121 - Nicholas Christakis - Living Through the Plague

Two for Tea Podcast

General Follow Nicholas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAChristakis The Human Nature Lab at Yale University, of which Nicholas is the director: https://www.humannaturelab.net/ Buy Nicholas’ books, including his latest, ‘Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live’: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001HCYWRM?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=author-sidecar-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader References Nicholas’ previous appearance on the podcast: https://soundcloud.com/twoforteapodcast/25-nicholas-christakis-a-blueprint-for-universal-liberal-humanism Timestamps 0.00 Opening and introduction. 2:10 The history of plagues and the typical three-phase cycle (immediate, intermediate, and post-pandemic) of respiratory pandemics—and how Covid has conformed to that pattern. Have we reached “the end of the beginning” (i.e. the end of the immediate phase) rather than “the beginning of the end” of this pandemic? What will the intermediate and post-pandemic phases look like? What if there is a new, vaccine-resistant, more lethal variant? 11:36 Is the lifting of all Covid restrictions in England premature? How vaccination/exposure rates affect whether or not it is wise to lift restrictions. 18:22 What might the long term effects of infection with Covid be? Could there be long term disabling effects on those who survive a Covid infection? What are Nicholas’ views on “long Covid”? 23:34 How effective are masks in preventing Covid infection/transmission? 28:34 Which countries have been worst affected by the pandemic? Why? 31:06 Which countries fared best? Why? 36:41 Whence distrust in health authorities during the pandemic? How should public health messaging be communicated? Plus: how Covid hit us at an already very vulnerable moment and exploited pre-existing social, cultural, and economic issues. How should we encourage vaccination uptake? 48:36 The psychological impacts of pandemics, historically and today: the search for meaning in religion, politics, and more. 52:35 How has Nicholas’ own life changed because of the pandemic? Plus: biological vs social endings of pandemics. 56:38 Last words and outro.