Ep 86 Epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford

Midlife Mixtape

“The responsible thing to do”: In this special episode, UCSF public health specialist Dr. George Rutherford MD answers Midlife Mixtape listeners’ questions about COVID, vaccine development, and how to stay safe in the months ahead. Fresh Garbage but ain’t no spinach Thanks as always to M. The Heir Apparent, who provides the music behind the podcast – check him out here! ***This is a rough transcription of Episode 86 of the Midlife Mixtape Podcast. It originally aired on November 10, 2020. Transcripts are created using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and there may be errors in this transcription, but we hope that it provides helpful insight into the conversation. If you have any questions or need clarification, please email [e-mail] *** Dr. George Rutherford, MD 00:00 It’s unfortunate, but this is a moment in time. This time next year this problem will hopefully be solved. 00:08 Welcome to Midlife Mixtape, The Podcast. I’m Nancy Davis Kho and we’re here to talk about the years between being hip and breaking one. [THEME MUSIC – “Be Free” by M. The Heir Apparent] Nancy 00:33 This year’s Thanksgiving celebrations may be the strangest on record – between the hardships of 2020 and the fear of COVID spread, it’s unlikely we’re celebrating the holiday as usual. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons to be grateful, or ways to find more thankfulness in our lives. And to make it easier, I’m giving away ten signed copies of my book, The Thank-You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time, on Goodreads. Just head over to Goodsreads.com and search for the book or for my name, and you’ll find the page that lets you enter to win. Of course, you can also find the book in bookstores, online, and for audio download – all the details at www.DavisKho.com. And hey, the holidays are coming…how about writing a thank-you letter to someone and tucking it inside my very pretty little blue book? It’s a double whammy – science shows that both you and the letter recipient will feel better! Then you can just sit back and tuck YOURSELF into some eggnog and sugar cookies? It’s a thought. Hey people, we’re back! I’m Nancy Davis Kho and I want to thank you for tuning in. How’s your stress level? I’m recording this episode on the fourth day of November 3, three days AFTER the election, so while I’m optimistic about the outcome of the presidential race and hoping not to be dropping an episode during a civil war, I have to assume it could happen? In which case, may your toilet paper supplies be robust, your reflexes sharp, and your battle hymns ready. That’s gallows humor, I don’t know what we’re supposed to be thinking or doing right now. I look forward to the day that I can go 24 hours in a row without thinking about the president. Today’s episode is a bit different than normal, but given the circumstances, I figured you wouldn’t mind. The deal is that I know an epidemiologist, and in 2020, that’s quite a useful connection to have. So, I asked if he would come on the show and talk not about midlife, but about COVID: where we are, where we’re going, what we need to know right now. (Of course, I asked him about his first concert, I’m not a barbarian.) You all sent in some questions, I had some of my own, and the result is today’s interview, with Dr. George W. Rutherford, M.D. Dr. Rutherford is the Salvatore Pablo Lucia Professor of Epidemiology, Preventive Medicine, Pediatrics and History and Head of the Division of Infectious Disease and Global Epidemiology in th...