Coronavirus Weekly

Christina Pascucci heads out to Death Valley for an adventure to break the monotony of life amid coronavirus. She shares the natural wonders that can be found at one of the hottest places in the world, and learns about what the Oasis at Death Valley is doing to help keep people safe during their visits.

XPRIZE is a non-profit organization that hosts competitions intended to encourage technological development to benefit humanity. The foundation is giving away a $5,000,000 prize to the team who can develop a rapid, reliable, and affordable COVID-19 test. The goal is to accelerate radical solutions to solving COVID-19 and future pandemics. Christina speaks with XPRIZE CEO Anousheh Ansari about their latest competition.

The race is on to develop a vaccine to fight off COVID-19. Biotech company Moderna says they're on track to finish enrollment for a Phase-3 study of its vaccine by the end of September. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, says he remains "cautiously optimistic" in regards to the vaccine. He spoke with KTLA with more information about its development, when it can be expected, who will receive it, and more.

Since the begining of the pandemic, doctors and scientists around the world have been hard at work trying to develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. Cardiologist Dr. Norman Lepor is involved in the COLCORONA study, a government-funded clinical trial to get the answer as to the effectiveness of the drug called colchicine, which doctors hope may help patients diagnosed with COVID-19 avoid complications like hospitalizations, the need for ventilator assisted breathing, or even death. Christina Pascucci speaks with Dr. Lepor to learn more about the COLCORONA Study.

On March 5th, 2020 Gregg Garfield checked himself into St. Josephs Providence Hospital in Burbank after a ski trip in Northern Italy. He would come to be known as "Patient Zero," the hospital's first COVID-19 patient. While in the hospital, Gregg's health went into a rapid decline, and his chances of survival appeared to be slim to none. In the end, however, even after seemingly knocking on death’s door, Gregg would be a survivor. He shares his story with Christina Pascucci.   

This week, the spotlight during the worsening COVID-19 pandemic fell on the question of whether or not studenst and faculty should return to school campuses in the Fall. While Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest public school system in California, announced students would not return to classrooms in the Fall, The Orange County Board of Education approved its recommendation that districts reopen schools without requiring the use of masks or social distancing. The guidelines were met with contention and controversy. Christina Pascucci speaks with the president of the Orange County Board of Education, who explains the reasoning for why the board put forth their recommendations for reopening schools.

Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo is a physician, health policy researcher, and associate professor of medicine at UCLA. He recently wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal arguing that political leaders and health experts have politicized the pandemic response by sending mixed messages, implementing hypocritical policies, and becoming distracted with areas of controversy rather than focusing efforts on more pragmatic goals. Christina Pascucci speaks with Dr. Ladapo about how leaders have sown distrust, and what they must do to correct course.

COVID-19 cases across the country are on the rise heading into the July 4th weekend. In response, state leaders have begun slowing or rolling back reopening efforts. Christina Pascucci speaks with Dr. William A. Haseltine about the basic practices people should take to reduce the likelihood of catching the disease. He also reveals some of the lesser talked about ways people may be putting themselves at risk.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise, stoking concerns across the state in the midst of reopening. The outbreak presents increased risks and dangers for communities of color. Christina Pascucci speaks with Nourbese Flint of the Black Women for Wellness. The organizations commitment is to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through health education, empowerment and advocacy. Nourbese explains what needs to be done for equality within our healthcare system.

Besides causing a global health crisis and economic turmoil, one of the other major effects of the Covid-19 pandemic is the shift it has lead to in our world view and the social upheaval it has influenced. With people having a sharpened focus towards important issues, the Black Lives Matter movement and their fight against racial injustice is receiving long overdue attention. On this episode, Christina is speaking with Dr. Malina Abdula, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, about how the coronavirus has given way for this uprising, and why they are calling for a defunding of the Los Angeles Police Department. Christina also speaks with former LAPD Detective Moses Castillo, who explains why he thinks defunding the police wouldn’t be such a good idea. 

As unrest and protests against police brutality and systemic racism continue, and COVID-19 cases continue to rise in California, many are turning to state and local leaders to address the issues of racial injustice and public health. Holly Mitchell has been a California State Senator since 2010. She’s also a candidate in the 2020 election to represent District 2 on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Christina Pascucci recently spoke with Senator Mitchell on a number of topics including the coronavirus pandemic, its impact on people of color, law enforcement funding, race relations, and more.

