News and Happenings

This toolkit tackles one of the most pressing topics in the world: how you will get your COVID-19 vaccine and when. Get answers about the science from Dr. David Agus, and the logistics from CVS Health’s Tom Moriarty. Andy asks them your questions about when you can get it, which one you’ll get, and more. Plus, a fun little bit of vaccine history from David.

Dr. Megan Ranney recorded her shift in a COVID-19 ER in Rhode Island the day after Thanksgiving and was kind enough to talk to Andy about it. Though her job is both physically and mentally exhausting, she manages to remain hopeful. This is a rare look inside a hospital’s COVID-19 bubble.

Andy calls up Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, to discuss what to expect during the next three stages of the pandemic. Ashish also describes going through what he calls “among the most surreal experiences of my life” – testifying in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about hydroxychloroquine. Plus, Ashish’s projections for 2021 including which holiday we will be able to celebrate with friends and family — and an invitation too!

Andy and Zach take a new approach in this episode, exploring the most pressing topics on people’s minds with two experts. Today: how to talk to others in your life who disagree with you about masks and social distancing. The panelists are Lanhee Chen, presidential health policy advisor to Mitt Romney, and United States of Care co-founder Natalie Davis.

Andy brings you an inside look at President-elect Biden’s COVID-19 efforts with task force co-chair Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon General and one of Biden’s senior advisors in the pandemic. Andy and Vivek discuss what the President-elect is thinking about the pandemic, the (lack of) transition, and his priorities come January 20. Plus, how they hope to reverse the damage done by — as Vivek puts it — the way politics has poisoned the pandemic response.

Andy calls up one of the country’s leading experts on pandemic preparedness, Johns Hopkins University’s Tom Inglesby, to get the best possible view on the winter wave hitting the country. Johns Hopkins has been the gold standard for COVID-19 information and Tom also has a prominent role on the Biden-Harris COVID transition team. They discuss why Andy thinks the next three months are the most dangerous time in the whole pandemic and offer tips on how to get through it — both as individuals and as a nation.

Andy talks about what should be happening with the presidential transition right now in terms of managing the pandemic. Former Trump VA Secretary David Shulkin provides expertise on how a typical transition goes — and the cost of President Trump’s refusal to concede. David was there for the Obama-Trump transition and details how he sees today’s norm-shattering process playing out. The saving grace, as Andy points out, is that President-Elect Biden knows his way around the White House blindfolded.

Could this be a light at the end of the tunnel? Andy evaluates the remarkable news that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine proved more than 90% effective with physician, scientist and author Eric Topol. How excited should you be? What do we know and what don’t we know? What’s the timing and what comes next? Plus, a look at President-Elect Biden’s COVID-19 task force.

With COVID-19 cases surging around the country and winter fast approaching, this may be the most important toolkit episode yet. Infectious diseases physician Nahid Bhadelia and indoor air quality expert Richard Corsi answer every tough question about winter safety – from holiday gatherings, to indoor dining, and flu season. Understand what’s happening with indoor particles and how to make sure homes, offices, and schools can be as safe as possible with ventilation, filters, and CO2 meters. Andy and Lana team up for the episode they say they learned the most from. And be sure to stick around for a very nice surprise at the end of the show.

Andy is joined by Jessica Yellin to break down where we are on the precipice of history. They walk you through what’s yet to be counted, what may end up in court, what Trump may do next, and what Biden should do next. And not to be lost: what this all means for COVID-19. Brew another pot of coffee – this may take a while.