In this episode: How has the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impacted friendships? Sociologist October Krausch looked at over 2,500 survey responses to learn more.

They speak with co-hosts Betsy Ladyzhets and Miles Griffis, along with producer James Salanga, about their findings and what pandemic-aware friendship looks like now. Also in this episode: an update on how RECOVER has been impacted by the Trump administration, a potential Long COVID biomarker in kids, and the latest COVID-19 trends.

The transcript for this podcast isavailable on The Sick Times’ website. You can jump to specific sections of the podcast and transcript below.

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:18) COVID-19 trends

(00:06:12)Top story: How is the pandemic impacting friendships?

(00:22:03)Research: Potential Long COVID biomarker in kids; RECOVER-TLC under Trump update

(00:28:13) Outro

You can also find our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio.

Mentioned in this episode (in order of appearance):

• The Sick Times:National COVID-19 trends, February 4
• The Sick Times:Some U.S. COVID-19 data are down amid “pause” to federal health communications
• The Sick Times:RECOVER hasn’t been impacted by Trump freezes so far, sources say. But the program’s future is still uncertain.
• CDC wastewater dashboard
• Biobot wastewater risk reports
• WastewaterSCAN dashboard
• The Sick Times:The “pandemic of abandonment”: Navigating friendships five years into COVID-19
• COVID Meetups
• COVID Action Map
• The Sick Times:Research updates, February 4
• Still Here (1/25/25):Potential blood-based Long COVID biomarker; reflections from a Palestinian with Long COVID
• The Sick Times:Finding an accepted Long COVID biomarker will be complicated. This blood test could give us answers.
• Still Here (11/22/24):Where are kids’ Long COVID clinical trials?
  

Additional audio in this episode:

• 
  
• Rude Mechanical Orchestra:Which Side Are You On? (orig. Florence Reece)
• Pixabay:Thunder and the beginning of rainfall