logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2021
23m 54s

The case for Covid-19 optimism

Vox
About this episode
Vox’s German Lopez explains why he feels optimistic about the end of the pandemic even though 500,000 Americans have died, the virus is mutating, and it’s going to take a long time to vaccinate the world. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
Up next
Today
Can Dems flip state legislatures?
Most of the focus in this year’s midterms is naturally on Congress. But the battle to control state legislatures matters just as much, if not more. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by Esther Gim, mixed by Shannon Mahoney, video edited by Christopher Snyder, ... Show More
34m 7s
Yesterday
Football's future is flag
Football is by far the most popular sport in the US, but that isn’t stopping the NFL from investing in one of the least popular sports in the US. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jolie Myers and Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Sarah Schweppe and Gabriel Duna ... Show More
25m 52s
Oct 8
The dark side of surrogacy
The case of a California couple who had more than 20 kids via surrogacy before being charged with child abuse illustrates how a lack of regulation can lead to chaos. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered b ... Show More
26m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2020
Race for the Vaccine
On the same day the COVID-19 death toll surpassed 300,000 in the United States, the first vaccines are being administered, finally giving millions of Americans hope for a better future and a return to normalcy. We explore how officials expect to deliver a safe and effective vacci ... Show More
37m 42s
Mar 2021
How Close Is the Pandemic’s End?
<p>It’s been almost a year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.</p><p>And the virus is persisting: A downward trend in the U.S. caseload has stalled, and concern about the impact of variants is growing. Yet inoculations are on the rise ... Show More
30m 39s
Jan 2022
Hope for the crest: an Omicron wave hits India
<p>The country has the world’s worst estimated covid-death total—but as another variant takes hold there are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/01/08/is-india-prepared-for-omicron?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=disco ... Show More
21m 35s
Apr 2021
It’s OK to Be Optimistic. Really. (with Monica Gandhi)
Dr. Bob calls up Monica Gandhi, infectious diseases and HIV doctor at UCSF, to talk about why she’s feeling optimistic at this moment in the pandemic. They discuss why her optimism hasn’t waned despite the fourth wave, the variants, and the CDC Director’s feeling of “impending do ... Show More
50m 6s
Jul 2020
Hopeful News About Antibodies
Throughout the pandemic there’s been a big question: Will recovering from the virus or being treated by an effective vaccine provide lasting immunity? CNN Contributor Erin Bromage shares why new studies from the last few weeks make him more hopeful than ever that the answer could ... Show More
9m 57s
Jan 2022
We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 1
<p>It appears that the United States may be at a turning point in the pandemic. The contagiousness of the Omicron variant has many people resigned to the fact that they probably will be infected; this variant is, relative to its predecessors and in most cases, milder; and there i ... Show More
26m 30s
Jan 2022
We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 2: A Conversation with Dr. Fauci
<p>America, it seems, might be at a turning point in how we think about and respond to the pandemic. Yet, the U.S., at this moment, is still in the midst of crisis — thousands of people are in hospital and dying every day.</p><p>In the second part of our exploration of the state ... Show More
35m 9s
Mar 2021
Reasons for Both Hope and "Impending Doom"
President Biden's positive vaccine news is the latest reason for optimism, but the CDC director is warning of "impending doom" if America relaxes too soon. David Chalian explains what that means and breaks down the explosive revelations from the previous administration's Covid do ... Show More
8m 20s