OT&P Healthcare Podcast
21 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsOT&P Healthcare was found in 1994 and has developed into one of Hong Kong’s leading healthcare providers. Listen to the highlights and exclusive interviews of recent health situations around the world. For more, visit our website at www.otandp.com/blog.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Ep 018: Article Narration - What next for China? Lessons from the Covid response in Hong Kong and Singapore
December 15, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 20 MBOver the course of the pandemic, Dr David Owens has written a series of articles analysing the Hong Kong Covid response. As China begins to shift away from the strategy of ‘dynamic zero Covid’, this article considers how lessons learned from the different strategies in Hong Kong and Singapore can best be applied when considering the current challenges facing the mainland.
Ep 017: The Evolving Sixth Wave, the Evidence for Vaccines and Masks, Long Covid in Hong Kong and Possible Lessons from the 1889 Russian Flu Pandemic
June 16, 2022 04:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBThe recent increase in case numbers and tightening of social distancing policies has again reminded Hong Kong residents that although the rest of the world has moved on to other things, our city continues to march to the dynamic zero Covid beat. In our latest podcast, Doctor David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss a wide range of issues around the science of Covid including the emerging 6th wave, the evidence for vaccines and masks and lessons from the Russian flu pandemic of 1889. The...
Ep 016: The Omicron BA.2 Wave, the Surge in Population Mortality and the Future for a Population at Herd Immunity
March 16, 2022 01:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBThe fifth wave of Omicron BA.2 is currently having a significant impact on our city. Hong Kong is in the unenviable position of having the highest mortality rate in the world. In our latest podcast, Dr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the current situation. They also discuss the factors driving the high mortality. They explain that we are already at herd immunity and ask what that means for Hong Kong over the next few months. They also answer questions submitted by you, our list...
Ep 015: The Fifth Wave, Your Questions Answered
February 17, 2022 02:00 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBIn this episode Dr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the evolving fifth wave in Hong Kong. In a change from our previous episodes, we asked our listeners to submit questions, we were overwhelmed with the response and apologise that we were not able to cover all issues. This episode covers amongst other topics, the transmission of Covid, elimination or mitigation as a strategy, vaccinations in children and the potential impact on physical and psychological well-being as a result o...
Ep 014: Zero Covid, the Fifth Wave and Is It Time for a Plan B?
January 20, 2022 01:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBAfter 6 months without a community case of Covid, we are now seeing sporadic community cases with clusters of both Omicron and Delta infections in Hong Kong. In our latest podcast Doctor David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the current situation. They discuss the dilemma of a Zero Covid strategy without a plan for exit. They consider what a plan B may look like. They also discuss the costs of the public health policy on physical and mental health and hamsters.
Ep 013: Omicron and the Role of Vaccine Mandates
December 07, 2021 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBIt is now two months since the last community case in Hong Kong and the bubble with the mainland is due to open in the next few weeks. In our latest podcast Doctor David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the current situation in Hong Kong and the potential implications of the Omicron variant recently identified in South Africa. They discuss the dilemmas around vaccine hesitancy in the context of zero covid and specifically the threat of low vaccination rates in the vulnerable elderly. ...
Ep 013: Omicron and the Role of Vaccine Mandates
December 07, 2021 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBIt is now two months since the last community case in Hong Kong and the bubble with the mainland is due to open in the next few weeks. In our latest podcast Doctor David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the current situation in Hong Kong and the potential implications of the Omicron variant recently identified in South Africa. They discuss the dilemmas around vaccine hesitancy in the context of zero covid and specifically the threat of low vaccination rates in the vulnerable elderly. ...
Ep 012: Zero Covid, 21-Day Quarantine and Vaccinating Children
October 07, 2021 02:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBWhilst much of the world begins the transition to normality Hong Kong has doubled down on a zero COVID strategy in an attempt to achieve the as yet undefined criteria which will allow an open border with China. In our latest podcast, Dr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the brittle nature of Zero Covid and the lack of evidence and potential harm caused by recent public health decisions around quarantine. They also discuss the dilemma around decisions on vaccinating children and g...
Ep 011: Zero Covid or Living with Covid, what is the exit strategy?
August 19, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBHong Kong has removed objective benefits for vaccinated travellers and doubled down on a Zero Covid strategy. Doctor David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the recent changes. They discuss the evidence for the reduced incubation period and increased infectivity of the delta variant and the importance of positive messaging to increase vaccination uptake in high-risk groups. They both see living with Covid as the only long-term effective strategy.
Ep 010: International Covid Strategies, the Exit Wave and Booster Vaccines
July 22, 2021 13:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBIn our latest podcast, Dr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the evolving Covid public health strategies playing out in different parts of the world. They also discuss the role of booster doses and the challenges of maximising the population benefit of the available vaccines in the context of vaccine inequity.
Ep 009: Reduced Quarantine for Antibody Positive Vaccinated Individuals
June 22, 2021 02:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBDr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the recent government decision to reduce quarantine for vaccinated individuals provided they have proof of positive antibodies. They discuss the evolving evidence for a strong antibody response, especially with the BioNTech vaccine and the curious case of the recent alpha cluster in Hong Kong. In particular whether the crocodile was guilty or not guilty.
