Episode Details

Nearly a month into the emergence of omicron, much more is known about how omicron behaves in the real world—thanks to the work of scientists like South Africa’s Dr. Glenda Gray, president and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, the equivalent of the US’s National Institutes of Health. Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Dr. Gray and with Hopkins epidemiologist Dr. Chris Beyrer about how omicron was discovered, what we know about it now, and what it means for South Africa and the world. They also discuss the importance of protecting people who are immunocompromised—including those with HIV— to help get the pandemic under control.