Year In Review: Looking Back At How The Coronavirus Has Shaped 2020

It’s been nine months since the coronavirus outbreak was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

And while the emergency authorization of two new vaccines is being held as a ray of hope by health experts, cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in the United States.

In light of all of this, on Wednesday, “Closer Look” took a look back at this year in coronavirus news and asked guests two big questions: What have we learned so far? And what news should we be watching in the New Year?

First, Sam Whitehead, WABE’s health reporter and host of the podcast “Did You Wash Your Hands,” shared his reflections on how the coronavirus has shaped this year and what news to watch in 2021.

Then, Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, associate professor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and Beth Blauer, executive director of the Johns Hopkins Centers for Civic Impact, share how the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center has expanded to track the national rollout of the new COVID-19 vaccines. The digital tool — which tracks newly-confirmed cases, hospitalizations and other regional data — was recently named one of TIME Magazine’s best inventions of 2020.

Finally, Dr. Aneesh Mehta, Chief of Infectious Diseases Services at Emory University Hospital, shares what medical experts have learned about COVID-19 since he first joined the program in March.

To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.