Coronavirus cases among inmates in Philadelphia continue to rise, but there's no official word on how the virus is affecting the staff at the city's prisons. Today on KYW In Depth, Cherri Gregg brings us up to date on the pandemic in Philly prisons and talks to Eric Hill, a corrections officers' union leader about his call for more transparency about COVID-19 infections among staff and more effective personal protective equipment when they're on the job.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

If you're a Pennsylvania resident out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic and you lost your health insurance, you could qualify for Pennsylvania's medical assistance program. Catherine Buhrig, Bureau of Policy Director from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services joins KYW in Depth for a Q&A about who is eligible for PA Medical Assistance, how to apply, what's the maximum income you need to be qualified, what medical assistance covers, and how children can qualify for health coverage. Buhrig also talks about the eligibility requirements for SNAP, the food assistance program, in Pennsylvania.  The website to apply for assistance: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Health officials say you should wear some kind of cloth mask or bandana outside during the coronavirus pandemic. Around the country, people are making homemade masks for themselves, family members, and friends. But Montgomery County Commissioner Dr. Val Arkoosh says if you're not careful, you could end up doing more harm than good. Today on KYW In Depth Dr. Arkoosh explains how to properly wear, take off, and clean your cloth mask to avoid contaminating yourself or others. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

This is the last of our three episode mini series about how this pandemic has played a role in changing how we live in the little, day-to-day ways we don't always pay a ton of attention to Ursinus Professor of Psychology Cathy Chambliss joins KYW In Depth to break down how our attitudes toward public health have shifted and how they might continue to change, how introverts and extroverts are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis very differently, and the little quirky alterations to society that might reflect that the coronavirus pandemic was here, so we went home. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

This is the first of three episodes about how this pandemic that has totally upended all the big things in our lives is also changing the day-to-day little things. Assistant Professor of Marketing at La Salle University Meghan Pierce joins KYW In Depth to talk about how coronavirus is changing our relationship with our things, whether we could see a large shift in consumer behavior as a result of this pandemic (like we saw during the great recession), and if the new habits we are cultivating and developing during social distancing and social isolation are going to stick around. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

This is episode 2 of 3 in our mini-series about how this pandemic is changing how we live, not just in big broad strokes, but in little ways too. Professor and Chair of the Communications Department at Villanova University Heidi Rose joins KYW In Depth to break down how the ways we communicate, interact, and relate to each other are changing during this pandemic, and if any of these adaptations might be sticking around after this health crisis is over. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

For people battling addiction, the social isolation brought on by the COVID-19 response can mean a dangerous diversion from the routine of meetings, support, and accountability. Some facilities and groups are turning to online meetings, but is that enough? Jerry Stahler, a clinical psychologist and professor in Temple University’s Department of Geography and Urban Studies joins the podcast to break down what those with a substance use disorder or alcohol addiction may be facing right now and what loved ones can do to help during these unprecedented times. Learn more about Prevention Point: https://ppponline.org/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The Origami Mask Project was created by engineers and scientists in the Philadelphia area to develop simple, inexpensive, DIY face masks while there continues to be a shortage of personal protective equipment caused by the coronavirus pandemic. University of Pennsylvania Material Sciences and Engineering Professor Shu Yang and President & CEO of Archimedic Eric Sugalski join KYW In Depth to talk about how The Origami Mask Project got started and how you can join the team. Find out how to make your own origami mask online: https://www.openmedicalinnovation.com/projects/origami-mask See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The Red Cross says there's an urgent need for blood donations during the coronavirus pandemic, as blood drives have been cancelled and social distancing has kept people inside. There's also a need for plasma donations from people who have recovered from COVID-19, in the hopes that their antibodies can help very sick patients fight off the virus. But not everyone who wants to donate is allowed to, even after the Food and Drug Administration made an adjustment to their guidelines preventing sexually active gay men from donating blood. Today on KYW In Depth, a COVID-19 survivor reacts to the FDA's new rule governing whether he can donate plasma, and a Mazzoni Center doctor explains the science behind the new guidelines. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Alyssa Kirk is a nurse spending her time volunteering at a COVID-19 testing center at Citizens Bank Park. She joins KYW In Depth to describe what the day to day is like at a drive-through testing center, how the volunteers and medical professionals doing the work are holding up, and what this pandemic looks like from the perspective of someone spending every day interacting with people who think they have coronavirus.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Managing mental health can be tough in the best of times. But right now, as millions are being laid off and told to stay at home for the forseeable future, stress levels are through the roof and people can quickly find themselves in crisis. Amy Federer with The National Alliance on Mental Illness Philadelphia joins KYW In Depth to discuss ways you can manage your own mental health or help your loved ones during this extremely challenging time. Find NAMI Philly online: https://namiphilly.org See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Six states have now moved primary elections to June 2nd, including Pennsylvania. The Keystone State will also allow polling places to be consolidated for the upcoming primary. University of Pennsylvania Political Science Professor Marc Meredith joins KYW In Depth to break down how these changes, expanded mail-in voting, and the coronavirus pandemic might impact voter turnout, campaigning, and the Presidential election later this year  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