The nation has taken to the streets to protest police brutality and institutional racism after the May 25th killing of George Floyd. How can citizens protect themselves and others from COVID-19 while raising their voices against racism? As the weary nation looks to heal, many have turned to religion, and houses of worship have been given the green light to open their doors once again. What steps are religious institutions taking to provide safety and comfort in these troubled times?

As the situation around the world continues to change every day, we want to be sure that we keep bringing you thoughtful and useful information about the COVID-19 pandemic as it fits into the greater context. So that we may better research new topics and gather resources, we will now be releasing new episodes of the podcast once a week, every Friday. We are now the Coronavirus Weekly podcast!

The state is beginning to reopen. Over the last few weeks, in-store retail shopping, places of worship, and even restaurant dining rooms are once again welcoming patrons in communities across the state of California. Some counties are even beginning to move into the early stages of phase 3 of the state's roadmap towards reopening. Many residence are thrilled to return to move towards a more normal way of life, but is it too soon?

As we head closer towards the summer months, the itch to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state might be getting more noticeable. Much to the delight of those who may be experiencing some cabin fever, more and more state parks and beaches are now open for people to enjoy new safety requirements. Now, National Parks are getting closer to reopening as well. Christina speaks with Trey Matheu of the Oasis at Death Valley, a hospitality resort for visitors to Death Valley National Park where they are currently making preparations to provide safe accommodations for when they are able to welcome back visitors hungry to experience some nature.

We’re doing something pretty different on the podcast today. Now that we’re a few months into stay-at-home orders, you may find yourself not feeling 100% mentally and physically. Thursday, May 21st happens to be World Meditation Day. Christina is speaking with Shaman Durek, a 6th generation shaman and author. His teachings have impacted thousands of people, from diverse public figures like Nina Dobrev and Gwyneth Paltrow, to tech giants like Bulletproof Coffee founder Dave Asprey. Shaman Durrek shares how we can celebrate World Meditation Day with some of the biggest teachers of our time to discover ourselves and find clarity. 

Today on the podcast, christina pascucci is hitting the streets of Long Beach to find out more about a possible new solutions to helping out restaurants that have been battered by restrictions put in place because of COVID-19. The “Open Streets Initiative” would allow restaurants, bars, and cafes to take over parts of streets and parking lots to use for outdoor dining. Christina trekked over to Long Beach Coffee & Tea to chat with Tom West. Tom shares his thoughts on the Open Streets Initiative, and he also tells Christina about some of the amazing Philanthropy happening at Long Beach Coffee & Tea to help veterans and the homeless.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. There’s perhaps no better time to be check in on your mental health than in the midst of a global pandemic. Many of us are feeling some sort of stress in these unprecedented times, whether it be physical, financial, or psychological. Today, Christina is talking with Diana Linn. Diana is an experienced marriage and family therapist and is skilled in trauma recovery work. She spoke with Christina about the importance of paying attention to your mental well-being, and ways you can check-in with loved ones. 

Drew Binsky is a world traveler and daily video maker who has been to 191 countries and has over 5 million social media followers. He tells compelling stories about people and culture, with a goal to spread positivity and shatter stereotypes. Due to COVID-19, Drew’s adventures around the world have come to a halt as he was looking to visit his final 6 countries while shooting a documentary. Still, because of his high profile in the travel world, many are looking to Drew to gain perspective on how the pandemic is unfolding internationally. Christina Pascucci had a chance to catch up with Drew, who gave his insight into how different borders have responded to the spread of the disease, and what the future of international travel might look like. 

Los Angeles County health officials are concerned about a new cluster of COVID-19 cases in the San Fernando Valley. They report that the Silverado Calabasas Memory Care Community has had six deaths linked to the disease, and more than 40 cases among hospital and associates. Families members of residents of the facility have major concerns about how the outbreak is being addressed and communicated, noting that it has been difficult getting clear answers from management and staff. Meanwhile, Silverado Memory Care Community maintains they are updating family members appropriately, and are providing adequate testing for residents and associates.