This COVID Life

In this episode, we meet Lakshmi Sridharan, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist at Emory University in Atlanta. Lakshmi moved to Atlanta less than a year ago and was adjusting to life in a new city and her role within the academic healthcare institution when COVID-19 hit. She reflects on how she's had to adapt her practice of medicine given the spread of the novel coronavirus, including PPE training (and what happens when there isn't enough to go around). She recounts the experience of doing close physical exams with patients who'd tested negative for COVID-19, but ended up developing symptoms from the virus. 

After two exposures while examining COVID-19 patients, Lakshmi found herself sitting in an office with an infectious disease specialist.  After describing the process for COVID-19 testing, she discusses the emotional effect of her work on her parents. For more, visit the podcast website. 

The coronavirus pandemic is having a major effect on family dynamics. The episode kicks off with Dr. Lakshmi Sridharan relating the experience of treating a patient whose whole family was diagnosed with COVID-19. She also discusses her adjustment to doing virtual consultations. Later in the episode, things get even more personal and the co-hosts share how social distancing is affecting their own family lives. 

In this episode, the co-hosts discuss the changing economic landscape resulting from efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lakshmi opens with the story of a patient who has to make difficult choices due to economic challenges. Jaclyn shares how the pandemic is affecting the broader podcast industry and specifically her business.

This episode explores leadership during the coronavirus pandemic. Lakshmi describes her health system's preparedness approach, which includes the appointment of "designated survivors."  Leadership at the local, national, and global level are discussed, and Lakshmi and Jacci trade ideas on the role of media in fueling or fighting the spread of COVID-19. The discussion meanders to a happy topic for females everywhere: Chris Cuomo. 

Speaking from Atlanta as the state of Georgia reopens its economy, the episode opens with Lakshmi talking about how her health system is preparing for an uptick in COVID-19 cases.  The focus shifts to the relationship between COVID-19 and heart health. The interplay between high blood pressure and COVID-19 is discussed. The conversation circles to a fascinating topic -- How the pandemic has affected one of the scarcest resources in the American healthcare system: organ transplants. 

Lakshmi and Jacci discuss the wide range of emotions that arise while living in a pandemic. The episode kicks off with Lakshmi sharing the experience of a patient whose condition was dramatically affected by coronavirus -- but not in the way you might expect. The co-hosts explore their emotional responses to the pandemic and share the stories of close friends who have had complicated experiences with fertility, adoption, dating, and relationships. 

The final episode of This COVID Life kicks off with Lakshmi explaining the different types of COVID-19 immunity tests — what the results of antibody tests can tell us and what they do not. Jacci and Lakshmi take stock of what's next: What does life look like after COVID-19? Is there such a thing?