Voices of COVID-19

In 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 Air Force Reserve Medical Corps.

2020 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 world with a project called Ides, releasing one song a month as an outlet for her creativity (and a lifeline for music lovers).   In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Dessa about how she coped, adapted, and hopefully emerged even stronger through the challenges of a trying year.

For 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.

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 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.

As 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 people faced just to survive.

At 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 Care Unit. She is also the medical director of UCLA Health’s Three Wishes Program, which works to implement the final wishes for patients who are dying.

COVID-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 communities about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, to hopefully get more people to participate.

Among 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 working in Seattle, fighting COVID fatigue to continue helping patients even as the case numbers once again start to rise.

Ignoring 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 months… trying to stay safe and protect herself from those who take their health and safety for granted.

For 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 interviews Elizabeth Blankenship, a Physician Assistant in Austin Texas.  Elizabeth has been existing in these dual worlds since the beginning of the pandemic. She says she has been able to find a sense of calm and balance through it all, and even a renewed sense of purpose.

Looking 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 episode, Brian Lucas interviews Antigoni Dionysiadou.  Antigoni lives in Athens, where she is studying psychology at the University. Before the pandemic took its toll on tourism in Athens, Antigoni was also working as a tour guide, giving walking tours of the various neighborhoods in the city.

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 the virus out of their community, and helping those who are most vulnerable, is a top priority. In this episode, Brian Lucas continues his conversation with Helene Gaddie, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and a resident of Pine Ridge.   Since the outbreak, Helene has been part of an Indigenous Response effort, reaching out to people across the reservation to offer education and support.

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 time of this recording the Reservation had seen around 100 cases of the virus.  Still, the residents know that even a small outbreak in their community could have grave consequences.In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Helene Gaddie, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and a resident of Pine Ridge. Helene and her husband run a non-profit called, Generation Indigenous Ways, which runs camps for American Indian Youth focusing on integrating science curriculum with traditional Native values and practices. Since the outbreak, Helene has been part of an Indigenous Response effort, reaching out to people across the reservation to offer education and support.Because of the many issues related to the pandemic and life on the Pine Ridge Reservation, we are breaking this interview into two episodes.  In this episode, Helen talks about the lockdown of the reservation and how the pandemic may be an opportunity for the Lakota Nation to reconnect with its roots. 

How 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 state.Cook County has been working hard to keep the pandemic at bay, realizing that even a small outbreak could cause big problems. They are one example like many others around the country where COVID-19 might SEEM like it’s not a real threat because there haven’t been many cases, but where vigilance is critical at a time when people are getting restless about continued social distancing and the wearing of masks.In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Cook County public health supervisor, Grace Grinager, about the unique challenges facing rural America as we deal with this pandemic.

In 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 unfortunately be dealing with long after we have a vaccine for COVID-19.To explore this complex topic, Brian Lucas interviews Dr. Abdul Omari. Dr. Omari has a PhD in comparative and international development education from the University of Minnesota.  He is the son of immigrant parents and is a dedicated public servant in Minneapolis.  He served on the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota for six years and is currently on the U of M Foundation Board of Trustees as well as numerous other boards trying to address critical issues in the state, and promoting leadership development and mentoring. 

In 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 than face to face.In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews high school English teacher and college counselor, Jim Mahoney, about what it was like to suddenly become an online teacher, the concerns he's heard from his students about college in the fall, and what what lessons he has learned in the last months that he'll carry forward after the pandemic ends. 

While 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 the country tries to stem the tide of the pandemic. 

What 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.

During 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.  Today he is involved in numerous projects and collaborations, most notably as a member of the renowned jazz trio, the New Standards.

Every 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 what it's like to care for patients at the front line of COVID-19.

We 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 the disappointment of having her freshmen year cut short by the pandemic, and she opens up about how incidents of racism have left her concerned for her own safety well beyond the risk of COVID-19.

The 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 husband just recently recovered from a two-week battle with COVID-19.  Celica talks about how France is trying to flatten the curve, what it was like to care for her husband through his illness, and the long-term impact this pandemic may have on France going forward.  

Among 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.In this episode of Voices of COVID-19, Brian Lucas talks with Laurie about the challenges that she faces as a journalist during a pandemic, and how she deals with the day-to-day stress in both her work life and at home.

As 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 important than ever.In this episode of Voices of Covid-19, Brian Lucas interviews Rabbi Davidson about adapting to a pandemic and how we can come together as a community to find a path forward.

We 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 in the air.To get perspective on this, Brian Lucas interviews an expert: his daughter, Julia.Julia opens up about how social distancing feels as a teenager, what she has done to cope, and how her generation is dealing with this unprecedented moment in history.