This pandemic has changed the way we live and is causing an incredible amount of stress. People are worrying about getting sick, about losing income, and we're all being told to stay at home. For people who are now spending all their time at home with abusive partners, the situation is dangerous. Beth Sturman is the executive director at Laurel House, a comprehensive domestic violence agency serving Montgomery County. Sturman joins KYW In Depth to talk about the work they do and what options victims of domestic violence have to stay safe during the coronavirus crisis. Laurel House's website: https://laurel-house.org/ If you need help escaping a bad situation, call Laurel House's toll-free 24-hour Hotline: 1-800-642-3150 See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Can looking at recessions from the past help us get an idea of what the recovery from the coronavirus recession might look like? Tristan Potter has studied the Great Recession extensively, he's an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Drexel LeBow College of Business, and he joins KYW In Depth to help answer a few questions about what the other side of this crisis could have in store. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The unemployment numbers released Thursday, April 2nd are staggering. More than six million people applied for unemployment benefits last week, and that number is going to rise. Right now, people who are being furloughed or laid off are wondering if their jobs will be there for them when the pandemic is over, or if they'll be able to get another job at all. Diane Lim, Director of Outreach and Senior Advisor at the Penn Wharton Budget Model returns to KYW In Depth to take a hard look at the unemployment numbers, break down which sectors are being hit the hardest by this crisis, and discuss what the recovery might look like.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration is giving hundreds of millions of dollars to SEPTA as part of emergency grants to public transportation across the country. SEPTA has seen an unprecedented drop in the number of riders because of coronavirus shutdowns. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao spoke with KYW's Ian Bush on Thursday afternoon, April 2nd, to announce that $700 million dollars will be heading to Philadelphia area mass transit systems. The Secretary also talks about whether flights should be grounded, and says that you are due a refund if your flight was canceled during the coronavirus pandemic.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Hospitals and first responders everywhere are sounding the alarm: they need more protective gear to fight COVID-19, and they need it now. How did our equipment supply get so scarce, so quickly?  Today on KYW in Depth we're joined by Joe Tibbs, President at HAPevolve, a subsidiary of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. He helps us understand why hospitals don't have enough gear on hand to fight a pandemic, why they're having trouble ordering more, and the status of the hospital supply chain. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

