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Podcasts
COVID in L.A.
COVID in L.A.
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COVID in L.A.
The daily COVID-19 update from KPCC and LAist, hosted by AirTalk's Larry Mantle.

About the Show

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, we've had a daily segment on AirTalk devoted to bringing you the latest information about COVID-19, vaccines, and how the virus and pandemic have affected the lives of Southern Californians from the doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, and other medical professionals fighting the virus on the frontlines. In each episode of this podcast, we’ll speak with one of the experts on our rotating panel of guests who share their expertise with us each day.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Funding provided by:

Corporation for Public Broadcasting
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Episodes
  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 11:08
    Listen • 11:08
    How to Save Water
    California is in a drought -- again. LAist’s new show How to LA explores what more Angelenos can do to preserve water. It won't be easy, but we meet up with one long-time resident who shows us how it's possible. Follow How to LA; the show aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way.


    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 22:38
    Listen • 22:38
    April 18, 2022 – California Ditches Vaccine Requirement For Kids, How At-Home Tests Are Affecting Case Counts, Breath Test To Detect COVID
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of the department of emergency medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. 

    Topics today include: 

    • White House Covid response coordinator: Americans over 60 should get second booster. 
    • With the rise in at-home testing, are we undercounting COVID-19 cases even more than before?  
    • COVID hospitalizations fall to 213 in L.A. County. 
    • California will not require COVID vaccines for children this fall. 
    • BA.2 is spreading in the U.S. but people are over it. 
    • FDA authorizes first breath test to detect coronavirus. 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

Support The COVID in LA podcast today
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  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 24:40
    Listen • 24:40
    February 3, 2022 – Super Bowl Masks, Johnson & Johnson Boosters, Nasal Vaccines
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with professor of medicine and associate medical director for epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine’s School of Medicine Dr. Shruti Gohil. 


    Topics today include: 



    • Could the Omicron surge wind down by early March? 
    • Why do some people get COVID when others don’t? 
    • L.A. County health officials double down on mask mandate ahead of the Super Bowl. 
    • California’s indoor mask mandate is set to expire February 15 – should it be extended? 
    • Johnson & Johnson recipients can get a third COVID-19 shot in San Francisco. 
    • Why nasal COVID-19 vaccines may make better boosters. 
    • As with vaccines, equity becomes an issue with COVID-19 medications. 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 31:33
    Listen • 31:33
    February 2, 2022 – Pfizer Seeks Vaccine Approval For Kids Under 5, U.S. Has Higher Death Rate Than Other Wealthy Countries
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Kristen R. Choi, professor of nursing and public health at UCLA. 



    Topics today include: 



    • The status of the nursing profession as the pandemic goes on.
    • Pfizer asks the F.D.A. to allow COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5. 
    • U.S. has far higher COVID death rate than other wealthy countries. 
    • A study finds that vaccines provide robust protection against Omicron. 
    • Fast-spreading Omicron variant is more likely to cause reinfection. 
    • Denmark halts virus restrictions. The rest of Europe is a patchwork. 
    • Disneyland requires vaccines for workers but not for visitors. 
    • Omicron hit poor L.A. communities of color hardest. 
    • Johns Hopkins analysis finds lockdowns only reduced COVID-19 death rate by 0.2%. 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 31:03
    Listen • 31:03
    February 1, 2022 – Vaccine For Young Kids Could Be Ready Soon, Novavax Vaccine Approval, L.A. County Mask Rules
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Tara Vijayan, associate professor of infectious diseases and medical director of antimicrobial stewardship at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 



    Topics today include: 



    • Pfizer expected to ask the F.D.A. to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5. 
    • Novavax applies for F.D.A. authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine. 
    • Why Omicron hit Southern California harder than the Bay Area. 
    • L.A. County health officials face pressure to ease indoor mask rules. 
    • Even if they can find a test, not everyone wants to know if they have COVID. 
    • What role should health providers play in COVID-19 testing? 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 32:14
    Listen • 32:14
    January 31 2022 – Moderna Vaccine Approval, Effectiveness Of Boosters, Cases Continue Decline
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with the director of Infectious Disease and Prevention at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, Dr. Kimberly Shriner. 



