COVID-19 coronavirus podcasts: subscribe to these for news and updates

It’s not easy keeping up with all the COVID-19 coronavirus news. Updates are flying in as the outbreak evolves, and even more so within specific countries.

In South Africa, we’ve just recorded our seventh case and globally that number has risen to beyond 110 000.

While we recommend getting your info from these sources, these Twitter accounts, or from our ongoing coverage of COVID-19, we want to add one more medium to this list: podcasts.

The easiest way to catch up on the latest, here are a few coronavirus podcasts we’ve tried and would recommend.

Coronavirus podcasts you should subscribe to

Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction

CNN’s seven-minute podcast answers common questions posed by the public about the outbreak. It’s hosted by the network’s medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta and takes the form of an easy listening Q&A.

Coronavirus Global Update

This aptly-titled podcast from the BBC, hosted by World Service presenter Valerie Sanderson, focuses on the outbreaks within specific countries across the globe. In the first episode, the podcast dips into the first case in South Africa, and the swelling outbreak in Italy and Korea.

All episodes are around five minutes long.

Epidemic

This coronavirus podcast is hosted by two extremely experienced medical professionals. Dr. Celine Gounder, a professor at New York University, has extensive experience with epidemics including Ebola. Ronald Klain brings insight from a governmental perspective as the Obama administration’s former czar on the disease.

Episodes are around 25 minutes long.

Viral: Coronavirus

Audio journalists TJ Raphael and Emily Saul discuss the virus and the impacts it has on daily life across the world.

The podcast is strangely calming, but that’s largely thanks to the cadence. It makes for an excellent commute podcast too with run times at around 25 minutes per episode.

Coronavirus 411

Looking for nothing more than news bite style updates? Coronavirus 411 is just that. Voiced by Jules Riley, this podcast gets stuck into the news of the day and concludes with a run down of the total number of global cases. It’s the oldest podcast on this list, is updated daily, and runs for around three minutes per episode.

Feature image: Andy Walker/Memeburn