The Current

The Current for Dec. 3, 2020

Today on The Current: Health Canada says it could approve a COVID-19 vaccine within 10 days; we look at whether pop-up surveillance testing sites can curb the spread of COVID-19; Zen teacher Roshi Joan Halifax shares tools to cope with pandemic pressures; and as infections hit the NFL, should the season have been cancelled?
Matt Galloway is the host of CBC Radio's The Current. (CBC)

Full Episode Transcript

Today on The Current

The U.K. has approved Pfizer's COVID-19 for emergency use, but how long will it be before Health Canada approves a vaccine, and who gets it first? Matt Galloway is joined by Dr. Caroline Quach, chair of the national advisory committee on immunization; Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical advisor to Health Canada's deputy minister; and Dr. Scott Halperin, director of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology.

Plus, does Canada need more surveillance testing — pop-up testing sites aimed at finding asymptomatic COVID-19 cases? Some experts argue the approach could paint a better picture of how the virus is spreading. We talk to Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious diseases specialist at Dalhousie University; Colin Furness, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta. 

Then, renowned Zen teacher Roshi Joan Halifax has spent years helping health-care workers cope with stress and burnout. She'll share some of the lessons that could be helpful for us all, nearly nine months into the pandemic.

NFL teams are racking up COVID-19 cases as well as points on the field, and many believe that doesn't bode well for the rest of the season, and the return of the NHL and NBA. We talk to Kurt Streeter, who writes the Sports of the Times column for the New York Times.