Public Health On Call

Dr. Bin Cao, vice president and director of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, has worked on the front lines of patient care in Wuhan for the past few months. By closely monitoring the disease, he and his team are beginning to unlock some of its secrets. Cao talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how the situation has changed in Wuhan, what we can learn about safeguarding providers, the primary risk factors for death, and ongoing research. Learn more: https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/public-health-on-call-bin-cao-a-brand-new-virus.html

What do we know this week that we didn't know last week? What's the status of serologic testing and can it be useful in helping to end social distancing practices? How good is the current evidence on chloroquine? Should COVID-19 patients avoid taking ibuprofen? What happens next if we are successful with social distancing? If you are older but have no chronic illness, are you still at high risk? More information: jhsph.edu/covid-19

COVID-19 is often compared to the 1918 flu pandemic that claimed millions of lives and caused massive social disruption. But to what extent is the novel coronavirus different and what lessons can we learn from the successes and failures of previous epidemics? Medical historians Jeremy Greene and Graham Mooney talk to Stephanie Desmon about this comparison, the history of quarantines, and what we will learn from what we are living through right now. More information: jhsph.edu/covid-19

Dr. Judy Melinek is a forensic pathologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She explains the role of autopsies in the public health response to COVID-19 and how her work also plays a difficult but vital role in disposing of remains when health care systems become overloaded. Warning: This episode contains some graphic descriptions of autopsy procedures and bereavement that some listeners may find upsetting. More information: jhsph.edu/covid-19

In the midst of a pandemic, resilience is key for health care workers. Dr. Albert Wu, co-director of RISE—Resilience In Stressful Events—an emotional peer support structure at Johns Hopkins Hospital, talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the importance of supporting hospital staff and what can be done to mitigate anxiety and stress in this unprecedented situation. Learn more: jhsph.edu/covid-19

The threat of COVID-19 presents a new challenge for citizens of many countries who are not used to government entities directing their behavior. It's also an ideological shift for many: Change your individual behavior for the good of the greater community. Monica Malta, an alumna of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School, is a social epidemiologist and a global health researcher at the University of Toronto. She examines how responses at local, national, and regional levels—along with individual and community behavioral changes—can change the pace of an outbreak. Malta talks to Stephanie Desmon of the Center for Communication Programs about effective response strategies, why the outbreak looked so different in Italy and Japan despite both countries having aging populations, and what the US and Canada can do to prepare for an uptick in cases.

There are so many unknowns around COVID-19, so how can we find credible sources of information? What is the role of communication in the pandemic and how can authorities get it right? Susan Krenn, executive director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, talks to Stephanie Desmon about how communication can combat fear if it's credible, transparent, timely, and gives people the resources they need. More information: jhsph.edu/covid-19

For many, COVID-19 has revealed an anxiety-ridden world of unknowns. Protecting our mental health is just as important as protecting our physical health in this pandemic. But how can we find comfort if we're inundated with scary messages and physically cut off from people we love? Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana of the Center for Health Security talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about caring for ourselves and for vulnerable populations like frontline healthcare providers, friends and neighbors in quarantine, and those with underlying health conditions like anxiety or depression.

Why is the response to COVID-19 so much more severe than the response to other outbreaks like H1N1 or SARS? Will a vaccine be more effective than the usual flu vaccine? Has the shortage of available testing been resolved? Are we seeing more cases because of increases in transmission or testing? Why does COVID-19 cause shortness of breath? Can drinking cold water increase your risk of infection? Jennifer Nuzzo of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security addresses some myths and questions submitted to publichealthquestion@jhu.edu More information: jhsph.edu/covid-19

Recent volatility in the financial markets have shaken investors and left everyone asking: Are we currently in a financial crisis? Author and expert on financial crises Kathleen Day of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School talks to Stephanie Desmon of the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs about how the novel coronavirus is affecting local and global economies, and what consumers should do right now. More information: jhsph.edu/covid-19