COVID-19 AMA: Omicron Becomes U.S. Dominant Variant, Free At-Home Tests Planned, And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, guest host Austin Cross speaks with the director of Infectious Disease and Prevention at Pasadena’s Huntington Hospital Dr. Kimberly Shriner.
Topics today include:
- Multiple nations announce new rules over gatherings and travel ahead of holidays
- The Omicron variant now makes up 73% of new cases in the U.S.
- Biden’s Omicron plan to include 500 million free at-home tests
- Tips for staying safe while flying over the holidays
Debunking Common Misinformation About The COVID-19 Vaccines, Plus How To Talk To The Vaccine-Hesitant People In Your Life
With the emergence of the Omicron variant, health officials are stressing the importance of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters now more than ever. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 60% of Americans are fully vaccinated and just 30% of eligible Americans have received a booster; the goal is for at least 80% of Americans to be fully vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation continues to be an issue in the effort to end the pandemic. Today on AirTalk, guest host Austin Cross speaks with the director of Infectious Disease and Prevention at Pasadena’s Huntington Hospital Dr. Kimberly Shriner about common misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, and licensed marriage and family therapist Lance Tango about how to talk to the vaccine-hesitant people in your life.
Federal Student Loan Payments Are Set To Resume In February. Here’s How To Prepare.
The nearly two years of student loan borrowers being able to use their monthly payment money for other things appears to be coming to an end at the end of next month with federal student loan payments set to resume on February 1, 2022. Despite his promise as a presidential candidate to forgive $10,000 in debt per borrower, President Biden’s administration says the payments won’t be postponed again, and have yet to make a push for legislation to address the issue. Many advocates, including members of Congress like Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer as well as groups like the ACLU, want to see the moratorium on payments extended, and are calling on the president to address the student debt crisis directly by forgiving some debt for borrowers.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with reporter covering student debt for MarketWatch Jillian Berman, and associate professor of leadership studies at the University of San Francisco Desiree Zerquera about what borrowers need to know as student loan payments resume, how to best prepare to start paying off your loans again if you’ve been taking advantage of the pause and how the restart of payments will impact borrowers of color in particular.
What Impact Could The Omicron Variant Have On The U.S. Economy?
The Omicron variant has quickly become the most dominant variant in the United States, accounting for 73% of new infections last week. As the variant spreads and cases rise, the Netherlands has gone into lockdown. The White House said Monday that President Biden was not planning on “locking the country down,” but with some companies restricting travel, cities reverting to virtual holiday celebrations, and live performances canceled, many of us are wondering what the next few weeks hold in store for the U.S. economy. Today on AirTalk, guest host Austin Cross discusses the potential economic implications of the Omicron variant with Washington Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News Peggy Collins and Washington Post reporter Laura Reiley covering the business of food.
President Biden Addresses The Nation On Preparations For Omicron Surge
President Biden will address the nation on preparations in response to the ongoing Omicron variant surge in the country. AirTalk will be carrying this event, as well as NPR's special coverage of it, live.