    Topics today include: 



    • Moderna announces full U.S. approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. 
    • New C.D.C. data shows the effectiveness of boosters. 
    • L.A. County’s daily coronavirus cases continue dramatic decline, but death rate remains high. 
    • Optimism at L.A. County’s nursing homes as coronavirus surge declines. 
    • People who are boosted against COVID-19 will be exempt from San Francisco’s mask mandate in certain group settings. 
    • New clues about who will develop Long COVID. 
    • Omicron pushes health authorities toward learning to live with COVID-19. 
    • Opinion: What we can learn from how the 1918 pandemic ended. 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 16:37
    Listen • 16:37
    January 28 2022 – Whether You Should Get Another Booster, Plus Are We Past The Omicron Peak?
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of the department of emergency medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. 



    Topics today include: 



    • What we know about the new BA.2 Omicron variant. Here’s why scientists are on alert. 
    • Omicron was in California before it was named Omicron, according to sewage samples. 

      • What else wastewater is telling us about the Omicron surge. 
    • Health officials say L.A. County is past the Omicron peak. 
    • San Francisco eases mask, vaccination proof rules as Omicron surge recedes. 
    • Rams-49ers football, Lunar New Year pose new COVID-19 challenge for California. 
    • Should you get a second booster shot? 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 32:53
    Listen • 32:53
    January 27 2022 – 15-Month-Old Dies Of COVID-19 In L.A. County, Moderna’s Trial Of Omicron Booster Progresses
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Timothy Brewer, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. 


    Topics today include: 

    • Moderna begins the next phase of its Omicron-specific booster trial. Study finds antibodies drop 6-fold over 6 months. 
    • Israeli study finds slightly higher-than-expected rate of myocarditis among vaccinated boys. 
    • A 15-month-old has died of COVID-19 in L.A. County. 
    • California exceeds 8 million coronavirus cases; adds 2.5 million since New Year’s Day. 
    • There’s one population that gets overlooked by an “everyone will get COVID” mentality. 
    • Sacramento City Unified pushes student COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadline to Feb. 28. 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 21:22
    Listen • 21:22
    Introducing Imperfect Paradise from LAist Studios
    Imperfect Paradise, produced by LAist Studios, is a longform narrative podcast showcasing California stories with universal significance. Each of our stories takes on something essential about California -- its progressiveness, its reputation as a home for dreamers and schemers, its heartbreaking inequality, its varied and diverse communities, its unique combination of dense cities and wild places -- and breaks it down into three, 20-30 minute episodes that will be released occasionally.

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

  • COVID in L.A.
    Listen • 28:33
    Listen • 28:33
    January 26, 2022 – Omicron Reinfections, “Stealth Omicron” Sub Variant, KN95 Masks For The Super Bowl
    In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Dean Blumberg, professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. 



    Topics today include: 



    • Study suggests more than two-thirds of Omicron cases are reinfections. 
    • “Stealth Omicron” sub variant found in Santa Clara County. 
    • Public health officials say Omicron has passed the peak in L.A. County but.  transmission rate is still worrisome. 
    • Fans attending Super Bowl at SoFi will get KN95 masks and will be urged to keep them on. 
    • When should a vaccinated person who recovered from COVID-19 get boosted? It’s complicated. 
    • New research hints at four factors that may increase chances of long COVID. 
    • Omicron’s spread underscores the potential consequences of the global vaccine gap, experts say. 
    • Op-Ed: China’s zero-COVID policy is a pandemic waiting to happen. 
    • It’s too early to say whether CBD helps against COVID-19. 

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

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Credits
Headshot of Larry Mantle
Larry Mantle
Host, AirTalk