This is the final instalment of the Confronting Coronavirus podcast series. For part two of the final two-part episode, we’ve asked a handful of Irish Times journalists to reflect on the last couple of months and how the pandemic has played out. Today, we’ll hear from Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary, sports reporter Malachy Clerkin and health ed…

This is the final instalment of the Confronting Coronavirus podcast series. For the final two-part episode, we’ve asked a handful of Irish Times journalists to reflect on the last couple of months and how the pandemic has played out. Today, we’ll hear from Public Affairs Editor Simon Carswell and our Political reporter Jennifer Bray.…

Traditionally, one in five of the population experience mental health challenges. In the coming year there will be many more. In today’s episode, Clinical Psychologist Tony Bates speaks to Deirdre Veldon about the emotional impact of the pandemic and how different sections of society will be affected in the weeks and months ahead.…

In today’s episode, we hear from Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden, who has been living in lockdown in Northern Uganda for the past three months. In March, during the onset of the pandemic, Hayden travelled across the border from Rwanda into Gulu, a city at the epicentre of a two decade long civil war which ended in 2006. Hayden speaks to Deirdre…

As the global race to find a vaccine for Covid-19 continues, the question of how it will eventually be supplied and distributed is now under the spotlight. Billions of euro have been donated by governments and philanthropic organisations to pharmaceutical companies for research and development of vital Covid-19 vaccines. However, in most cases, few…

Ireland is approaching Phase 3 of the Roadmap for Reopening Business and Society. In this episode, Conor Pope talks us through some of the changes that will be coming into place as the country continues to ease lockdown restrictions.Door The Irish Times

The return of restrictions on life in Beijing comes as over a hundred new cases are linked to a huge food market. Peter Goff explains what's happening in Beijing, how the city is handling it and why the outbreak is a major blow to the efforts of China, and the world, to control the virus and reopen economies. Plus, a deadly skirmish on the India-Ch…

This week the Irish Prison Service put forward a paper to the World Health Organisation as a model of best practices for keeping Covid-19 out of it’s settings. With 3,738 prisoners nationwide and zero positive cases, there is a lot to be learned from their management of the virus. In this episode, Deirdre Veldon speaks to Irish Times Crime Correspo…

In this episode, Irish Times Features Writer Patrick Freyne brings us back to the year 2011 and the release of the scientific thriller movie Contagion. Starring Matt Damon, Contagion tells the story of a deadly virus which explodes into a global pandemic, bringing society to its knees. Nine years on, in the midst of our own virus outbreak, it all f…

Conor Pope has been looking at how Ireland is reopening this week, in shops and other public places. His assessment: it's going quite well, but many small problems remain, from queuing to distancing and the wearing of masks. And as more restrictions are eased, more such problems will crop up for Irish consumers and businesses.…

In our hospitals and psychiatric clinics, it has already begun. Increasing numbers of people are seeking help for mental health problems associated, in one way or another, with Covid-19. Professionals warn that the psychiatric effects of the pandemic and the lockdown will endure much longer than the physical effects of the virus.And those psychiatr…

Next week, Ireland will enter phase two of the roadmap out of lockdown. We’ll be able to travel 20km from our homes and visit another household while maintaining social distancing. Street level shops will open and some sporting and fitness activities will begin again. But will this taste of freedom mean people will push the boundaries even more? La…

Should all retailers, restaurants and tourism be allowed to open sooner? Business affairs correspondent and columnist Mark Paul has been arguing for an accelerated easing of restrictions on businesses, especially for the sake of our small and medium sized enterprises, "the lifeblood of our economy". He tells Deirdre Veldon that no-one seems to be f…

Barry Smyth is a data scientist. Early on in the outbreak, he was among the first to realise the importance of looking closely at the number of excess deaths in the population, as revealed by website Rip.ie, to track the true toll of the virus. Since then, he has written about the nature of lockdown measures imposed across Europe, as revealed throu…

Coronavirus has presented a huge challenge for our health services, especially in our nursing homes. The devastating death toll in these settings has come under the spotlight this week for the Dáil's Covid-19 committee. On Tuesday, the committee heard from Tadgh Daly, the head of Nursing Homes Ireland who claimed the sector was left “abandoned and …

Margaret Heffernan is a businesswoman and author who writes about leadership and strategic thinking. Her latest book Uncharted: How to Map the Future is about the pitfalls of relying too much on forecasting and predictions, and the benefits of a different kind of readiness. In the book, which was published back in February, Margaret presciently wri…

