JOHN YANG: Tonight on PBS "NewsHour Weekend", 1000s flooded the streets of London to celebrate the coronation of Britainús King Charles III.

JULIA WAIN: Cold, wet, tired, feet hurt but fantastic.

JOHN YANG: Then a conversation about living with COVID as national and global public health emergencies come to an end.

And author and podcaster Aubrey Gordonús new book tackles myths about fatness.

(BREAK) JOHN YANG: Good evening, Iúm John Yang.

In London today a ceremony not seen in 70 years, the coronation of a British monarch.

There was all the pageantry befitting the occasion, dignitaries from around the world, including First Lady Jill Biden.

And in the streets, crowds clamoring for a glimpse of King Charles the third and Queen Camilla.

But as Malcolm Brabant reports there were also some protests.

MALCOLM BRABANT: This was supposed to be a scaled back coronation to reflect the financial strictures being endured by millions of Charles IIIús subjects.

But as the king finally fulfilled his destiny, the opulence on display was far grander than most Britons will have seen in their lifetimes.

Pomp and Circumstance are embedded in Britainús DNA, and enthral royalists, who braved the grim weather and glimed the procession route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

But Charles isnút as popular as his late mother the Queen.

Several anti-monarchists were arrested before the main event got underway.

Among them are members of a group called Republic, which has been staging únot my kingú protests since Charles ascended to the throne.

Their leader Graham Smith is seen here sitting on the ground surrounded by police officers.

We interviewed Smith before the coronation.

GRAHAM SMITH, Chief Executive, Republic: They misuse public money all the time for private use, they misuse public office to advance their own interests.

I think that if Charles were to stand in an election against other candidates in a free and fair election that he would lose and lose badly.

And yet here he is, as a head of state.

MALCOLM BRABANT: The police say some of those detained were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a disturbance, which was denied by Republic spokesman Harry Stratton.

HARRY STRATTON, Spokesman, Republic: Itús a completely peaceful demonstration.

The police without telling us why, without telling us where theyúre taking them, have arrested all rally organizers.

Britain is meant to be a democracy but Charles isnút treating it like one.

MALCOLM BRABANT: The arrests have been widely condemned by opposition, parliamentarians, and Human Rights Watch, which said this was something you would expect in Moscow, not London.

Absorbed by centuries old tradition, guests inside Westminster Abbey were unaware of the disturbances and in the most mystical or most bizarre element of the ceremony, ornate screens were erected while he was anointed with holy oil, symbolizing his spiritual status as head of the Church of England.

Historian Anna Whitelock.

ANNA WHITELOCK, Historian: It is entirely in Congress.

Now for some people, thatús his charm, that it represents this golden thread to through British history over centuries.

For others, it is both in Congress out of touch and also outrageous to be costing such a lot and also celebrating the kind of values which most people in modern Britain no longer subscribe to.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Britainús priceless crown jewels were at the heart of the ritual as King Charles was handed the Sword of Justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity.

Protect the Holy Church of God and all people of goodwill.

MALCOLM BRABANT: The scepters of power and mercy were finally after being historyús longest ever serving heir to the throne, the crown was placed upon Charles head.

The ritual anointing of Queen Camilla was far more subdued.

As King Charles left Westminster Abbey to the national anthem, one of those carrying the train of his robe was the second in line to the throne.

His grandson, Prince George, whoús nine years old.

Perhaps he was wondering if he was looking at his own destiny.

Britainús gold State coach used in every coronation for nearly 200 years, carried the King and Queen back to Buckingham Palace, past cheering crowds.

JULIA WAIN, Coronation Attendee: Cold, wet, tired, feet hurt, but fantastic you know.

JOHN LOUDON, Coronation Attendee: I have a dear friend from the UK that lives in America.

She said sheúll never be a U.S. citizen, because sheús loyal to other crowds.

And I think itús kind of a beautiful thing.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Britain is the only European monarchy that stages coronations.

King Charles is 74.

His reign will not be a long one.

Itúll be up to his heir, Prince William, whether he continues this tradition.

For PBS "NewsHour Weekend", Iúm Malcolm Brabant.

JOHN YANG: A car bomb exploded in Russia earlier today, badly injuring a prominent nationalist writer and killing his driver.

Russia says Ukraine is behind the attack.

Itús the third explosion targeting influential figures who supported Russiaús invasion of Ukraine since the war began.

In Ukraine, the military says it used newly acquired U.S. Patriot Air Defense Missile Systems to shoot down a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv.

Itús Ukraineús first known use of the Patriots since Western allies including the United States gave them to Ukraine in April.

Some Western analysts believe Ukraine is preparing to launch a major spring offensive.

Just hours before tonightús 149th Kentucky Derby the favorite to win Forte was scratched when the state vet said he was unfit to run.

There were concerns over a bruised hoof after the horse stumbled during a workout on Thursday.

Itús the fifth scratch from the derby this week.

In addition, six horses have died at Churchill Downs in recent days.

And Newton Minow, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and a Champion of Public Television has died.

Minowús best remembered for a speech where you refer to American commercial television as a vast wasteland.

In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Newton Minow was 97 years old.

Still to come on PBS "NewsHour Weekend", dismantling myth about fatness and one photographerús brief but spectacular take on survival.

(BREAK) JOHN YANG: The World Health Organization this week ended the global public health emergency it had declared three years ago as COVID spread around the world.

The U.S. Public Health Emergency has to come to an end this coming Thursday, the 11th.

Both moves are largely symbolic, but the pandemic is waning.

Government data shows that COVID was the fourth leading cause of death last year, dropping from third in the previous two years.

And U.S. COVID deaths are at the lowest theyúve been since 2020 although it still claims hundreds of lives each day.

So where does the pandemic stand now and what should we be doing about it?

Katelyn Jetelina is an epidemiologist at the University of Texas and the author of the popular newsletter, Your Local Epidemiologist.

Katelyn, the Global health emergency ending, the U.S. health emergency ending.

What does that mean?

And maybe just as important, what does that not mean?

KATELYN JETELINA, Epidemiologist, University of Texas: Yes, itús a big week for public health.

I will say that.

So the global public health emergency ending is basically administrative and financial.

Itús a key mechanism within global health security.

So officially, that means ending the mobilization of international coordination, so funding, advancement in vaccines, etc.

Unofficially, though, it is one of the strongest signs that WHO now sees COVID-19 as a threat and our repertoire of just things trying to kill us every day.

So itús really quite a monumental moment.

And I think itús important to recognize what it doesnút mean and you touched on this a little that it doesnút mean that COVID-19 is gone.

In fact SARS-CoV-2 is mutating still about twice as fast as flu right now.

So that means weúre going to get future waves We hope that theyúre wavelets but we may get a big tsunami also from another variant of concern which would be pi and like you said we canút ignore the fact that COVID-19 is a leading cause of death for Americans and people around the world still.

So to me, as an epidemiologist, that means our work is not done.

But this is a monumental moment and some time for reflection as well.

JOHN YANG: There is a lot of confusion about what to do now.

How to react to this, how to respond.

Iúve heard a lot of people asking about vaccine boosters.

Who should be getting a vaccine booster now.

KATELYN JETELINA: Yes, so this is confusing to a lot of people, including myself, but itús -- if youúve had one by bivalent vaccine, you are considered up to date with your COVID vaccines in the United States.

It doesnút matter if youúve gotten previously infected, it doesnút matter what other vaccine series youúve gotten.

For those that got their fall booster, bivalent booster, and theyúre over 65, or theyúre immunocompromised, they can get a spring bivalent booster as well.

And this really depends on if you have comorbidities, how old you are, if you should be getting one, and also how risk adverse you are because we donút know what the future is going to hold.

So Iúm recommending it to my grandparents, to my parents to get their spring booster right now.

And but itús certainly not available to everyone.

JOHN YANG: And then moving forward, how often should people think about getting boosters?

Is there any consensus on that yet?

KATELYN JETELINA: We have no idea.

It really depends on what this virus continues to do.

Like I said, itús mutating about twice as fast as flu.

So I think we can expect at least an annual shot if not a biannual shot.

But thereús a really important meeting coming up June 15.

The FDA is meeting to really decide what the fall is going to look like, what the formula and the vaccines are going to be, what type of Omicron variant and then who should also get them.

So in about a month, we should have a lot more clarity on what this fall will look like.

JOHN YANG: Youúd say the virus is mutating and they are new variants, but we donút have the same reaction or same concern about these new variants as we did about Omicron.

Why -- why is that?

KATELYN JETELINA: Thereús a couple of reasons for that.

One is we just have a really tall immunity wall right now from previous infections and from vaccine coverage.

So itús really a bit -- a good sign that weúre not seeing these huge waves of hospitalizations.

And thatús because our immunity is working against it.

The other reason is that the SARS-coV-2 may have started finding its path, meaning that itús making incremental mutations or incremental changes, instead of these huge swing changes that we saw on the first two, two years of a pandemic.

And thatús actually a good thing.

We want Omicron to keep mutating because that means that weúll be able to predict it better, so we can predict and be proactive about our vaccines better around fall.

JOHN YANG: We asked viewers what they were worried about, what questions they had.

And one point that kept coming up was long COVID.

Kate says sheús had long COVID for the last year and a half.

She says the number of incoming patients at my local long COVID clinic is as high as ever.

What do you foresee the impact of long COVID being on American life?

And then Jan asked a similar question.

Has there been any progress and understanding who is at risk of getting long COVID How to prevent it and how to treat it?

KATELYN JETELINA: Yes, so long COVID is a thing.

It is incredibly debilitating to some Americans.

In fact, I think we estimate about 6 million Americans today are suffering from long COVID.

And unfortunately, the more that this virus changes and transmits, the more possibility we are to get more people to have long COVID.

We do have good news though that with immunity, it seems that our risk of long COVID is less if you get an infection.

Same with if treatments Paxlovid reduces the risk of long COVID And Omicron is reducing the risk of long COVID compared to Delta.

We are starting to understand the patterns for example, it looks like females are more likely to get long COVID than males and younger people are more likely to get long COVID than older people.

But we really are just on the surface of our understanding of long COVID and have a long way to go.

JOHN YANG: Katelyn Jetelina, your local epidemiologist, thank you very much.

KATELYN JETELINA: Thanks for having me.

JOHN YANG: Stigma around weight is pervasive in the United States.

In fact research has documented negative attitudes toward overweight bodies in children as young as three years old but as a new book outlines anti-fat bias is also counterproductive.

It exacerbates health disparities and interferes with effective Obesity Intervention efforts.

Stephanie Sy spoke with author and podcaster Aubrey Gordon, whose "New York Times" bestseller aims to combat these bias.

STEPHANIE SY: Aubrey Gordonús second book, "You Just Need to Lose Weight": And 19 Other Myths About Fat Peopleúweúve scientific research, cultural analysis, and Gordonús own personal experiences into a handbook for people she writes are, quote, struggling to interrupt moments of anti-fatness in their lives.

Aubrey Gordon joins me now thank you so much for being with us.

Right off the bat, I am just so uncomfortable using the word fat.

It feels unkind to say.

But one of the first things you write in your new book is that fat is a neutral descriptor primarily for plus size people.

Explain why youúd rather that descriptor be used than ones that are less fraught.

AUBREY GORDON, Author and Podcaster: I totally understand that many folks are uncomfortable with the word fat, most of us have learned that that is an unkind word to use.

And what that means for me in my daily life as a fat person is that anytime I reference my size, what ends up happening is that most people correct me and will say no, no, no, no, no, youúre not fat, youúre beautiful, or youúre not fat, youúre fun, or youúre not fat, youúre smart, which is like very revealing of sort of the biases that we attach to the word fat and our ideas about fat people.

Some of the more sort of, quote unquote, neutral words that folks will use are words like obese, which the Latin origin of that term is to have eaten oneself fat, right?

So itús already sort of presuming youúre here because of gluttony.

Youúre here because you couldnút control yourself.

So for me, personally, I just prefer the word fat, itús very straightforward.

And again, everybody gets to use whatever words they want for their own bodies.

For me, thatús mine.

STEPHANIE SY: Letús talk about that myth that you describe within the medical field, one of which is that itús a myth that doctors are sort of neutral judges of health, that they are not biased.

And in fact, your experience and that of others you describe is that there is a lot of bias in the medical field.

Can you talk about that?

AUBREY GORDON: Yes, absolutely.

So I would say healthcare providers go through an immense amount of technical training.

But what they donút actually go through is training to check and challenge their own biases.

What we see from the research is that fat patients get office visits that are considerably shorter than -- than thin people.

That fat people are more likely to face misdiagnosis for things as profound as cancer or any number of chronic or terminal illnesses because the recommendations that theyúre met with from health care providers are come back when youúve lost weight.

And if that doesnút take care of it, then weúll look into it.

Many patients end up postponing care, many patients end up avoiding contacting health care providers and many patients have worse health outcomes as a result.

STEPHANIE SY: Right.

And yet, we hear over and over again, from everyone from the CDC to the World Health Organization to most recently, the American Association of Pediatrics, that obesity is a problem.

Itús a health problem.

And Iúm actually curious to ask you about how you feel about the recent guidelines issued by the American Association of Pediatrics that recommends interventions for obesity in children as young as two.

I know thereús been a lot of pushback, but the medical world is still saying we need to do something or weúre dealing with disease.

AUBREY GORDON: I would say it is totally fine with me to talk about health risks related to being a fat person but the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending dietary interventions as young as two, weight loss drugs including injections as young as grade school and weight loss surgery and permanent body altering and life altering lifelong surgical procedure as young as 13.

As someone who in my teenage years took Fen Phen which was considered to be a miracle diet drug and it was pulled from the market within two years because it caused peopleús hearts to stop and their lungs to fill with fluid until they essentially drowned.

I come to this conversation with someone who has seen this before, who has taken these sort of miracle drugs that are recommended, and who now lives with the reality of being essentially sort of a ticking time bomb potentially, of future health outcomes related to my heart.

And what I would love is more curiosity, more nuance, and frankly, any interest in the quality of life, the life experiences and the needs of fat patients, that feels like what it is missing profoundly from this conversation is.

We have many, many, many folks with a great deal of clinical expertise telling folks with a great deal of lived experience, what we ought to be aiming for, and what we really need.

STEPHANIE SY: Just building off of what youúre saying, the importance of thinking about the lived experience of people moving through the world, with a larger frame, a larger body, and I know youúd prefer me say fat.

Iúm still not comfortable with it, Aubrey.

AUBREY GORDON: Totally, you say what you want, Iúm here for it.

STEPHANIE SY: Is the experience of flying, the very what you describe as a humiliating experience for people to be seated in a plane.

Those are things that can tangibly change.

Is that what youúre hoping for out of -- out of this book and your podcast and all the other things you do in this movement?

AUBREY GORDON: Yes, absolutely.

I would love for things to change.

It is, as you mentioned, a profoundly humiliating experience or can be to be a fat person on a plane.

It is a part of a process that we become really comfortable with, which is the small talk of being on a plane is often sort of how was your flight?

It was terrible.

I had to sit next to a fat person.

And we donút ever sort of stop to consider what is that personús experience?

And actually, where does responsibility lie?

No one is mad at Boeing or Airbus after their flight.

Theyúre upset with me.

And that feels misdirected and unproductive to me and like much more a measure of bias than a measure of an interest in solving a problem.

STEPHANIE SY: Aubrey Gordon, the author of you just need to lose weight, and 19 other myths about fat people.

Thank you so much.

AUBREY GORDON: Thank you so much for having me.

This is a treat.

JOHN YANG: Nan Goldin is a noted photographer and activist whose work is documented LGBTQ subcultures, the AIDS crisis, and even the opioid epidemic.

Most recently Goldin worked with the subject of a documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.

Tonight, Goldin shares her Brief but Spectacular take on Survival.

NAN GOLDIN, Photographer and Activist: My work is much less intentional than people credit it to be, I never set anything up.

I never decide what Iúm going to document.

I photographed what was in front of me and what was important to me.

And that was my friends, and their lives and my life.

When AIDS hit my community, in 1983, no one knew what was going on.

There were no treatments.

People with AIDS were completely ostracized.

And they were dying in front of me.

And there was nothing I could do.

And somehow I thought photographing people enough would keep them alive.

But it showed me what I had lost.

I still look at the pictures of all my friends who died and theyúre still with me.

My work always comes out of my life rather than my life coming for the photos.

In those days, my pictures were a diary of my life.

I was given OxyContin after wrist surgery, and I became addicted within days.

And it took over my life.

I went to a clinic in 2017.

What kept me sober was my political action.

I started a group called PAIN, Prescription Addiction Intervention Now and our first goal was to bring down the Sackler family.

The Sacklers made and distributed OxyContin very aggressively across America.

It was the same family whose names I had seen on the walls of museums my whole life, and I decided I wanted to bring them down.

Our first action was at the Met, we threw 1000 Fake bottles of OxyContin into the water around the Temple of Dendur, which was the Sacklersú jewel in the Met.

It took about, I guess, two years to get all the museums to stop taking money and then to start taking down the name.

The Louvre was the first, the Guggenheim eventually, and then it was like a domino effect.

I think at my age, you realize that you have a limited amount of time, and that you need to live it as fully as possible.

All the kind of immortality you have in your younger life, 20s 30s 40s all of that you lose because you realize life is precious, and you donút have a lot more of it.

And my healing consists of I donút know, I donút know if Iúm healing.

What does it mean?

Iúm a survivor and I have survived the AIDS crisis, the overdose crisis, prejudices and stigmas that have been attached to me in my work.

And Iúve survived.

Iúm Nan Goldin, and this is my Brief But Spectacular take on survival.

JOHN YANG: And that is PBS "NewsHour Weekend" for this Saturday.

Iúm John Yang.

For all of my colleagues, thanks for joining us.

See you tomorrow.