The Heat: Coronavirus Pandemic-Impact in UK

The Heat

A woman shows a sign on her bicycle as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in intensive care fighting the coronavirus in London, Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Johnson was admitted to St Thomas’ hospital in central London on Sunday after his coronavirus symptoms persisted for 10 days. Having been in hospital for tests and observation, his doctors advised that he be admitted to intensive care on Monday evening. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

The COVID -19 pandemic is driving a wave of fear across the globe with over 2.1 million cases now recorded and more than 142,000 people dead.
Here in the United States, where some 22 million workers have sought unemployment benefits after a month of shutdowns, President Trump is outlining steps to get America working again.  Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom more than 13,000 people have died from the virus.  We will talk about the situation there later in the show but we begin with CGTN correspondent Nathan King who joins us from the White House.

Follow Nathan King on Twitter@nathanking

To discuss:

  • Dr. Rima Styra is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto who has studied SARS and the psychological effects of quarantines.
  • Dr. Arnold Monto is a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.

We turn now to the United Kingdom and its battle with the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier I talked with journalist and commentator Mark Seddon. And, Dr. Muhammad Munir,  a virologist and lecturer at Lancaster University.

To discuss:

  • Dr Muhammad Munir is a Virologist and Lecturer in Biomedicine at Lancaster University
  • Mark Seddon is a journalist and former speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 

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