Is It Normal Yet?

It's been a year since the "Is It Normal Yet?" podcast started documenting how the DC region is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, ex-host and co-creator Laura Spitalniak returns to the show to take stock of the podcast's first year with host and co-creator Luke Garrett. The two review their favorite episodes and share what they've learned from creating and hosting the "Is It Normal Yet?" podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Though COVID-19 caseloads, deaths and hospitalizations are declining in the U.S., the nation’s top infectious disease expert is urging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted as a new variant emerges across Europe. WTOP's Digital Editor Scott Gelman talked to President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, about the rise in COVID-19 cases, why it's happening and what to do about it. This episode features Scott's entire conversation with Dr. Fauci.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

COVID-19 cases continue to fall in the United States, but parts of Europe and Asia are seeing spikes in coronavirus cases due to BA.2 — a subvariant of Omicron. It remains un-clear if BA.2 will cause a similar spike in the U.S., but experts believe cases will go up. Andrew Pekosz is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopskins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Professor Pekosz explains what BA.2 is and how we should respond to it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The price of a house in the DC area continues to rise, even as COVID-19 restrictions and case counts ease. This week, I talk to WTOP's Jeff Clabaugh about why this is and what home-buyers can do about it. We also discuss the future of work and the new-found leverage workers have during the "great resignation." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How does one determine whether it's normal or not? One way is to look at the medical reality of COVID-19 and the government's response to the virus. This week, I talked to Dr. Monica Gandhi, a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. We try to answer this impossible question: is it normal yet? Dr. Gandhi says we are, in fact, returning to normal and explains why. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It remains unclear how many trucker caravans will actually make it to D.C. to protest COVID-19 restrictions, but the U.S. Capitol police and the Secret Service aren't taking any chances. Fences are up and the national guard is active in the nation's capital. This week, WTOP reporter Dick Uliano talks about what we know so far about these convoys, their motivations and whether their protests will affect area residents. He also shares his conversation with D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton who received a security briefing on the convoys. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The debate over mask mandates at Virginia schools is coming to a close, after Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed his mask-optional policy into law. The battle over mask mandates started on Youngkin's first day in office, when he signed a mask-optional executive order. This sparked a political, moral and legal battle that ultimately ended in the governor's favor. WTOP's Neal Augenstein reported on this story from start to finish and spoke with Gov. Youngkin about the issue. This week, Augenstein explains what this law means for Virginians and how the new governor was able to pass the mask-optional law with bi-partisan support. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Governors across the United States are rethinking mask mandates in the classroom and Maryland's Gov. Larry Hogan is one of them. He's asked the state board of education to change their rules and make masks optional for all students. WTOP's Luke Lukert has been covering this emerging battle over masks in Maryland. He explains the current board of education rules, why Hogan didn't sign a mask-optional executive order like Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and what this all means for COVID-19 restrictions in the D.C. region. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

COVID-19 galvanized voters on both sides of the aisle. Since 2020, politicians have been judged on their stance toward the pandemic. But as the virus enters a new endemic phase, will COVID-19 continue to be a key issue for voters? This week, WTOP Capitol Hill reporter Mitchell Miller reviews pandemic politics and explains how the virus will likely influence the midterm elections.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has had a difficult pandemic. Between extremely low ridership, COVID-19 staff shortages and the October Blue Line derailment, Metro is losing money and unable to provide the sort of reliable and frequent service seen pre-pandemic. WTOP's John Aaron tells us how Metro is doing now after two tough years and what the transit system's plan is for the future. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s a new governor in Virginia — Republican Glenn Youngkin — and he is changing how the Commonwealth treats COVID-19. Within his first hours as governor, Youngkin ended pandemic mandates including indoor masking at schools. In Northern Virginia, most public school systems rejected the new governor's order sparking a political and legal battle. Like all schooling issues, parents, students and teachers are caught in the middle. This week WTOP's Nick Iannelli helps us understand the changing tides of pandemic policy in Virginia and what to expect from the new governor.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hospitalizations and deaths are rising, but COVID-19 cases are starting to ebb in our region. So, what will happen after this Omicron wave? Andrew Pekosz — Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health — says Omicron marks the transition between a pandemic and an endemic. He says after this winter surge, the world will develop a population immunity — guarding the majority of society from severe disease. In short, the coronavirus will likely settle and become one of the many other respiratory diseases. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Record case rates are leading to an all-time high in hospitalizations throughout the DC region. Doctors and nurses are dealing with more COVID-19 patients than ever before. This week, WTOP's Kristi King shares her reporting on the Sentara Healthcare hospital system in Northern Virginia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fire and EMS crews across the DC region have depleted staffs and an increased call volume due to the winter surge in COVID-19 cases. These challenges are building upon pandemic staff shortages. This week, longtime public safety reporter Dave Statter explains where fire and EMS departments stand now. I also spoke with Montgomery County Fire Department Battalion Chief Ben Kaufman who talks about what he's seeing on the ground. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

D.C. reported one of the highest COVID-19 case rates in the country and city officials took notice. Within 48 hours, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reinstated the indoor mask mandate, announced a city-wide vaccine mandate and rolled out a $50 million rapid-test program. And the mayor wasn’t alone, D.C. City Council also reacted to this surge and passed legislation requiring students 16-years-old and up to get vaccinated against COVID-19. WTOP’s Scott Gelman joins us this week to walk us through this avalanche of policy meant to beat back the Omicron surge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Omicron is spreading across the D.C. area fast, causing some schools to go virtual and limiting hospitals in Maryland to critical care. This week, WTOP’s Kate Ryan explains why Prince George’s County Public Schools decided to shift to virtual learning and whether other school systems in the area will do the same. Kate then shares her reporting on Maryland hospitals, which are facing bed shortages amid this latest surge. A public health expert Dr. Claire Standely also joins the show. She is an Associate Research Professor of Public Health within the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security. She gives the latest status report on this new and evasive variant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

During the pandemic, an alarming number of young people feel hopeless and sad, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. He called the persistent rise in depression and suicide among the youth a public health crisis. This week, I talked to Rachna Krishnan. She's CEO and Executive Director of the Women's Center — a non-profit that provides counseling to thousands of men, women and children in the DC area. Krishnan tells me how this crisis is playing out in our region. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scientists are looking for Omicron across the globe. This week I talked to Scott Nguyen and Janis Doss at the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences. They are medical technologists and informaticians who are sequencing for the new variant in the District. Janis and Scott explain this process and why its important in the fight against COVID-19. I also talked to the Chief of Infectious Diseases at MedStar Washington Hospital Center — Dr. Glenn Wortmann. We review the medical implication of Omicron. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

D.C.-area residents were thrown into pandemic uncertainty last week as a new variant of concern sparked world-wide unease. Further, local leaders changed mask rules abruptly. This week WTOP’s John Domen shared his conversation with epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dr. Katelyn Jetelina. She breaks down what’s going on with Omicron. I also talked to WTOP’s Digital Editor Scott Gelman about the shift in mask rules in D.C. and Montgomery County. He reviews the recent changes in local mandates and how it's leading to confusion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With vaccines, boosters and rapid tests approved and widely available — public health officials say Thanksgiving is a go. Yet, COVID-19 is still here and cases are rising nationally and locally. This week I spoke with MedStar Health Infectious Diseases specialist Dr. Maria Elena Ruiz. She talks about why it’s important for all Thanksgiving guests to be on the same page about COVID, how to talk about the virus with your loved ones and what the best safety measures are.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.