E89: COVID-19 Roundtable Update

Although many of us are still working remotely and living a large part of our lives through a computer screen, when we look outside, things look…dare I say, kind of normal. Cars are on the streets, patrons are visiting restaurants and businesses, and we’re seeing our neighbors (real people) emerge from months of hibernating during the Arizona summer. These are promising signs as more and more Arizonans receive the COVID-19 vaccine, use masks indoors and continue to protect themselves from the effects of COVID-19. But as you’ll hear from our guests, this is not, and cannot, be the new normal. Infection rates remain suspended at a stubbornly high level, and our healthcare providers – the same selfless, heroic people we once cheered and celebrated – are finding themselves nearly two years into a pandemic, battling not only a virus, but also fatigue and the challenges of workforce shortages. Today’s podcast is a reminder that the amount of fuel left for the pandemic may be diminishing, but there’s still a great deal of work to be done before we stop this fire.