Public Health for the People with Dr. Amber

Many people still have plenty of questions about how the COVID-19 vaccine works inside of the body. On this episode we dust off our biology textbooks and discuss how the vaccine works on a cellular level and dispel some common safety misconceptions. 

The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines is helping the country to begin looking forward to a better tomorrow but there is still much work that our communities need to do in order to remain safe and healthy in the present.  On this episode we continue to explore the role of the COVID-19 vaccine in helping to alleviate the severity of the pandemic.

While the news of forthcoming COVID-19 vaccines provides much needed hope going into the holidays, many people still have a lot of questions regarding safety, efficacy and the vaccine development process in general. On this episode, Dr. Amber provides helpful insight into the ways vaccines are created, the FDA approval process and puts to rest some of the most common misconceptions about herd immunity. 

As the nation encounters another massive spike in COVID-19 cases, communities are once again faced with increased restrictive measures aimed at providing relief for our healthcare infrastructure. The approaching winter holidays are also causing many to spend the season without the family and friends that they've been missing all year. Yet in the midst of all this, a glimmer of hope emerged in the form of 2 promising vaccines that may eventually be available to the public. Dr. Amber provides insight on these themes and more during this crucial moment in the pandemic.

Straight talk from Dr. Amber about the importance of remaining vigilant in the collective fight against COVID-19.

A healthy democracy requires a healthy electorate. This episode explores some of the public health related issues that can be considered when  heading to the polls this year. 

As people prepare for an increase in activity this fall many are wondering how they can remain vigilant in the fight against COVID-19. In this episode we review the guidelines to help keep you and your family safe during the upcoming Halloween, election and flu seasons. 

The pandemic has already drastically altered the school year for many young people all over the country. On this episode we explore some of the most current research about COVID-19 in school-aged children. 

On this episode we chat with author and illustrator Falynn Koch about her work on scientific comics for children. Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield and Bats: Learning to Fly are incredibly relevant books to help young people learn about the basic concepts related to COVID-19, and two of Dr. Amber's personal favorites! You can follow Falynn on IG @falynnk 

Maneuvering through day to day life in the age of COVID is challenging enough, but moving cross-country during a pandemic is the ultimate adventure in travel safety. On this episode Dr. Amber will share some practical tips to help you stay healthy on your next road trip. 

Many wonder why the state of Georgia doesn't report COVID-19 recovery stats, but "recovery" in COVID-19 patients can sometimes be a complex matter. On this episode we will explore some of the current findings about COVID-19 recovery and discuss the implications from the public health perspective.

Both adults and children may be feeling a little anxious when it comes to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. What treatments are safest? When should we expect to see a vaccine? This episode explores listener submitted inquiries focusing on the impact of COVID-19 in children. 

The American Association of Pediatrics recently released a report on pediatric infections in COVID-19, giving sort of a 20,000 foot view of the situation. This episode unpacks those findings and discusses what they might mean with schools reopening.

When we are constantly bombarded with information from a plethora of sources it can be challenging to know how to determine what’s accurate or not. How can the scientific method be used to explain why public health recommendations can change over time? What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory? This episode will provide clarity on the ways that scientists approach the work that helps to inform everything from research to public health strategy.

Everyone is focused on COVID-19 right now, but public health is about more than tracking outbreaks. How is public health organized and how do politics play a role? What are some of the differences between how a public health professional studies health compared to a healthcare worker? I discuss these important questions and the latest trends in Georgia and the US in this week's show.

Given the way that COVID-19 has impacted so many aspects of our lives, there's a growing interest in accessing and understanding public health data. However, these aren't the graphs we learned to build in high school. Dr. Amber walks us through some of the ways that infectious disease can complicate both graphing and reading data.

Welcome to the new podcast from Dr. Amber Schmidtke!