When I called up Ed Yong over at the Atlantic, I realized I really need a new opening question.

How are you doing?

Well, you know, I'm still here.

Ed writes about science. At this point, he's a COVID expert. But even the experts are

struggling with the day to day right now, especially with the weather getting colder.

I live. That's as much as far as I will go. I continue. Then the official interview began. I brought the kinds of

probing questions you have come to expect from the show. Okay, so I want to know how you, Ed Yong,

pandemic experts are preparing for the winter. Like, I had one of those moments where I was like,

I should buy an outdoor heater and then they were all sold out.

I also tried to buy an outdoor heater, and they were all out.

So.

We should be prepared.

I know.

I would love to say that covering this for the entire year gave me some sort of foresight in terms of patio heaters, but that was not to be.

To be fair, I was hoping Ed was going to psych me up for the months to come.

And he did give me a few ideas.

It turns out he's decided to pod up with some friends.

They'll quarantine for a bit, then only see each other, do the holidays together.

To be clear, I have not socialized indoors with another person since March.

Like, at all.

I have not hugged another person except my wife since March, which doesn't feel great.

God, that's so real. That's so real. I'm feeling of just like, you see someone you want to touch him.

...