Babbage from The Economist (subscriber edition)

The immune system plays a vital role in protecting humans from infections, but how is it faring against covid-19? Pascal Soriot, chief executive of the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, tells host, Kenneth Cukier, about potential treatments for covid patients. Plus, do people build up an immunity to covid-19 if they have recovered from it, or can they catch it again? And, Sonja Lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, on how acts of kindness can boost the immune system.Read The Economist’s full coverage of the coronavirus.For access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe: www.economist.com/radiooffer

Tech firm Microsoft has announced plans to embrace open data. Jeni Tennison, from Britain’s Open Data Institute, says it marks a milestone in the way big companies share data. Also, could mass testing for covid-19 provide a way out of the global lockdown? And, what is causing the worst drought in over 1,000 years in the south-west of the United States? Kenneth Cukier hosts  You can read The Economist’s full coverage of the coronavirus. Please subscribe for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer.

Scientists are working at an unprecedented pace to find a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19. The stakes are high. Natasha Loder, The Economist's health policy editor, explains how an effective vaccine might be developed. Dr Trevor Drew of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness speaks to host Kenneth Cukier about two trials which have reached the animal-testing stage. Plus, once a vaccine is discovered, what can be done to make sure it is distributed fairly? Dr Seth Berkley, chief executive of GAVI, the vaccine alliance, explains the importance of global cooperation.For more on the pandemic, see The Economist's coronavirus hub. And please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer

The “silent transmission” of covid-19 means people without symptoms could be a major source of its spread. How effective are masks as a defence? Plus, Kenneth Cukier asks Ivan Oransky, co-founder of Retractionwatch.com, whether the race to uncover the mysteries of the virus could lead to a torrent of “bad science”.For more on the pandemic, see The Economist's coronavirus hub. And please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer

How are location data from mobile phones being used to combat covid-19? And, as more people are forced to stay at home, can broadband and mobile internet connections keep up? Plus, the epidemiologist who helped defeat smallpox, Larry Brilliant, on what needs to be done against the coronavirus. Kenneth Cukier hosts.The Economist is making some of its most important coverage of the covid-19 pandemic freely available to readers of The Economist Today, our daily newsletter. To receive it, register here. For more coverage, see our coronavirus hub. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer

Ear, nose and throat experts believe there may be a link between covid-19 and the loss of the senses of smell and taste. Might this help tackle the spread of the disease? And, how scientists and manufacturers are trying to keep up with demand for life-saving ventilators. Plus, the climate impact of staying at home. Kenneth Cukier hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer and read The Economist’s full coverage of the coronavirus.

Dramatic measures to staunch the spread of covid-19 are happening around the world, but will they be enough to reduce the rate of new cases? And amid public anxiety we answer your questions such as can you get coronavirus twice? How does testing work? And how long does the virus live on surfaces and in the air? The Economist’s health-care and science correspondents answer your covid-19 questions. Kenneth Cukier hosts

As the number of cases of covid-19 rises over 100,000 around the world, scientists and governments are working around the clock on treatments and vaccines. Our science editor, Geoffrey Carr, explains the genetic make-up of the virus. Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rupert Beale from the Francis Crick Institute, and Regina Barzilay from MIT explain their attempts to thwart the outbreak. Plus, we turn data outlining the fatality rate by age into sound. Kenneth Cukier hosts  Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer

The ocean is under assault as people demand more of its resources. Now climate change is causing the greatest stress yet to ocean ecosystems. Kenneth Cukier talks to Jane Lubchenco, the first US science envoy for the ocean, about why the ocean is too big to ignore. He meets the scientists helping corals to spawn outside their natural habitat and using seaweed as a substitute for single-use plastic. Also, how can Japanese sushi chefs guarantee the origins of their fish? Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer

Covid-19, the new coronavirus, is spreading around the world. Abdi Mahamad, the World Health Organisation’s incident manager for Asia, reveals that for the first time since the start of the outbreak, more cases are being reported outside China than within it. What can countries do to limit the spread of the virus, and will it become a pandemic? The Economist’s deputy editor Tom Standage hosts a debate with Therese Hesketh, professor of global health at the Institute for Global Health at University College London; Christl Donnelly, professor of statistical epidemiology at Imperial College London a WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Modelling; and Slavea Chankova, our health-care correspondent.  Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/radiooffer