Yesterday we reached a significant milestone in our fight against coronavirus. For the first time since the 21st March, there were no new deaths from Covid-19 in Ireland. But how can we keep this figure down as the country continues to emerge from lockdown? In today’s episode, we hear from Dr David Nabarro, a professor of global health at Imperial …

Among the people most affected by this crisis are children and especially teenagers. Lockdown has put an abrupt stop to their education and their social lives. In today's podcast Deirdre Veldon speaks to psychotherapist and Irish Times columnist John Sharry about the developmental impacts the lockdown will have on young people and how parents can p…

Is it time to dispense with nursing homes? The death toll from Covid-19 in these institutions is bringing the arguments for and against them into focus. Today we talk to two experts about what a different future might look like and the challenges getting there. Professor Gerard Quinn is a legal academic who contributed to the drafting of the United…

Political correspondent Harry McGee tells Deirdre Veldon about the news that Ireland will begin a programme of testing for Covid-19 antibodies in the population next month. How does this test differ to how we are already testing, and what benefits will it bring?Door The Irish Times

Today we're recapping a very eventful few weeks in the United States' response to Covid-19 with the help of Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch.This week President Trump caused controversy when he announced he is taking an unproven drug to prevent infection.Meanwhile the politicisation of the virus response has been exacerbated by a growing feud…

Yesterday some retailers reopened in phase one of the easing of lockdown. Conor Pope went out to meet shoppers and see whether their behaviour had changed (and to pick up some lavender and compost). He tells Deirdre Veldon what he saw, and some ways he thinks retail will be different from here on.Door The Irish Times

The argument for taking 19 private hospitals into public control was clear in late March: to avoid the overrun of our health services with cases of Covid-19, as had happened in Italy. But now with that risk diminished, the decision about what to do next is much less clear-cut. Here we dig into how the deal is working, its shortcomings and the knock…

Professor Sam McConkey has been one of the most prominent communicators of the science behind the pandemic response in Ireland. Here he talks to Irish Times deputy editor Deirdre Veldon about how we will live with Covid-19 in the months and years ahead, affecting how our businesses work, making smaller school class sizes necessary, and creating a n…

This week the Northern Ireland Executive published plans for easing out of lockdown, going against Boris Johnsons 'Stay Alert' exit strategy. The five stage plan revealed by Stormont is subject to change and will be guided by science and not by the calendar. In today's episode, Deirdre Veldon speaks to Dr Lindsay Broadbent, a virologist at Queens U…

This week the special committee on Covid-19 met for the first time in the Dáil chamber. Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan and HSE boss Paul Reid will be the first to appear before the committee next week, which was established to consider and take evidence on the State’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. So what issues will they be focusing on…

Tourism makes a vital contribution to the Irish economy. It’s a lucrative industry employing over a quarter of a million people, yet in the space of just a few weeks, it has completely collapsed. In today's episode Deidre Veldon speaks to Irish Times Consumer Affairs Editor Conor Pope about the future of Irish tourism. Plus Senior Features Writer R…

On Saturday afternoon, the Minister for Business, Heather Humphreys launched the ‘Return to Work Safety Protocol’ at Government Buildings. It sets out a series of steps employers and their workers must undertake before a workplace reopens, and while it continues to operate. In this conversation with Deirdre Veldon, Ms Humphreys outlines some of the…

There have been a number of conflicting opinions on whether face masks can prevent the spread of coronavirus in the community. In this episode, Deirdre Veldon speaks to Heath editor Paul Cullen and Science and Environment editor Kevin O'Sullivan about the reasons for and against the wearing of masks.…

Coronavirus has forced us to change every aspect of our lives including the way we grieve our loved ones. While funerals are still going ahead, under current restrictions, there must be no more than ten people in attendance. We have been asked to end the familiar customs and traditions that help us let go of those we have lost. These days, families…

As the world continues to fight against the spread of coronavirus, testing remains one of the key ways to keep infection under control. But how can we reach a level of testing which will allow the public to return to their daily lives while preventing a second wave of the disease? In today’s episode, we hear from Peter Fraizer, a professor of Opera…

In today's episode, we hear from Professor Donal O'Shea, the HSE clinical lead on obesity and a consultant endocrinologist at St. Vincent's and St. Columcille's Hospitals in Dublin. Prof O'Shea speaks to Deirdre Veldon about the worrying decline in patients seeking primary care and the research which shows obesity and diabetes are major risk factor…

In today's episode Deirdre Veldon speaks to Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray and Health Editor Paul Cullen about the roadmap for reopening Ireland as announced by Leo Varadkar on Friday evening. Most of the current restrictions will remain in place until May 18th and will be eased in stages, three weeks at a time. Finally psychothe…

