EPISODE 1
CORONAVIRUS: EPIDEMICS 101
31 MARCH 2020
The novel coronavirus has hit the world like a bombshell. Many of us are quarantined and frankly pretty nervous….But one of our best strategies to deal with this pandemic is to try to understand why COVID-19 happened..and maybe how we can prevent it in the future. In this episode, we speak with Professor Thomas Abraham who helps teach the MOOC “Epidemics 1 & 2” at the University of Hong Kong, about viruses and infectious diseases.Guests: Thomas Abraham, The University of Hong Kong
EPISODE 2
CORONAVIRUS: MEN VS WOMEN
3 APRIL 2020
There is a lot of discussion these days about how the novel coronavirus is dividing out between the sexes. Men are dying from the virus at a much higher rate. Yet women represent 70% of global health workers, and are at greater risk of contracting this disease while working on the front lines. How are we as a society managing these gender differences during this COVID19 crisis? Is the burden of elderly and childcare being shared equally between men and women? And what is the impact on the domestic workers here in Hong Kong?
EPISODE 3
CORONAVIRUS: THE RACE FOR A CORONAVIRUS VACCINE
7 APRIL 2020
The novel coronavirus has spread faster than any epidemic in recent memory. It’s called the “stealth virus” for a reason: patients are infectious even before they have symptoms. That means fully eradicating COVID19 could hinge on the development of a vaccine – which may be more than a year away. Today, we are going to talk about why a vaccine could be a long term solution, what types of vaccines are under development, and the progress The University of Hong Kong is making to create a novel coronavirus vaccine.
EPISODE 4
CORONAVIRUS: WILL CORONAVIRUS CHANGE THE FATE OF PANGOLINS IN CHINA?
9 APRIL 2020
Pangolins do not survive well in captivity. In fact, when seized by border authorities, their rescue often turns into a death sentence. But when a local NGO in China tried to save a handful of these seized pangolins by releasing them back into the wild, it stirred up a storm of controversy. Why is saving the pangolins such a thorny issue? Will the Chinese government’s recent ban on the trade and consumption of wildlife meat – a response to the coronavirus outbreak – do more to help these embattled, scaly mammals? What else can we do to stop their rapid disappearance?
EPISODE 4
CORONAVIRUS: WILL CORONAVIRUS CHANGE THE FATE OF PANGOLINS IN CHINA?
9 APRIL 2020
Pangolins do not survive well in captivity. In fact, when seized by border authorities, their rescue often turns into a death sentence. But when a local NGO in China tried to save a handful of these seized pangolins by releasing them back into the wild, it stirred up a storm of controversy. Why is saving the pangolins such a thorny issue? Will the Chinese government’s recent ban on the trade and consumption of wildlife meat – a response to the coronavirus outbreak – do more to help these embattled, scaly mammals? What else can we do to stop their rapid disappearance?
EPISODE 5
CORONAVIRUS: ONLINE LEARNING WITH DOCUMENTARIAN RUBY YANG
17 APRIL 2020
Life online during coronavirus social distancing…has lost its luster. So why not learn something new during this COVID19 pandemic…We talk to Ruby Yang who teaches documentary filmmaking at HKU. We laugh and learn about how famous directors approach a documentary, where you can take a course online to make your first ever documentary…and how maybe…this might help with your online teaching and conference calls!
EPISODE 6
CORONAVIRUS: LONELINESS AND THE ELDERLY DURING CORONAVIRUS
20 APRIL 2020
Elderly people are getting the short end of the stick during this coronavirus pandemic. Because they have a higher risk of complications under COVID-19, they are being asked to socially isolate for up to months on end. While this may be saving their lives it also could be risking their mental wellbeing…Guests:Dr. Tatia Lee, Head of the Department of Psychology and Professor of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong.
EPISODE 7
CORONAVIRUS: LUXURY SEAFOOD TRADE DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
24 APRIL 2020
A story about how our behaviour during COVID19 …is affecting ocean wildlife. Luxury seafood tourism in Hong Kong and China has halted under lockdown. While good for endangered reef fish in Indonesia in the short-term, we may be losing a leading sustainable fishing company for the long-term. Dr. Yvonne Sadovy of HKU tells the story.
EPISODE 8
CORONAVIRUS: CORONAVIRUS CASES ARE DROPPING – SHOULD HK REOPEN THE ECONOMY?
28 APRIL 2020
Hong Kong’s economy is contracting for the first time since the 2009 financial crisis. We talk to economist Dr. Heiwai Tang from HKU about how the Hong Kong government can support small businesses and low income citizens during COVID19… and is it time for Hong Kong to start reopening the economy now that new cases are dropping?
EPISODE 9
CORONAVIRUS: CAN BUDDHISM HELP US DURING CORONAVIRUS?
29 APRIL 2020
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, we are spending a lot of time at home. While some see this as an opportunity for quality time with their loved ones, it can also pose more chances for arguments and quarrels. So we reached out to Dr. George Lee, a clinical psychologist who focuses on families and couples…who is also getting his PhD at HKU’s Buddhist Studies Program.
EPISODE 10
CORONAVIRUS: THE ORIGINS OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
5 MAY 2020
We speak with HKUMed Dr. Tommy Lam to learn the science behind how the coronavirus emerged from animal populations and can’t be man-made, why the pangolin could be an intermediary host, and whether we can be sure that the virus originated in Wuhan China.