Short Wave Folgen

As COVID-19 cases in the U.S. drop, the hospitalization rate remains high — as does the death rate. Experts say getting a COVID vaccine booster is key to maintaining immunity, but only about half of all vaccinated people in the U.S. have gotten the booster, which increases protection against both serious illness and death from the Omicron variant. Still, many infectious disease experts are cautiously optimistic for the coming months, pointing to it as a time to bolster our defenses against the virus. Reach the show by emailing shortwave@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today we're bringing you an episode from our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. They review the new HBO Max miniseries Station Eleven, based on the 2014 novel by author Emily St. John Mandel. The show's premise might sound eerily familiar: it begins with a highly contagious and deadly virus wiping out most of the world's population. The show then follows survivors through the pandemic's aftermath, as they decide how to rebuild what they've lost.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Omicron surge may have peaked in the U.S., but parts of the world are seeing crippling levels of cases. Jason Beaubien, NPR global health and development correspondent, joins the show to talk about where the virus is spreading, different countries' strategies for controlling the pandemic and what vaccinations look like globally.You can email the show at ShortWave@NPR.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy