Covid 19 coronavirus: Seven of the best podcasts

Here's seven podcasts to help get you through the lockdown period. Photo / 123rf

As the nationwide lockdown looms, you might be wondering how to while away the long hours while also keeping up to date with everything that's going on: listening to a podcast or seven to keep you informed on the Covid-19 situation might be just what you're after.

Here are a few of our picks to get you started. So grab a cuppa, curl up on the couch - or multi-task with a workout or cleaning binge - and get your daily fix of news and information on the latest developments and informed opinions with these free iHeart Radio podcasts.

Social Distance

This podcast by The Atlantic is about how to live through a pandemic as we all experience isolation from family, friends and all the services we're used to in daily life. Dr James Hamblin talks to friends and colleagues on the phone, listening to their concerns and offering practical advice.

The Women: Fighting Covid-19

Rose Reid interviews change-making women on this podcast, now speaking to female doctors and other professionals about navigating the Covid-19 crisis. She's changed up her regular programming to feature the women on the frontlines fighting the pandemic - an inspiring listen.

Coronavirus: Fact v Fiction

CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta debunks coronavirus myths on this podcast. He'll break down the headlines, ask the experts and give all the info you need to keep safe and well.

Don't Touch Your Face

Foreign Policy's James Palmer and Amy Mackinnon trace the spread of the pandemic around the globe in this podcast. They explore the threat it poses, what countries are doing to contain it, and what that means for people's everyday lives.

Survivor's Guide to Coronavirus

Even amid a pandemic, there's room for a little comic relief. This is Australian comedian Nazeem Hussain's survival guide, featuring the knowledge of a range of people in the studio and on the streets, where possible. This Survivor's Guide will help stave off fear and worry in a strange new world of crisis.

The news

We love that you're here and reading nzherald.co.nz. As well as the latest updates and essential information on this website and in the NZ Herald newspaper each day, our Newstalk ZB colleagues are working around the clock to bring you breaking news, public safety messages, and - in the form of talkback - some comfort and companionship. From Kate Hawkesby, Mike Hosking and Kerre McIvor in the morning, through to Simon Barnett, Phil Gifford, Heather du Plessis-Allan and Marcus Lush in the evenings, we have you covered.

Listen live here:

Living with Coronavirus

The world we're living in now has changed drastically in just a few weeks. It's easy for fear and anxiety to creep into our everyday lives, but this podcast is about finding the silver lining. Going into lockdown is forcing us to reconnect with others, rediscover hobbies and passions, and rethink our priorities. This podcast is a place to share the positive things to come out of the crisis.