Shows
Voices of COVID-19Providing a Voice of Reason in a Chaotic Time - Dr. Vin GuptaIn the final new episode of Voices of COVID-19, Brian Lucas interviews NBC and MSNBC Health Analyst Dr. Vin Gupta.
Since the start of the pandemic, Dr. Gupta has been a welcome voice into American households, providing perspective that was both urgent and rational, clear-eyed and nuanced, plan spoken and still empathetic to the confusion and fear gripping the nation.
Dr. Gupta is a practicing pulmonologist and critical care physician, and an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington. He also has a military background as a Major in the A...
2021-07-2026 minVoices of COVID-19Using Words and Music to Forge a Path Through a Pandemic - Dessa2020 was poised to be a big year for Dessa, with a concert tour planned and the launch of her podcast, Deeply Human, on the horizon. COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd changed everything. Suddenly the multi-talented rapper, singer and writer was dealing with isolation from the pandemic and anxiety about the fear and unrest gripping her community.
As she forged a new path, Dessa returned to the power of words and music. She launched her podcast, which examines human nature and why we think and behave the way we do. She also put music into the...
2021-07-0727 minVoices of COVID-19Reconnecting with the Power of Music - Jeremy MessersmithFor many people, music was a lifeline during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing escape while also helping us process our feelings and anxieties.
In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews singer, songwriter Jeremy Messersmith, who released a series of deeply personal songs during the pandemic called Mixtape for the Milky Way.
Jeremy reveals that even as he was putting this music into the world, he dealt with fear and isolation that made it difficult to even listen to music, much less write or perform, during the pandemic.
2021-06-3027 minVoices of COVID-19A Pandemic Behind Bars: COVID-19 in Prisons (Part 2) - Nicole LewisNicole Lewis is a reporter for the Marshall Project. During the pandemic, Nicole documented the stories of four incarcerated individuals in an incredible piece: “How we survived COVID-19 in Prison.”
In part two of her interview, Nicole discusses conditions that contributed to the spread of COVID-19 in prisons, the challenges around vaccine hesitancy among both incarcerated people and prison staff, and the lessons we can hopefully learn about the interconnectedness of our society.
2021-06-2224 minVoices of COVID-19A Pandemic Behind Bars: COVID-19 in Prisons (Part 1) - Nicole LewisAs the COVID-19 pandemic spread, incarcerated people were among the hardest hit populations in the United States. Overcrowding, substandard facilities, underlying health conditions and misinformation about the virus created a volatile mix that led to huge numbers of infected individuals.
Nicole Lewis is a reporter for the Marshall Project. During the pandemic, Nicole documented the stories of four incarcerated individuals in an incredible piece: “How we survived COVID-19 in Prison.”
In part one of a two-part interview, Nicole discusses the conditions that contributed to the high COVID numbers in prisons, and the unique challenges incarcerated peopl...
2021-06-1528 minVoices of COVID-19One Year In: Reflections from the ICU - Dr. Thanh NevilleAt the one year mark of the pandemic, there are signs of progress but we are far from out of the woods.
For those on the front lines, the exhaustion and emotional toll of the last year are hard to quantify. Even as we see a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, they must remain focused on each day, each patient, each family that is touched by this virus.
In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Dr. Thanh Neville, a physician and researcher at UCLA Health. Dr. Neville works in the Medical Intensive...
2021-03-0923 minVoices of COVID-19Addressing Racism, Disparities and the COVID Vaccine - Adriene ThorntonCOVID-19 has put a spotlight on deep-seated issues of racism and inequity that exist in our health care system. The virus has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities, causing more illness, more hospitalizations and more deaths.
Now, as vaccines start to roll out, this inequity is again taking a toll. In many African American communities there is strong and justifiable distrust of health care and government programs, and vaccination rates are lagging far behind.
In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Adriene Thornton, an Infection Preventionist at Children’s Minnesota. Adriene is working to educate Black co...
2021-02-0326 minVoices of COVID-19On the Front Lines - Being a Travel Nurse During COVIDAmong the long list of heroes in this pandemic are travel nurses. These are nurses who sign up to get sent to locations where they are needed the most. Right now, that means they are willingly traveling to COVID hot spots.
When the pandemic started, Brooke Hanson was working as a nurse in Arizona. But as she watched the cases start to explode on the east coast, she decided she needed to help. She signed up as a travel nurse and was sent to New Jersey to work in a COVID hospital.
Right now Brooke is...
2020-11-2424 minVoices of COVID-19Being "High Risk" in the World of COVID -Stephanie ZahrbockIgnoring or downplaying COVID comes from a place of privilege. Young, healthy people who have access to quality health care don't have to be as concerned.
