Up To Date

Answering Kansas City's Questions About COVID-19

By Steve Kraske,

Published March 19, 2021 at 5:52 PM CDT

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A woman wears a cloth mask, as recommended by the CDC and World Health Organization to slow the spread of COVID-19. Photo illustration.

If you're thinking of abandoning CDC health protocols, the presence of COVID-19 variants makes it "vitally important to continue to do those things so we can help decrease the spread," says Dr. Dana Hawkinson.

Up To Date asked the public to send us questions about the coronavirus, COVID-19 and vaccinations, then opened the phone lines for even more queries. When it comes to the three vaccines authorized for emergency use, all are displaying success at "preventing hospitalization, severe disease and death," according to Dr. Hawkinson, who added, "whichever one you can get, go ahead and get."

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System

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Up To Date Podcast Coronavirus infectious disease vaccines medicine public health

Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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Danie Alexander

As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.

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