COVID has caused more than 7 million confirmed deaths (and estimates of the actual total go well past 20 million).

Here’s the even worse news: It wasn’t the truly devastating pandemic epidemiologists have feared for decades.

But here’s the good news: We learned every possible lesson from COVID, and now we’re utterly prepared for the next big pandemic that’s inevitably barreling towards us.

No. Wait. Maybe I’ve gotten that last bit wrong.

This hour, Michael Osterholm, founding director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, joins us to talk about the dreaded potential “big one” and what we need to do to be ready.

GUEST:


Michael T. Osterholm: Founding director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and the co-author of The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics

MUSIC FEATURED (in order):


Rock and Roll Doctor - Little Feat


Don’t Let Us Get Sick - Warren Zevon


Soul Vaccination - Tower of Power


I Need A Doctor - The Nields


A Good Life - Jill Sobule

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.

Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired October 9, 2025.

COVID has caused more than 7 million confirmed deaths (and estimates of the actual total go well past 20 million).
Here&rsquo;s the even worse news: It wasn&rsquo;t the truly devastating pandemic epidemiologists have feared for decades.
But here&rsquo;s the good news: We learned every possible lesson from COVID, and now we&rsquo;re utterly prepared for the next big pandemic that&rsquo;s inevitably barreling towards us.
No. Wait. Maybe I&rsquo;ve gotten that last bit wrong.
This hour, Michael Osterholm, founding director of the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/">Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy</a>, joins us to talk about the dreaded potential &ldquo;big one&rdquo; and what we need to do to be ready.
GUEST:
<ul>
<li>
Michael T. Osterholm: Founding director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and the co-author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/michael-t-osterholm-phd-mph/the-big-one/9780316258340/">The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics</a>
</li>
</ul>
MUSIC FEATURED (in order):
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://youtu.be/z3LNhZ7msI4">Rock and Roll Doctor</a> - Little Feat
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj8T3PNiHr4">Don&rsquo;t Let Us Get Sick</a> - Warren Zevon
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJuIL0w6-gc">Soul Vaccination</a> - Tower of Power
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://youtu.be/rMVBBT2hBN8">I Need A Doctor</a> - The Nields
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHEV1-WQTBw">A Good Life</a> - Jill Sobule
</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://ctpublic.org/donate">ctpublic.org/donate</a>.
Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired October 9, 2025.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.