But there are many people who don’t have that luxury, including people who have health issues that make them particularly vulnerable.
In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Stephanie Zahrbock, a mother of two teenagers who, four years ago, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease related to Multiple Sclerosis. She’s been in a wheelchair ever since.
Stephanie has been quarantined in her house for more than 6 mont...
2020-09-2324 minVoices of COVID-19Navigating COVID as a Frontline Health Care Worker - Elizabeth BlankenshipFor frontline health care workers, the coronavirus pandemic creates two separate worlds.
There’s the world of work, trying to help people who are critically ill. Then there’s the world at home, dealing with the isolation and uncertainty the rest of us are struggling with each day.
On top of all of this, there is an added fear: that these worlds will in some way intersect. That an encounter with a COVID patient at work could bring the virus home to a spouse, a child, or a parent.
In this episode, Brian Lucas...
2020-08-2523 minVoices of COVID-19The View from Greece: Uniting Against a Threat - Antigoni DionysiadouLooking at the COVID numbers in Europe, Greece stands out as a success story so far.
At the time of this recording, Greece had reported fewer than 5,000 cases of COVID-19, resulting in 209 deaths. That’s a fraction what nearby countries have seen such as Italy (250,000 cases), Spain (300,000 cases) and Turkey (230,000 cases).
Greece took a hard line out of necessity. The Greek health system doesn’t have the capacity to deal with a significant spike in cases. To their credit, the citizens got on board quickly in the name of protecting each other.
In this...
2020-08-0423 minVoices of COVID-19(Part 2) Resistance and Resilience: COVID on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation - Helene Gaddie (Part 2 of 2)From the beginning of this pandemic we heard reports about COVID-19 being particularly dangerous to people with pre-existing health conditions. So what do you do if you live in a community where that puts a large percentage of the population is at risk?
That’s the case on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and for the more than 19 thousand members of the Oglala Lakota Tribe who live there.
The Pine Ridge Reservation has the lowest life expectancy in the country. That’s the case pre-COVID, and it illustrates why keeping...
2020-07-2819 minVoices of COVID-19Resistance and Resilience: COVID on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation - Helene Gaddie (Part 1 of 2)The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is home to more than 19,000 members of the Oglala Lakota Nation. It is one of the poorest communities in the United States and has the lowest life expectancy in the country.
The Tribe prides itself on its resilience. For generations, the members have fought through poverty, oppression, discrimination and a long history of broken treaties and aggression from the United States government. Now they are being faced with another potentially devastating invader: COVID-19.
Thanks to quick action by tribal leadership, the Reservation went on lockdown early. At the...
2020-07-1420 minVoices of COVID-19COVID-19 in Rural America - Cook County, MN Public Health Supervisor Grace GrinagerHow would you feel about living in a community that, so far, has seen exactly ONE case of COVID-19?
What if that community also has zero ICU beds, and the only ventilator is used to transport patients to the nearest intensive care unit… 2.5 hour away?
And what if this is a community where the economy relies on tourism and we’re heading into the busy summer months when families will roll into town from across the region.
This is exactly the situation in Cook County, Minnesota, in the farthest north part of the stat...
2020-06-3021 minVoices of COVID-19Another Public Health Crisis - Racism in the Midst of COVIDIn the wake of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Brian Lucas interviews Dr. Abdul Omari about the public health crisis of racism, which is unfortunately very much tied to our coronavirus response.
The fact is, COVID-19 is disproportionally infecting and killing black Americans. A report by the CDC attributes this to a variety of factors including living conditions, work circumstances and underlying health conditions including lack of insurance or access to quality care.
This pandemic, just like the issues of police violence, is exposing long standing issues that we’ll...
2020-06-0822 minVoices of COVID-19Learning on the Fly - A Teacher's Perspective on Adapting to a COVID-19 WorldIn normal times, this would be a time of celebration on high school campuses across the country. Students would be celebrating commencement and the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. This year, however, things will be different. Students will still transition. There will still be excitement and tears but large celebrations will be replaced by private gatherings and zoom ceremonies.
The upheaval of the school year due to COVID-19 was not just felt by students. Teachers also had to adjust to a new reality, and quickly figure out how to guide students through technology rather th...
2020-05-2721 minVoices of COVID-19The View from Guatemala - Addressing Human Needs During a Pandemic - Nicolle SanchezWhile Guatemala has not seen a major outbreak of coronavirus, the country is still on edge. They know their healthcare system is not equipped to handle a widespread COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, Guatemala's long standing issues with poverty and inequity make many citizens particularly vulnerable to both the health and economic effects of the pandemic.
