23: Covid-19 & Our Pandemic Response

In our first ever follow up episode, we return to Covid-19. In this episode, we recap our previous discussion of individual risk assessment and offer some numbers to help you begin to assess yourself and those around you. We then consider a theory of viral behavior we hadn’t heard fully until recently that accounts for the trends of the virus we have seen thus far, including otherwise odd downturns or spikes and the second wave that is happening now in many places. Though this explanation is partially new to us, it is actually the basis of the pandemic guidelines that have been quietly discarded in most places this year. This information on viral behavior also explains the impact of government responses, including lockdowns and similar restrictions, and points us towards better responses that improve health against viral infections. We also discuss some of the hidden costs and trade-offs of our policies before finally explaining some of the political incentives and motivations that lead politicians to benefit from fear.

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod

Photo: CDC Public Health Image Library