Social Distance

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Health & Fitness
**Social Distance**

Journalists from The Atlantic document the first 15 months of the coronavirus pandemic through regular phone calls. Listen in as Dr. Jim Hamblin, the producer Katherine Wells, and the comedian and the writer Maeve Higgins ask journalists, experts, and friends about the news and science behind the pandemic, get some advice, and learn how to apply it.

Latest Episodes:

Can You Get Reinfected? Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

The Brazil variant raises a scary question — and reminds us that herd immunity needs to cross borders.

Also: Katherine shares the first episode of The Experiment, a new show from The Atlantic and WNYC Studios.

Subscribe to The Experiment here:

Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / Pocket Casts

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Have We Turned the Corner? Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

People are getting vaccinated, but it’s not happening quickly enough. Case counts are dropping fast, but a near-record number of people are still sick. Do we have reason for optimism? Or could optimism still get us in trouble?

Alexis Madrigal and Robinson Meyer, staff writers and co-founders of the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic, join Jim and Maeve this week.

Where is Katherine? She’s still working on The Experiment, which launches next week! Hosted by WNYC’s Julia Longoria, the new podcast will examine the myths and ideas at the heart of the American experiment and the way powerful forces of history collide with our everyday lives. The trailer’s beautiful. Check it out here. And the first episode drops February 4th.

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Who Gets The Next Shot? Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Ruth Faden, an expert in biomedical ethics with Johns Hopkins University, has helped vaccine drives answer some tough questions: Who should be ahead of who? Do we prioritize speed or equity? And once people are inoculated, should they get ‘vaccine passports’ allowing freer movement?

She joins James Hamblin and guest host Maeve Higgins to assess how we’ve done — and what we could expect next.

Support this show and all of The Atlantic’s journalism by becoming a subscriber at theatlantic.com/supportus.

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Mutations Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

Last month, we learned about the “UK variant.” Now, more mutations from South Africa and Brazil have made headlines. How bad are they? And should you change anything you’re doing already?

Dr. Vineet Menachery, a virologist at the Galveston National Laboratory who studies coronaviruses, joins to explain.

Support this show and all of The Atlantic’s journalism by becoming a subscriber at theatlantic.com/supportus.

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How Badly Is Vaccination Going? Jan 07, 2021

Show notes

We were supposed to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of the year. We’ve fallen well short of that. Should we be worried?

Jim and Katherine are joined by Juliette Kayyem, a former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security who ran intergovernmental efforts like the one behind the vaccine rollout. She explains what’s going on, what the problems have been, and why we shouldn’t be too concerned (yet).

They’re also joined by a listener named Craig seeking advice on a tough situation: when can you travel to see an ill family member?

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The Vaccine is Here! What Now? Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

We're very relieved, but now entering the strange time of vaccine purgatory.

Staff writer Sarah Zhang joins Jim and Katherine to answer your questions.