Winter is coming, and the pandemic is intensifying in most of the country, with numbers of COVID-19 cases setting records almost daily, cold weather approaching and people moving activities indoors. In addition, college students who have been away at school for the last few months will return home soon, and extended families are trying to figure out whether it will be safe to gather for holiday meals and other celebrations. Staying safe during the current spike in cases is a major challenge, and infectious disease experts at Washington University School of Medicine say it’s essential that families and friends have some difficult conversations about how they plan to confront the challenges of the next several weeks. In this episode, Andrew B. Janowski, MD, an instructor in pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases, discusses the risks now associated with cold weather, family gatherings and holiday traditions.

We also hear from Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, a clinical instructor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. She works with COVID-19 patients, but she also had a baby during the pandemic. That’s meant pandemic-related upheaval in her personal and professional life, as well as some very challenging conversations with grandparents.

The podcast, “Show Me the Science,” is produced by the Office of Medical Public Affairs at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.