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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A return to pre-pandemic normal won't benefit everyone, especially the disability community. Over the last two years, increased digital access to work, health care and entertainment made life easier for those with disabilities. But access issues still remain. An October report from the CDC found people with a disability were less likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine, despite being less hesitant. This week, we talked to Ryan Honick — a DC-based disability advocate, speaker, wheelchair user and the founder of Wild Pitch Media. Honick answered our questions about how the disability community dealt with the pandemic and what gains they made during COVID-19.

The approval of kids' vaccines makes around 95% of the U.S. population eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Infectious Diseases expert Dr. Monica Gandhi believes this will usher in the end of the pandemic within a few months and downgrade the coronavirus into a controllable endemic. The University of California San Francisco Professor joined us to explain how kids' vaccines could get us back to normal and what metrics will tells us when the pandemic is over. She also sheds light on why she's taking her 11-year-old to get the shot.

Montgomery County regressed to a rate of substantial COVID-19 transmission, which triggers an indoor mask mandate under the current guidelines. The county's mandate will return at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, unless the Board of Health intervenes beforehand. This week we talk to Dr. Earl Stoddard, Director of the County's Office of Emergency Management. He reviews Montgomery County's mask rules, where the county stands amid the pandemic and how officials are planning to get kids vaccines out to the public once approved.

Halloween is around the corner marking the start of the holiday season. The pandemic is easing, but health experts still warn of another COVID-19 spike as colder weather rolls in and holiday celebrations begin. Dr. Ruth Kanthula is a pediatrician and an infectious disease specialist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She walks us through how to trick-or-treat safely, explains the do's and don'ts for Halloween and tells us how kid vaccines will change the pandemic.

The Smithsonian National Zoo saw a COIVD-19 outbreak among their great cats in September. Nine lions and tigers were infected. One of their older lions almost died from the delta variant of the coronavirus. The variant also caused the Zoo to cancel both Boo at the Zoo and Zoo Lights this year. This week National Zoo Acting Director Dr. Brandie Smith talks about how the great cats got the virus, what role vaccines play for animal health and why the Zoo decided to cancel Boo at the Zoo and Zoo lights.

Last week, the D.C. Council unanimously approved a limited expansion of virtual learning for city public schools as part of an emergency bill addressing parents' concerns about in-person learning. Before the passage of the “Protecting Our Children Emergency Amendment Act of 2021,” just a few hundred students were allowed to take part in virtual learning. Now, 350 more spots will open up in D.C. Public Schools' virtual academy. This week, WTOP's Scott Gelman talks about what's in this emergency legislation, why Mayor Muriel Bowser opposes it and how this all will be implemented in the weeks to come.

"In America: Remember" memorialized the more than 700,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19. Artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg created the exhibit, which ran from September 17 to October 3. This week, Firstenberg shares her reflections on the instillation and tells us what it means for her. Jessica Balthazar — an ICU nurse who worked in Queens, New York at the height of the pandemic — also shares her thoughts on the thousands of white flags that stood across the National Mall.

Hospitals nationwide are losing resources to the most recent surge of COVID-19, causing bed shortages and increasing wait times. This week, we asked two medical specialists at MedStar Washington Hospital Center how their Emergency Room is doing. Dr. Susan O'Mara is the Chair of Emergency Medicine and Dr. Glenn Wortmann is the Chief of Infectious Diseases. They take us into the hospital and talked about what patients can expect, whether ER staff are burnt out and fatigued, and how you can talk to your friends and family about their vaccination status.

Montgomery County Public Schools are a month into full in-person learning and the school system has made a series of COVID-19 policy changes as it tries to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Quarantine protocols, vaccine requirements and a decision on homecoming are among the recent developments. This week WTOP reporter Luke Lukert reviews the last few weeks at MCPS. He also shares his conversation with the interim superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight, who lays out her goals for the rest of the school year.

