Public Health On Call

Denmark, one of world's leading pelt producers, is culling all of its farmed mink after evidence that a different variant of SARS-CoV-2 might be circulating among the animals. Veterinary expert Dr. Meghan Davis returns to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about whether or not mink pose a danger to humans, what the news means for disease surveillance, and an update on household pets and COVID-19. KEYWORDS: zoonotic virus; contact tracing; animal health

Once COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, could they be made mandatory and, if so, what entities could enforce this? Legal and public health expert Joanne Rosen talks with Stephanie Desmon about the legislative precedent for mandatory vaccinations that dates all the way back to a 1905 Supreme Court case after a smallpox outbreak in Massachusetts. They also discuss other strategies states could consider to achieve widespread vaccination for COVID-19. KEYWORDS: vaccine mandates; policy

Kaiser Permanente, the largest not-for-profit health system in the US, has mobilized in response to COVID-19. Senior vice president and chief health officer Dr. Bechara Choucair talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about coaching for patients who test positive, contact tracing partnerships with local health departments, and a focus on addressing patients' social needs like rent and food so they can isolate and quarantine safely. KEYWORDS: household transmission; pandemic response; health equity

This week, Pfizer reported some encouraging early results from Phase III of it's COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Stephanie Desmon about what might happen next, when we could see the first doses of vaccines available, and how we should continue vigilance with masks, distancing, and handwashing while waiting for widespread vaccination to bring the pandemic to a heel.

High profile instances show up in the news as "super spreader" events, but there's evidence that the phenomenon of "overdispersion" could be much more common. Infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Justin Lessler and doctoral student Kyra Grantz talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the biological and social contributors to overdispersion, and what it could mean for public health strategy. KEYWORDS: pandemic response; contact tracing; viral shedding

Pneumonia is the leading killer of children under 5 around the world with most deaths in low- and middle-income countries. But it's not just a problem of developing countries: pneumonia is also the most common reason for hospitalization of children in the US. In recognition of World Pneumonia Day, pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Anita Shet and Leith Greenslade, coordinator of the Every Breath Counts Coalition talk with Stephanie Desmon about World Pneumonia Day, how COVID-19 is impacting efforts to reduce childhood deaths, and how the pandemic may have brought attention to one significant problem: access to oxygen in lower- and middle-income countries.

We're closer to safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines, but what will the actual rollout look like? Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a bioethicist and health policy expert recently appointed to President-elect Joe Biden's coronavirus task force, talks with Stephanie Desmon about the challenges in distributing a vaccine in the US. They discuss which groups might get access first, logistical challenges including cold chain and glass supply concerns, and the steps needed between concluding clinical trials and actually distributing a vaccine. They also talk about the formidable efforts that will be needed to advocate for getting vaccinated which could include a massive campaign with endorsements from trusted celebrities and thought leaders. KEYWORDS: supply chain; health communication; vaccine approval

After the National Basketball Association shut down on March 11, the league was able to resume play and complete both its season and postseason without interruption from COVID-19 from the safety of "the bubble." Pete Meisel, the NBA's senior manager for player health and an alumnus of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what went into the bubble, how they maintained the players' physical and mental health and safety, and what we can learn from the bubble's success. KEYWORDS: athletes; pandemic response; testing methods

A disproportionate number of women in the U.S. appear to be "dropping out" of the workforce during the pandemic, presumably to care for children or because they are more likely to have jobs that cannot be done remotely. Stefania Albanesi, an economist at the University of Pittsburgh who studies women in the workforce, talks with Stephanie Desmon about this phenomenon and what it could mean long-term for both their careers and the economy. KEYWORDS: gender equity; unemployment

Before the pandemic, we didn't know as much about how infectious respiratory diseases spread. New knowledge about COVID-19 can help us make informed decisions about risks but it has also led to mixed messages. Hopkins environmental epidemiologist Dr. Tom Burke and dean of the University of Colorado School of Public Health Dr. Jon Samet talk with Stephanie Desmon about a panel they recently led on airborne transmission of COVID-19. They talk about everything we've learned about how COVID spreads, the CDC's changing guidance on "close contacts," the riskiest settings for transmission, and how current guidance may be even more effective than a vaccine. KEYWORDS: aerosols; health communication; social distancing