Reopening America

Latest Episodes:

Why We Should All Be Wearing Face Masks Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

The CDC is considering recommendations for people to wear face masks while out in public. Previously, the recommendation was not to buy any masks, as medical workers needed them and they were in short supply. But we have gotten to the point where we need to step up efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus. Masks reduce the spread of infectious disease by catching microbes expelled by the wearer and also protecting them from outside microbes, and while they might not catch everything, there’s a strong case we should all be wearing masks during a pandemic. Ferris Jabr, writer for Wired, joins us for how wearing face masks could help.

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A Cruise Ship Comes to Florida Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially declared a 30-day stay-at-home order for the state after facing criticism for not doing so earlier. The other issue facing Florida is what to do with sick people on the Zaandam cruise ship that wants to dock in Port Everglades. DeSantis only wants to take state residents that are on the ship and the Coast Guard has said that the ships must stay out at sea with the sick on board. A plan is still being worked on for what to do even as another sick cruise ship also plans to make its way there. Samantha Gross, reporter at the Miami Herald, joins us for more.

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Why It Takes so Long to Get Coronavirus Testing Results Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

As COVID-19 testing capabilities ramp up and companies are coming up with new tests, why does it still take so long to get results? First, it is a multi-step process… once a sample is taken, it needs to travel to a lab, then it needs to be processed. And different circumstances in processing will lead to different turnaround times. Julie Appleby, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, joins us for the steps involved in testing and new ones on the way.

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Pregnant Women Need to Make Tough Choices Amid Pandemic Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

Coronavirus is forcing pregnant women to make tough choices. There are many hospitals with such tight restrictions that in some cases a woman’s partner might not even be allowed into the delivery room. Women are having to resort to FaceTime to have their partners present, and it could be falling to nurses to provide supportive care and camerawork. Laura Kusisto, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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Number of Confirmed Cases Doesn't Mean Much Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

We hear a lot about confirmed cases of coronavirus. The U.S. has the most confirmed cases in the world right now, but unfortunately, that metric does little for us in the way of tracking how fast it is spreading due to uneven testing. Instead, some suggest we track the rate of hospitalizations and other factors. Faye Flam, columnist at Bloomberg News, joins us for why we still need a lot more data to find out true rates of infection and spread.

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Social Distancing Guidelines Extended Until April 30 Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

President Trump has extended the social distancing guidelines until at least April 30. Previously Trump wanted to open the economy back up by Easter, instead we are now learning that the peak of the outbreak in America could come about that time. Gabby Orr, White House reporter at Politico, joins us for how Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, convinced the president to extend the guidelines.

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How Genetic Infections Made Coronavirus Infectious and Deadly Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

With coronavirus, it’s all about the genetic mutations. Two critical mutations occurred… the first altered the spikes in the virus to allow it to latch onto proteins that line the respiratory tract, the second mutation, allowed the virus to grow a protein dagger that lets it bind tightly to throat and lung cells making it infectious and deadly. Robert Bazell, professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale, joins us for coronavirus mutations.

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This Is a Make-Or-Break Week for the Economy Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

This could be a make-or-break week for the American economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bills and rent are coming due for millions of laid off workers and businesses, big and small, alike. Tough decisions will have to be made on what to pay first and what to put off. The restaurant industry alone has lost $25 billion in sales since March 1, and many are feeling the pain. Ruth Simon, senior special writer at the WSJ, joins us for more.

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New Hotspots and GM Working to Make Ventilators Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

With the most number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, here in U.S., new hotspots are emerging. While mostly concentrated on the coasts, more cases are creeping into other cities. The CDC has issued a domestic travel advisory urging residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut not to travel for 14 days. In other news, GM and Ford are working to make more ventilators and new polls show Joe Biden and Trump in a competitive race for 2020. Julia Manchester, political reporter for The Hill joins us for more.

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Thousands of Inmates Released Amid Coronavirus Fears Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

Fearing a surge of coronavirus cases that could tear through prisons and jails, counties and states are releasing thousands of inmates. Health and corrections officials have issued warnings about cramped and unsanitary conditions that could spread the virus and put inmates, corrections officers, and prison healthcare workers at risk. Kimberly Kindy, national investigative reporter at the Washington Post, tells us who is getting out of jail.

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