JACKIE: "FOX BUSINESS ALERT."
BIOTECH COMPANY NOVAVAX
ANNOUNCING POSITIVE RESULTS FROM
TWO PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF ITS
COVID-19 VACCINE CANDIDATE.
IN ONE STUDY 56 VOLUNTEERS
PRODUCED A HIGH LEVEL OF
ANTIBODIES WITHOUT ANY SERIOUS
SIDE-EFFECTS.
THE COMPANY SAYS, IT CAN PRODUCE
100 MILLION DOSES BY THE
BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.
NOW NOVAVAX IS AMONG SEVERAL
COMPANIES WORKING TO DEVELOP A
VACCINE AND RECEIVED A
$1.6 BILLION GRANT FROM THE
GOVERNMENT.
DESPITE THE GOOD NEWS, YOU SEE
THE STOCK IS PLUNGING IN
AFTER-HOURS SESSIONS.
>>> THIS MONTH, COLLEGES ARE
WELCOMING THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS
BACK TO CAMPUS BUT SCHOOLS
STRUGGLING TO LAY OUT A
REOPENING PLAN THAT CAN WORK.
A YALE AND HARVARD STUDY CLAIMS
TO FOUND A SAFE WAY TO BRING
COLLEGE STUDENTS BACK TO CAMPUS,
BUT IT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR
THEM TO BE TESTED FOR COVID-19
EVERY TWO DAYS.
JOINING ME WITH MORE, THE LEAD
AUTHOR OF THE STUDY, YALE PUBLIC
HEALTH PROFESSOR, DR. DAVID
PATLIEL.
DOCTOR, GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH
US.
EXPLAIN THE FINDINGS IN THE
STUDY AND HOW IT IS ABLE TO TEST
COLLEGE KIDS EVERY TWO DAYS TO
SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE
COMMUNITY SPREAD.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME,
JACKIE.
YOU GOT IT ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THE
KEY TO THE ANALYSIS WE PERFORMED
SUGGESTS THAT THE SAFE WAY FOR
STUDENTS TO RETURN TO COLLEGES
INVOLVES SCREENING FOR THE SARS
COVID VIRUS AT HIGH FREQUENCY,
EVERY TWO DAYS, USING RAPID
INEXPENSIVE TEST, COUPLED WITH
STRICT ADHERENCE TO SOCIAL
DISTANCING AND OTHER BASIC
PREVENTION PRACTICES.
JUST AS YOU SAID, THE KEY
CHALLENGE HERE IS FEASIBILITY.
THE PLAN WE RECOMMEND IS
COMPLICATED TO IMPLEMENT AND
IT’S EXPENSIVE.
IT SET AS VERY HIGH BAR MAY WELL
BE I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE
CAPACITY OF MANY UNIVERSITIES.
LET ME BE CLEAR JUST BECAUSE IT
ISN’T FEASIBLE DOESN’T MEAN IT
ISN’T IMPORTANT.
ANY SCHOOL THAT CAN’T MEET
MINIMUM SCREENING STANDARDS OR
MAINTAIN UNCOMPROMISING
PREVENTION CONTROL PRACTICES HAS
TO ASK ITSELF IF IT HAS ANY
BUSINESS REOPENING.
>> A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO ASK
HERE.
I WANT TO ALERT THE VIEWERS, I
THINK I READ IT WAS $470 PER
STUDENT TO BE ABLE TO TESTED IN
THIS WAY.
ANOTHER CONCERN IS THAT, YOU
KNOW, LISTEN WE’VE DONE MORE
TESTING IN THIS COUNTRY,
ABSOLUTELY AND THAT HAS BEEN
HELPING US MONITOR THE VIRUS AS
WE MOVE FORWARD BUT NOT ALL OF
THE RESULTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
ACCURATE.
THEN YOU’VE GOT A COMMUNITY OF
COLLEGE KID MAY NOT BE TAKING
THE DISTANCING PRECAUTIONS THAT
OTHER PEOPLE ARE.
SO I’M WONDERING IF YOU THINK
THAT IT IS REALISTIC TO DO IT,
AND REALISTIC TO KNOW WHO HAS
GOT IT AND WHO DOESN’T?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE CAN’T EXPECT PERFECT
ADHERENCE AND WE CAN’T EXPECT
PERFECT TESTS BUT WE CAN PREPARE
FOR THE PERFECT ADHERENCE AND
PERFECT TEST.
I’M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MANY
SCHOOLS ARE NOT PLANNING TO DO
ANY TESTING OF ASYMPTOMATIC
STUDENTS.
THEY’RE ONLY MONITORING STUDENTS
OF COVID-19 AND ONLY SPRING INTO
ACTION WHEN THEY SEE SIGNS OF
ILLNESS.
WE EXPLORED THOUSANDS OF
SCENARIOS.
WE FAILED TO FIND ONE
CIRCUMSTANCE THAT IS ABLE TO --
IT IS TOO MUCH RICK OF SILENT
SPREADERS.
YOU CAN’T PLAY CATCH-UP WITH
THIS VIRUS.
A SCHOOL TESTS AND RESPONDS ONLY
WHEN SYMPTOMS ARE OBSERVED IS
LIKE A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT ONLY
SPENDS AFTER THE HOUSE HAS
BURNED TO THE GROUND.
JACKIE: IS THE PLAN TO USE RAPID
TESTING, TELL YOU FOR EXAMPLE,
HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, I HAVE
FRIENDS TRYING TO GET TEST, YOU
STILL HAVE TO WAIT FIVE TO SEVEN
DAYS TO GET THE RESULTS.
RAPID TESTS, NASAL SWABS THAT
COME BACK IN 15 MINUTES, THOSE
ARE HARDER TO COME BY.
I’M WONDERING WHAT THE PLAN
WOULD BE HERE AND HOW COMPANIES
CAN RAMP UP THOSE RAPID TESTS?
THAT COULD HELP IN SO MANY
AREAS, NOT JUST ON COLLEGE
CAMPUSES?
>> I AGREE WITH YOU.
THOSE BETTER TESTS ARE ON THE
WAY ALL THE TIME, CHEAPER,
FASTER, RAPID SALIVA BASED
TESTING.
WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
THOSE TECHNOLOGIES.
JACKIE: GREAT TO HAVE YOU,
DOCTOR.
WE’LL HAVE YOU BACK ON AGAIN
SOON.
WE DO HOPE --
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.