In today's episode, we hear from Irish Times Social Affairs correspondent Kitty Holland, who has been speaking to people availing of homeless services across Dublin City. At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, over 10,000 people in Ireland were registered as homeless and in recent weeks the demand on services has greatly increased. For those…

Yesterday French prime minister Edouard Philippe announced plans to ease lockdown restrictions in France. To find out more, Deirdre Veldon talks to Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe.Door The Irish Times

'The Hammer and the Dance' are terms used by Tomas Pueyo to describe two stages of Coronavirus management. The Hammer - major restrictions on most normal social activities - is where we are now. The Dance - managing to return to something like normality without allowing the virus to spread - is where we seem to want to be. But what would the detail…

Today we hear from Diarmuid Ó’Dálaigh, owner of Oaklodge Nursing Home in Cloyne, Co, Cork. With sixty five residents, Oaklodge specialises in the care of those with dementia and so far, has no recorded cases of the virus. Almost half of the Covid-19 deaths in Ireland have been in nursing homes and the government has been criticised for their lack o…

Coronavirus has put airlines and travel firms under unprecedented strain and consumers are baring the brunt of it. Airlines are holding back on refunds and pressing customers to take vouchers instead. The whole affair calls into question public confidence in airlines, which may have an impact on their very uncertain future. Irish Times consumer aff…

Over the last week, small protests have been popping up across the US demanding the reopening of the country and its economy. Exasperated Americans took to the streets with signs and flags, with some holding rifles. Trump has handed control over to each state governor to implement a phased reopening, when the time is right. Suzanne Lynch is the Iri…

In today’s episode we hear from Jane Stout, a professor with the school of natural sciences at Trinity College Dublin. As an ecologist, Jane explores the link between the climate change crisis, global biodiversity loss and the increasing frequency of disease outbreaks across the world. So how has human interference in the natural world contributed …

Ireland may have to cope with repeated waves of Covid-19 epidemics until a large enough proportion of the population is infected to provide possible herd immunity, new research warns. But does that mean we have to stay locked down indefinitely, or is there a different strategy that can allow us to manage the disease?Dr Rosalyn Moran is an Irish sci…

The Leaving Cert class of 2020 might be the unluckiest ever. Covid-19 has upended the familiar rite of passage and replaced it with uncertainty, worry, stress and a bit of anger too. Education editor Carl O'Brien explains why the government made its decision to postpone the Leaving Cert, and the obstacles that still have to be overcome for the exam…

Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary explains the new role the European Commission is taking on, setting out a "road map" for member states to end their pandemic lockdowns. What does ending lockdown look like, and what is the role of your smartphone? Plus, remember Brexit?Door The Irish Times

After 76 days shut off from the rest of the world, China finally lifted the lockdown order on the city of Wuhan. Now begins the process to resume normal life and get businesses back up and running. Wuhan is home to just over 11 million people, many of whom have not been able to leave their homes since mid January. Irish Times correspondent Peter Go…

As we enter yet another week in lockdown, many aspects of our lives have been placed on hold, but when it comes to pregnancy and labour, there is no pause button. How have Irish maternity hospitals adapted in the crisis and how are new parents coping with the stricter rules and regulations? In this episode, we hear from Lizanne Tormey who is due he…

Pete Lunn, a behavioural economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute, talks about what will drive people to abide by, or break, the social distancing and stay-at-home rules in the weeks ahead. But first health editor Paul Cullen on the state of play in the nation's efforts to overcome the outbreak.…

As the coronavirus outbreak forces us all to stay apart, technology is playing a crucial role in keeping us all connected. From online lessons, business meetings over zoom and Saturday nights spent on Houseparty with friends; interactions are now predominantly taking place in a virtual world. In this episode we hear from Irish Times tech journalist…

To protect themselves from Covid-19, all those over 70 have been asked to "cocoon" - basically to stay at home all day, every day. How are they finding it? We ask cocooners Gemma, Kieran and Mary. And then we talk to Professor Des O'Neill, a specialist in geriatric medicine and director of the Centre for Ageing, Neuroscience and the Humanities abou…

A recent study from the US has shown that countries with high BCG vaccination rates have fewer coronavirus deaths. This may be due to the known immunological benefits of the vaccine. Trials have now begun in Australia and The Netherlands to test whether the vaccination can prevent thousands of healthcare workers from becoming infected. To understan…

Berlin correspondent Derek Scally on the response to the pandemic in Germany, which has seen over 100,000 cases but yet reported far fewer deaths than Spain, Italy, the UK or France.Door The Irish Times