You’re sick of hearing about this coronavirus everywhere you turn. It seems like you can’t even watch a YouTube video, listen to the radio or browse the internet without the pesky sickness rearing its ugly head. Aren’t there far bigger and badder diseases out there? Well, there certainly are and one podcast aims to tell you all about them. ‘This Podcast Will Kill You’ explores a different disease every week in episodes that average about an hour long.
The show is hosted by hilarious duo Erin Welsh and Erin Allman Updyke. Erin Welsh is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist studying tick-borne disease transmission in wildlife. Meanwhile, Erin Allman Updyke is an epidemiologist and disease ecologist working her way through medical school. Together, the duo research and explore a different disease each week and explain it to you in an entertaining and educational way. At the start of each episode, the pair share their recipe for the quarantini of the week. Their chosen drink always pairs with the disease they intend to talk about in some way. For instance, episode two of the podcast is all about leprosy. Did you know that only two species can carry leprosy, humans and armadillos? Using this fact, the girls call their quarantini the “harmadillo.”
After they establish what they are drinking, the Erins explain exactly what the disease of the week is and its history. You’ll even learn some interesting tidbits that you can share with others and look super smart. For instance, did you know tonic water is made with cinchona bark from South American trees? This bark contains quinine, a chemical used to combat malaria. With their witty banter and vivid descriptions, the Erins make every episode entertaining and informative. They even share audio clips of interviews with people who have lived through or are still fighting these diseases.
So if you’re sick of hearing about corona, why not try learning about some of the other diseases out there instead? It’s a scary world, but you can enter it with a quarantini in hand and a ton of new knowledge. If you’re curious about the show, check out the official website for more information. And as always, “wash your hands, ya filthy animals!”
