Hello and welcome to the Oster Home Update, COVID-19, a weekly podcast on the COVID-19

pandemic with Dr. Michael Oster Home. Dr. Oster Home is an internationally recognized

medical detective and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

or CITRAP at the University of Minnesota. In this podcast, Dr. Oster Home will draw on

more than 45 years of experience investigating infectious disease outbreaks to provide

straight talk on the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm Chris Doll, reporter for CITRAP News,

and I'm your host for these conversations.

It's November 12th, and in nearly every state in the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic is raging.

Continuing to break records for new daily cases, pushing hospitals to the brink,

and adding to the already substantial national death toll, while the American public has been

caught up in the presidential election, and its aftermath, the coronavirus forest fire has

continued to burn through homes, schools, restaurants, and workplaces, and there appears to be no

end in sight. President-elect Joe Biden has indicated that he'll pursue a national pandemic

strategy based on science when he takes office, and there's been some helpful news on the vaccine

front. On this episode of the Oster Home Update, we're going to discuss the current trajectory

of the pandemic, what kind of impact a more coordinated national strategy could have on that

trajectory, and how people should interpret the latest vaccine news. We'll also talk more about

the upcoming holidays, and answer a listener email on news out of Denmark about a strain of

coronavirus found in mix. But first, as always, we'll start with Dr. Oster Home's welcome and dedication.

Thank you, Chris, and welcome to all of the podcast family here listening today. We are so

pleased with us today. I'd like to dedicate the podcast to the veterans of our country.

This Wednesday is Veterans Day, and it reminds us of the sacrifices made by so many over the years

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