasting protection. The other part of this story is the company itself, Novavax was a small biotech company that had tried to develop an approved vaccine with no success. Gregory Zuckerman, special writer at the WSJ, joins us for how Novavax turned its company around to make and effective Covid vaccine.

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FDA Scientists Say Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Is Safe and Effective, Could Be Approved Soon Feb 25, 2021

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FDA scientists have given their stamp of approval and said that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is safe and effective in fighting Covid-19. This could lead to its emergency-use authorization very soon. The vaccine reduced moderate to severe cases by 66%, does not require cold storage and is most importantly only a single shot. Matthew Herper, senior writer at STAT News, joins us for more on the J&J vaccine which can also help protect against new variants.

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Pfizer and Moderna to Boost Deliveries of Vaccine Doses, but Why Can't We Make Them Any Faster? Feb 24, 2021

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Drug companies Pfizer and Moderna have pledged to boost the doses of vaccines delivered after solving some manufacturing issues they had. While they are stepping up production many ask, why can’t we make these doses any faster? Much of the answer in that lies in the very specialized process and raw materials that go into making them. Isaac Arnsdorf, reporter at ProPublica, joins us for more.

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Some COVID Tests Being Used to Flag U.K. Variant Feb 23, 2021

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It seems counterintuitive, but some Covid tests can’t pick up on certain variants in their results, and labs are using those very same tests to help flag if you might have the U.K. variant. If tests come back positive for Covid-19, but fail a specific section of the test, that could be an indicator that someone is infected with the U.K. strain. Brianna Abbott, health reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how some tests are being used to flag different Covid variants.

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Miscommunication and Lack of Supply Behind Initial Botched Vaccine Rollout Feb 22, 2021

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The pace of vaccinations in the U.S. is starting to pick up, but many distribution sites are still recovering from an initial botched rollout. Many local health departments and hospitals were in the dark about how many doses they were getting and when they would be delivered. Officials overestimated how many doses to set aside for nursing homes, and reporting from states was also uneven. Sarah Krouse, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for vaccine distribution problems.

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New Data Shows Pfizer Vaccine Less Effective Against South African COVID Strain Feb 19, 2021

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The latest data from Pfizer shows that its vaccine is less effective against the South African variant of coronavirus. While clinical trials have not been done, lab experiments show that there is about a two-thirds drop in the neutralization powers against this variant. Andrew Joseph, reporter at STAT News, joins us for what this means for the current batch of vaccines we have.

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Millions of Jobs Lost to Pandemic Might Not Come Back, Time to Start Retraining Workers Feb 18, 2021

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We are recovering from the pandemic, but to a different economy. According to a new report, millions of jobs that have been affected by the pandemic are unlikely to come back as increased automation takes hold, more people work from home, and business travel not expected to rebound so quickly. Heather Long, economics correspondent at The Washington Post, joins us for why we need to invest more in retraining workers.

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