6.6 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week. Villanova Assistant Professor of Practice in Economics David Fiorenza joins KYW In Depth to help us make sense of the numbers and talk about how long he thinks the unemployment rate will continue to go up, how high the unemployment rate could go, and how many of the jobs that are gone now might not be coming back. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Hospitals in Philadelphia and around the country are treating COVID-19 patients while dealing with severe shortages of protective gear. It's a serious problem that will only get more challenging as the number of cases continues to rise. Judy Lubas and Gabi Yankelevich are two of the many medical students in Philadelphia who are taking on that challenge by volunteering their time and energy during the coronavirus pandemic to raise money and source, purchase, and deliver much needed N95 masks and other personal protective equipment to hospitals in the Philly area.  If you'd like to help Judy, Gabi, and all the other medical students raise money for protective gear, you can find their information below: The Medical Students for Masks website: https://sites.google.com/view/medical-students-for-masks-phl/home GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/medical-students-for-masks-philadelphia Instagram: @medical_students_for_masks  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

In general, we probably don't pay enough attention to supply chains -- how products and services get made, delivered, sent from A to B to wherever someone needs them. But supply chains are incredibly important, a fact that we all suddenly realized when word first started spreading that we might not have enough personal protective equipment and medical supplies to get through a global virus pandemic. Drexel LeBow College of Business associate clinical professor David Kurz joins KYW in Depth to break down what supply chains are, which supply chains are proving to be resilient, and how the COVID-19 pandemic might change how we design and support supply chains moving forward. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

"I'm sure there's plenty of Americans going through similar cases, but when it’s happening to you, it's a little surreal." Montgomery County was initially one of the hardest-hit counties in Pennsylvania battling the coronavirus crisis. For the first people in the county who tested positive weeks ago, when we knew even less about the virus, the uncertainty just added to the scariness of this pandemic. Today on KYW in Depth, KYW Newsradio's Suburban Bureau Chief Jim Melwert brings one family's experience of watching their loved one hospitalized with COVID-19 very early on in Montgomery County -- what it was like to watch a family member get ill and go to the hospital without being able to physically be there with them, how the illness progressed, how hard it was to get accurate information before anyone really knew what this was going to look like, and the lessons they learned that could potentially help other people going through the same thing. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A lot of the attention during the coronavirus pandemic has been on big cities, where dense populations mean faster spread and more patients. But that doesn't mean that the danger posed by COVID-19 is any less in the suburbs or more rural areas. David Madonna is the Chief of Police in Prospect Park, a small borough in Delaware County, PA. He joins KYW In Depth to talk about the ways the job has changed for first responders in a small town during the pandemic, how the equipment shortage across the country is affecting Prospect Park, and how his department has been affected directly. "Responding to pandemics or handling a pandemic situation isn't something typically that we train for. But I would suspect that's going to change."   Update from Chief Madonna: "One thing I wish I would've expressed more clearly is the support we are receiving from county officials. While our normal vendors have not been able to supply PPEs, Delaware County officials have been helpful in supplying us with gloves and masks."   Chief Madonna is on Twitter at @3P_Chief -- https://twitter.com/3P_Chief   See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Can looking at the before and after of different calamitous events in history give us an idea about what life after the coronavirus pandemic might look like? University of Pennsylvania Assistant Professor of History Brent Cebul joins KYW In Depth to break down one of the most important times of disruption in American history, the Great Depression, and take a closer look at the political, societal, and economic changes that accompanied it.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

One of the riskiest jobs right now is being done by the people who respond to 911 calls. EMTs, paramedics, and first responders are spending their days and nights getting sick people the medical care they need. So how does that already incredibly difficult job change when protective gear across the globe is backordered, and you're not sure how long your supplies are going to last or if you'll be able to get more? Jennifer Green, Deputy Chief of the Community Ambulance Association of Ambler joins KYW In Depth to discuss the unique challenges first responders are facing during the coronavirus pandemic. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic comes on the heels of a national outbreak of lung injuries, which the CDC says are linked with vaping THC products and the additive vitamin E acetate. Dr. Jamie Garfield, an interventional pulmonologist at the Temple Lung Center joins KYW In Depth to talk about what we learned from the EVALI epidemic, the latest research about what both vaping and smoking does to the lungs and how that applies to the coronavirus pandemic, and tips for smokers who are concerned about COVID-19. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.