Three years into the pandemic, one spouse is ready to lift lockdown. The other? Not so much. Epidemiologist and science communicator Jessica Malaty Rivera shares ideas on finding compromise and managing a risk budget.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jessica Malaty Rivera, an infectious disease epidemiologist, joins the hosts to tackle critical issues within Christian culture. They discuss Bishop Budde's plea for mercy and the contrasting responses from right-wing figures. The conversation navigates the misinterpretation of scripture, toxic empathy, and the scapegoating of immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals. Rivera emphasizes the importance of accurate science communication amidst the spread of misinformation, particularly regarding public health and vaccine safety.

You’re six to ten times LESS likely to catch COVID-19 if you’re vaccinated, and thus less likely to infect others. Great! But what about breakthrough cases? Who’s at risk for them? How many folks haven’t gotten vaccinated? Should pregnant people get the ol’ jab, what might happen with transmission rates in 2022, yearly booster questions, the ethics of vaccine distribution, myocarditis, Long COVID, quarantine fatigue and essentially whether the holidays are a good idea. Follow Jessica Malaty Rivera on Instagram and TwitterMore info on JessicaA donation went to Doctors About BordersMore episode links and infoSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts & bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, totes, masks… Follow @ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @alieward on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. Dwyer