Maryland high school athletics resumed Sept. 3 and within a week both Prince George's and Montgomery counties announced vaccine mandates. Originally, the school districts had left the decision up to the players, but outbreaks moved the counties to require COVID-19 vaccines or a negative test. This week, WTOP's José Umaña takes us onto the field and shares his conversations with coaches and athletes, who are trying to play their fall season while navigating the pandemic.

In-person learning is back at all Virginia Public Schools this fall, but class is far from normal. Coronavirus cases continue to rise in the Commonwealth. With many elementary students still ineligible for the vaccine, safety concerns remain high. This week, long-time WTOP reporter Neal Augestein tells us what the first day back to school looked like this year, and how parents, teachers and students are facing the school year ahead.

The entertainment industry has a new weapon against this latest COVID-19 surge: vaccines. This week, we talked to WTOP's entertainment editor Jason Fraley about how venues, entertainers and arts patrons are trying to make live shows work as the delta variant causes a rise in cases. Fraley also discusses how the film industry plans to balance theatrical releases and streaming service doubts.

Despite pandemic isolation and social distancing, eros lived on and adapted to the new realities brought on by COVID-19. Lisa Bonos covers dating and relationships for the Washington Post. She joined us this week and talked about co-workers turning Zoom into a dating app, couples being OK with a long-distance relationship, and a wedding in the streets of Capitol Hill.

As we enter the 20th month of the coronavirus pandemic, the delta variant continues to rip through the county driving up cases, hospitalization and death in its wake. Which leads to the question: will COVID-19 ever end? This week we looked to the past for an answer and spoke with Graham Mooney, Associate Professor of the History of Medicine and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins. He explained how past pandemics mirror the coronavirus, how we eradicated the smallpox pandemic once and for all, and why we haven't been able to do it since.

The delta variant has changed the pandemic and our fight against it. This week, we talked to Infectious Diseases and HIV Doctor Monica Gandhi, who explains this shifting pandemic, the intricacies of the delta variant, breakthrough cases and when the U.S. may see cases go back down. The University of California San Francisco professor also provides helpful metrics and goals to look out for as the coronavirus pandemic becomes an ever-present, but manageable endemic virus.

Masks are once again required in the nation's capital while indoors. The mandate comes on the heels of new Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, which urges everyone in locations of substantial or high COVID-19 transmission to wear masks inside — all to limit the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. This week we talk to WTOP's Mike Murillo and John Domen about the nuts and bolts of D.C. 's mask mandate and what this resurgence of the coronavirus means for the greater Washington region.

In mid-July, D.C. saw a rash of high profile shootings that cast a national spotlight on increased violent crime in the District. This week, WTOP's Investigative Reporter Megan Cloherty breaks down the continued rise in D.C. violence , shares her conversation with Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee and explains what's at stake for the city if these shootings continue.

The D.C.-area saw an explosion of streeteries and pedestrian-only roads as city residents craved outdoor spaces during the depths of the pandemic. In many cases, these new spaces arrived under COVID-19 emergency orders, which are now phasing out. This week we spoke with the Faculty Director of the Georgetown University Global Cities Initiative and Professor of Practice Uwe Brandes, who walks us through what city planning looks like in D.C., how the pandemic jumpstarted new ways of organizing urban areas and whether streeteries and pedestrian-only byways are here to stay.

The coronavirus spread across the world, but it played out locally and affected people's lives through their communities. This placed local politicians and leaders on the front lines of the pandemic. This week Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich talks about how the pandemic heightened the importance of local government, where his county stands in respect to COVID-19 and what he sees at the region's most difficult challenges.

July 4, 2021 marked a major step toward normalcy in the D.C.-area. Vaccinated friends and family gathered without masks or worry. Crowds filled the National Mall for fireworks. But is the pandemic over? This week Virginia Governor Ralph Northam talks about what this Independence Day means for the Commonwealth. The pediatrician-turned-politician also says many challenges still lie ahead for Virginia.

