The national COVID-19 public health emergency will be ending in May, but that doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. Hundreds of people are still dying from COVID in the U.S. every day and many more are getting sick.
So then why is the emergency ending?
On the show today: Dr. Céline Gounder, an epidemiologist and editor at large for public health at Kaiser Health News, walks us through the state of the pandemic right now, what will change when the public health emergency expires and what it could mean for the American health care system as a whole.
In the News Fix, we’ll tell you about a case before the Supreme Court that may drastically change how the internet works. Also, Russia temporarily pulled out of a major nuclear arms treaty. We’ll get into what that means for the future of international arms control.
Later, one listener shares a perspective on pay transparency, and another tells us why we should discuss menopause more. Plus, this week a chatbot answers the Make Me Smart question.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
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- What happens to COVID vaccines and drugs after the health emergency? from The Los Angeles Times
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- An Etiquette Guide for Long COVID from The Atlantic
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- “Need time off work for period pain? These countries offer ‘menstrual leave.'” from The Washington Post
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- “Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count” from The New York Times
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- “Putin’s Move on Nuclear Treaty May Signal End to Formal Arms Control” from The New York Times
What’s something you’ve been wrong about lately? We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question! Leave us a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART, and your submission may be featured in a future episode.