Public Health On Call

Like many countries, Canada recognized the pandemic in stages, but unlike some, Canada used advanced warning to their benefit with swift mandates. Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC's "The Dose" podcast, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how although Canada's response has differed from the US's, the country faces many of the same challenges with testing, outbreaks in vulnerable populations, and a patchwork approach of mandates across provinces.

Is Vitamin D deficiency correlated with severe outcomes? Is it safe to use dry bat guano fertilizer? People in my area seem to be social distancing, so why are there still so many cases? If I received a flu shot, will it help protect me from severe illness with coronavirus? Dr. Caitlin Rivers of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security addresses your questions submitted to publichealthquestion@jhu.edu

The use of investigational drugs during a public health crisis is not new. In 2014, Dr. Linda Mobula had experience administering an untested drug during the Ebola response in West Africa. Mobula talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how the technical framework that came out of that process could have been used to provide guidance for investigational drugs in COVID-19, and how political figures created a global push for hydroxychloroquine.

For people who live on or earn their income from the streets, COVID-19 has made their lives exponentially harder—they may be more vulnerable to the novel coronavirus and to other outcomes like violence, injury, or illness. Caring for these populations is necessary for public health, says Dr. Susan Sherman, founder of a harm reduction center in Baltimore. Dr. Sherman talks to guest host Dr. Colleen Barry about her outreach work during COVID and how principles of dignity and respect are even more important at a moment like this one.

Reopening schools is a crucial goal for the well-being of students and for parents to return to work. But there are gaps in what we know about kids and COVID-19 transmission. A new report from The Center for Health Security lays out the evidence schools would need to assess safety for kids, teachers, staff, and families. Co-authors Anita Cicero and Tara Kirk Sell talk with Stephanie Desmon about what questions need answering to safely set up schools for students to return.

The Joint Hopkins Maryland Federal Medical Station, a 250-bed unit inside Baltimore's convention center, opened on April 27 for non-critical patients recovering from COVID-19. Dr. James Ficke, the Station's director, talks with Stephanie Desmon about how his experience standing up combat hospitals in northern Iraq prepared him, the influx of patients they're seeing, and what it takes to set up a fully operational contingency hospital with food, bathrooms, showers, and even its own pharmacy.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ordered restaurants and bars to end in-house dining back in March. Two people from Baltimore's restaurant community—Barri Yanowitz, a bartender at Brewer's Art, and Carlos Raba, a co-owner of Clavel—talk with Stephanie Desmon about how each outlet has addressed the mandate, what this has meant for business and their community, and what they anticipate in the coming weeks and months.

When can I see my family again if I have been quarantining? Does a person's blood type affect how severely ill they might become? Are women taking oral contraceptive pills more at risk from blood clots from COVID-19? Can you get COVID-19 from second-hand smoke? What is social distancing fatigue and what can we do to address it? Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security addresses your questions submitted to publichealthquestion@jhu.edu

Responses to COVID-19 such as school closures and shelter-at-home orders may inadvertently raise the risks of child sexual abuse. Dr. Elizabeth Letourneau, director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about risks, prevention strategies, and a new online resource for parents, caregivers, and people at risk of offending. Warning: This episode covers difficult topics directly.

It's been a few months since COVID-19 first arrived in the US, so what have we learned? Dr. Albert Wu returns to the podcast with Stephanie Desmon to discuss social distancing fatigue, new symptoms and disease observations, hopes for treatment, and what we should expect in the coming months in terms of a "return to normal."