In this episode Brian Lucas interviews Nicolle Sanchez, a college student in Guatemala, about the privilege of social distancing, the fear of spreading the virus, and how the most vulnerable segments of the population are once again being hit the hardest as t...
2020-05-1822 minVoices of COVID-19Olympic Dreams Derailed - Gymnast Shane WiskusWhat if you worked your whole life to pursue a dream, only to have it taken away when it was finally in your grasp? That's what happened to University of Minnesota gymnast Shane Wiskus when the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo were postponed due to coronavirus.
In this episode, Brian Lucas talks with Shane about how COVID-19 derailed his plans, and how he's hoping to regroup and make another run at the Olympics next year.
2020-05-1221 minVoices of COVID-19Being a Musician in a Solitary World - John MunsonDuring this time of isolation, art has become more important than ever. Music, movies and literature have provided more than just a distraction, they help us feel connected with each other.
But what's it like for a musician during this time, when the curtains have been closed on all performances and there are few outlets for collaboration or creation?
In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews John Munson, one of the most prolific and revered musicians in Minnesota. John first rose to prominence as the bass player in Trip Shakespeare and later in the band Semisonic. To...
2020-05-0422 minVoices of COVID-19Frontline Healthcare Workers Rise to the Challenge - Dr. Angelique CampenEvery day we're confronted with statistics, maps and graphs that illustrate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. But numbers can't capture the full picture. The real story of COVID-19 is playing out every day in hospitals and emergency rooms across the country and around the world. First responders, nurses and doctors are stepping up in the face of this pandemic, once again showing they are up to whatever challenges are thrown their way.
In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Dr. Angelique Campen, an Emergency Room physician in Los Angeles, who provides an honest and revealing look at...
2020-04-2721 minVoices of COVID-19Privilege and Prejudice: How a Pandemic Can Bring Out Our Worst - Michelle LiuWe hear a lot about heroes rising to the occasion in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately COVID-19 is also shining a light on some of our society's most troubling issues. Inequality and racism have always been a part of our country and they have proven to be more difficult to eliminate than any virus.
Fueled in part by inflammatory words from the President, COVID-19 is fanning flames of racism, particularly against Asian Americans.
In this episode, Brian Lucas speaks with Michelle Liu, a freshmen at Hamilton College in New York. Michelle talks about...
2020-04-2018 minVoices of COVID-19The View from France - An international Perspective on a Pandemic - Celica ThellierThe coronavirus pandemic is a stark reminder of something we never should have forgotten in the first place. We live in a global community. The actions we take individually can and do have consequences around the world.
In this episode, Brian Lucas gets an international perspective on coronavirus from Celica Thellier, who lives in Paris with her husband and her two children. Like the rest of France, Celica has been in mandatory confinement to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. She has also had an up-close and personal view of how serious this virus is. Her hu...
2020-04-1321 minVoices of COVID-19Journalism During a Pandemic - CBS Los Angeles Reporter Laurie PerezAmong the essential workers who are putting their lives at risk during the coronavirus pandemic, journalists are sometimes taken for granted. Reporters are out covering this story every day, possibly exposing themselves to the virus even as they try to educate us all about how to stay healthy.
In Los Angeles, CBS reporter Laurie Perez spends her days speaking with people who are impacted by COVID-19, highlighting the efforts of those on the front lines, and working to spotlight the need for everyone to do their part to stop the spread of this deadly disease.
I...
2020-04-0720 minVoices of COVID-19Finding Community in an Isolated World - Rabbi Josh DavidsonAs the coronavirus started its escalation in New York, Rabbi Josh Davidson stood in the sanctuary of Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan and delivered his Shabbat Message to an empty room. The message was titled, "Climbing Toward the Light of a Better Day," and it was being broadcast to his congregation over the internet.
Since that day, Rabbi Davidson and his team have had to change the way they serve the community, embracing "virtual" connection in the interest of safety and flattening the curve. But while the methods have had to change, the importance of connection is more impor...
2020-04-0219 minVoices of COVID-19Social Distancing - A Teenager's PerspectiveWe see it in memes and we hear it in conversation: "We're not asking you to go to war, we're asking you to stay in your house for a few weeks."
Yes... it's a small price to pay for fighting a pandemic, but it's not a trivial price. That's particularly true for teenagers, and even more so for high school seniors. Suddenly the culmination of high school, a moment they have been working hard for and have been looking forward to, is thrown into uncertainty. They can't see their friends. Prom... graduation... one final summer at home? All up...
2020-03-2417 min