Digitized faux-cheers went silent and choruses of human roars reclaimed their sonic dominance at D.C. stadiums this June as COVID-19 capacity restrictions phased out. This week, WTOP Sports Director George Wallace talks about how the country first learned of the pandemic's severity through sports and what the return of packed stadiums means for local teams and fanbases.

The pandemic shifted priorities and changed people's relationship with space. People fled the dense populations of apartment-living and wanted office-space at home. In turn, the house prices soared, apartment costs dropped and office spaces were left empty. With nearly 70% of the D.C.-area population vaccinated, will these pandemic trends in real estate hold? What impact did all these changes have on renters, home buyers and property managers? Tune in with WTOP business reporter Jeff Clabaugh who walks us through the still-shifting real estate landscape.

Symptoms of the coronavirus are well known: loss of smell, tightness in the chest, trouble breathing, high temperature and general fatigue. But the pandemic also caused other, subtler, more indirect symptoms. For example, rates of depression, anxiety and alcohol use all rose during the pandemic. How doctors interact and treat their patients also changed. This week, WTOP reporter Kristi King talks about how the pandemic affected people's health and what changes to the healthcare system are here to stay.

High school graduates are returning to stages and tossing mortarboards again, as the D.C.-area's eased health restrictions allow for in-person commencement ceremonies. But the effects of the pandemic live on with the Class of 2021 receiving their diplomas socially distanced and outside — to the raucous cheers of cicadas. This week, WTOP reporter Kate Ryan tells us what commencement ceremonies look like for the Class of 2021 and how the pandemic impacted local graduates.

Traffic jargon such as bottleneck, bumper-to-bumper and gridlock went mum during the pandemic as people stayed home and streets emptied. But those open roads are no more, as traffic rages back in the D.C.-area. This week, WTOP traffic reporter Dave Dildine talks about how the pandemic impacted D.C. traffic, what unique trends emerged and what drivers should expect as they return to the roads.

The pandemic upended local court systems across the D.C.-region, which had to scramble and find a way to hold trials while also maintaining COVID-19 health restrictions. This week, WTOP investigative reporter Megan Cloherty walks us through the court's pandemic woes and the long-standing effects these stoppages and delays will have on our legal system.

Our area saw a surge in homicides and carjackings during the pandemic. COVID-19 forced changes on human behavior across the spectrum — including illicit misconduct. This week, WTOP investigative reporter Megan Cloherty joined us to discuss the criminal trends that cropped up across the DC region. We also talked about policing in a tumultuous year of new coronavirus procedures.

A once-in-a-century pandemic and a historic wave of protests dominated the headlines this past year. But how did the two affect each other? This week we talk to WTOP reporter Alejandro Alvarez who has traveled the world photographing social movements over the past five years. He tells us what he saw on the ground during the Black Lives Matters protests this summer as well as how the coronavirus changed the way ideology spreads and how social movements ignite.

People often turn to faith during times of suffering, hardship and uncertainty — inescapable realities during the coronavirus pandemic. But with health restrictions barring large gatherings, how did local religious groups serve their congregations? What did religious life look like this past year? This week we talk to reporter and anchor Kyle Cooper, who also works as a youth pastor. Tune is as we look at how his church reacted to the unique challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and discuss broader religious trends in the D.C. region.

With local theaters and venues shuttered during the pandemic, artists went virtual and drive-in theaters blossomed. But were local artists able to survive this past year? Are any D.C.-area venues closed for good? And will movie theaters make a come-back or will streaming reign supreme? Tune in and find out with WTOP entertainment editor Jason Fraley as he sheds light on where local entertainment stands.

“After a year of shuttered stadiums and empty stands, D.C. fans made their return to in-person games this month. The Washington Nationals kicked off their April 6 opening day by raising their championship flag in front of fans for the first time. This week, WTOP sports reporter Rob Woodfork explains the return to in-person D.C. sports and what fans should expect in the coming months.”