Ep 008: Gira Patel - The Psychological and Social Impact of the Pandemic
June 10, 2021 08:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBDr Owens and Gira Patel discuss the psychological and social impact of COVID-19. Gira discusses her recent compulsory quarantine in Penny’s Bay. She describes the personal impact and the tools and strategies from her practice which helped her to navigate both quarantine and COVID-19.
Ep 007: Is Zero COVID a Sustainable Strategy in Hong Kong?
May 30, 2021 11:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBThe fourth wave in Hong Kong has finally been brought under control and we have seen a number of days of zero COVID cases. What does zero COVID mean and is it a sustainable strategy? In this month’s OT&P podcast, Dr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the current zero COVID strategy and the difficulty of managing the transition to normal in the context of high vaccine hesitancy. They both argue that vaccinated individuals should be treated as if they are immune. They also argue th...
Ep 007: Is zero COVID a sustainable strategy in Hong Kong?
May 30, 2021 11:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBThe fourth wave in Hong Kong has finally been brought under control and we have seen a number of days of zero COVID cases. What does zero COVID mean and is it a sustainable strategy? In this month’s OT&P podcast, Dr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the current zero COVID strategy and the difficulty of managing the transition to normal in the context of high vaccine hesitancy. They both argue that vaccinated individuals should be treated as if they are immune. They also argue th...
Ep 006: COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Hong Kong, Contributing Factors and Next Steps
May 05, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBIn this month’s episode, Dr David Owens and Professor Ben Cowling discuss the recent cases involving variants of concern, in Hong Kong. These cases have resulted in an increase in numbers of people being quarantined and subject to compulsory testing orders including those who have already completed vaccination. The vaccination program in Hong Kong is efficient, free and vaccines are widely available, however the percentage of the overall population taking the vaccine continues to be low. In...
Ep 005: The Rationale and Impact of Targeted Quarantine Measures, the Effectiveness of Vaccines and the Challenges of Vaccine Hesitancy
March 29, 2021 07:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBIn our experience, the majority of OT&P patients are significantly more worried about the personal implications of the public health regulations than they are about the disease itself. This is especially the case for families with young children. In our latest Podcast, Dr David Owens sat down with Professor Ben Cowling. They discussed the Hong Kong public health strategy in comparison to that used in other countries. They also discussed the increasing evidence of effectiveness for COVID vacc...
Ep 004: COVID-19: How Does Hong Kong Return to Normal? The Role of COVID-19 Vaccines
February 24, 2021 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBIn Hong Kong, the fourth wave of COVID-19 infection continues to settle and the government has commenced the rollout of the vaccination program. The situation in Hong Kong is very different to that in Europe and the US, in that we have very low levels of infection but also very low levels of population immunity. In our latest Podcast, Dr Owens again sat down with Professor Ben Cowling to discuss this dilemma and specifically the role of COVID-19 vaccinations in the normalization of life in H...
Ep 003: A Medical Doctor's Experience - The First Wave in London, Experiencing the Epidemic Surge and Vaccine Optimism
February 01, 2021 14:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBWhen dealing with the inevitable frustrations of social distancing measures, it is easy to lose sight of how well the epidemic has been managed in our densely populated city. COVID-19 is a mild disease in the majority of circumstances, but it has the potential to overwhelm health systems because of a potentially rapid increase in the numbers of infected patients. Avoiding excessive strain on the hospital system is one of the main goals of the public health controls. In this episode, OT&P ta...
Ep 002: COVID-19: Hong Kong's Fourth Wave, New Viral Mutations and Outlook for Immunization
January 18, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBIn response to the feedback from our first podcast in December, we have produced a follow-up interview with Professor Ben Cowling, the division head of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong. In this podcast, we discuss the expectations of the fourth wave in Hong Kong, the evolving new viral mutations and the outlook for immunization. Professor Cowling expressed his concerns about the early reports of the effectiveness o...
Ep 002: COVID-19: Hong Kong's Fourth Wave, New Viral Mutations and Outlook for Immunization
January 18, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBIn response to the feedback from our first podcast in December, we have produced a follow-up interview with Professor Ben Cowling, the division head of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong. In this podcast, we discuss the expectations of the fourth wave in Hong Kong, the evolving new viral mutations and the outlook for immunization. Professor Cowling expressed his concerns about the early reports of the effectiveness o...
Ep 001: Professor Ben Cowling - Transmission of COVID-19, Closing Schools and the Balance of Public Health Measures
December 16, 2020 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBIn Hong Kong, we are again seeing an increase in social distancing regulations in response to the fourth wave of infections. The incidence of silent community transmission and evolving clusters makes it likely that enhanced social distancing measures will remain in place for some weeks. Communicating risk in evolving epidemics is challenging. Uncertainty and lack of control are key factors in stress and there is a natural tendency to focus on difference, rather than consensus, when faced wi...