HALL...
HALL... FROM VACCINES TO NURSING HOME
VISITS...
VISITS...
VISITS... >>> AHEAD ON OUR TOWN HALL FROM
VACCINES TO NURSING HOME VISITS, PROBLEMS SLEEPING AND
THE GROWING DEATH TOLL WE ARE
GOING TO TACKLE A BUNCH OF
COVID QUESTIONS OFF THE TOP OF
THE SHOW TODAY.
>>> THEN IN A BIT A DEEP DIVE
THROUGH THE DATA IN TERMS OF
WHO HAS BEEN VACCINATED, WHAT
THE NUMBERS TELL US ABOUT THE
VACCINE ROLL OUT.
>> AND AT THE END OF THE HALF
HOUR POST PANDEMIC TRAVEL.
WE ARE GOING TO TALK LIVE WITH
VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I'M KATE.
>> I'M MICHAEL AND WE'RE DOING
THE SHOW A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENTLY TODAY.
INSTEAD OF A LIVE GUEST OFF THE
TOP OF THE SHOW LIKE WE OFTEN
DO WE WANTED TO TACKLE A BUNCH
OF DIFFERENT ISSUES AND ANSWER
A LOT OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS
WE'RE GETTING FROM YOU ABOUT
THE PANDEMIC.
>> WE'LL START WITH REALLY
POSITIVE VACCINE NEWS TODAY.
A NEW STUDY REGARDING
ASTRAZENECA'S VACCINE NOT YET
PEER REVIEWED BUT RESEARCHERS
AT OXFORD FOUND THAT A SINGLE
DOSE WAS 76% EFFECTIVE AT
PREVENTING COVID-19 AND THEY
SUGGEST IT'S BETTER TO WAIT
LONGER BETWEEN THE FIRST AND
SECOND DOSES THREE MONTHS
INSTEAD OF A FEW WEEKS.
>> ALSO THE VACCINE NOT ONLY
PROTECTS PEOPLE FROM SERIOUS
ILLNESS AND DEATH BUT ALSO
DRAMATICALLY SLOWS DOWN THE
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
SCIENTISTS DID WEEKLY SWABS OF
PEOPLE WHO HAD THE VACCINE AND
FOUND THE 67% DROP IN SWABS
THAT WERE POSITIVE WITH THE
VIRUS SO EVEN IF A VACCINATED
PERSON GETS INFECTED THEY ARE
MUCH LESS LIKELY TO PASS THE
VIRUS ON TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
>> WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY
ADDITIONAL HOSPITALIZATIONS AND
VACCINATED SINCE THE FIRST
RELEASE OF DATA BACK IN
NOVEMBER AND I THINK THIS IS
REALLY GOOD NEWS AS WE ARE
SEEING FROM ALL OF THE VACCINES
THAT WE NOW HAVE INFORMATION
ABOUT THAT THEY ARE PREVENTING
THE SEVERE DISEASE IN THE
HOSPITALIZATIONS CONSISTENTLY
IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND
DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIES AND SOME
EMERGING DATA EVEN IN COUNTRIES
WHERE THE NEW VARIATIONS ARE
MORE COMMON.
>> AND JUST A SHORT TIME AGO WE
GOT SOME INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS
ON THIS NEWS.
HERE'S WHAT DOCTOR AN NBC NEWS
MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR HAD TO SAY
ABOUT THE ASTRAZENECA RESULTS.
>> AFTER THAT SECOND DOSE THE
EFFECTIVENESS WENT UP TO 82%.
NOW THE REASON THEY RELEASED
THIS RESULT IS THAT IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM THE GOVERNMENT
THERE HAD ACTUALLY INCREASED
THE INTERVAL BETWEEN THE FIRST
AND SECOND DOSE TO 12 WEEKS AND
PART OF THE REASON THEY DID
THAT IS IT ALLOWED MORE PEOPLE
TO GET THE FIRST DOSES.
AS YOU HEARD THAT SPEED OF
TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE
VACCINATED IS IMPORTANT.
WHAT THEY FOUND IS IN FACT NOT
ONLY IS IT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH
PERSPECTIVE BY DELAYING THE
SECOND DOSE THEY WENT UP FROM
AN EFFECTIVENESS OF ABOUT 70%
TO 82% AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH
THE QUIRKS OF OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
OVERALL GOOD NEWS BECAUSE THE
ASTRAZENECA VACCINE IS CHEAPER
AND CAN BE KEPT AT NORMAL
REREFRIGERATION FOR UP TO SIX
MONTHS.
IT'S A GREAT VICTORY AGAINST
THIS PANDEMIC.
>> AND DR. WENT ON TO SAY THAT
YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY THIS DATA
FROM THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE
AND APPLY IT TO THE OTHERS IN
TERMS OF WAITING LONGER BETWEEN
THE DOSES BUT IT'S GOOD YOU CAN
WAIT LONGER WITH THAT ONE.
BEING ABLE TO GO THREE MONTHS
MEANS THEY CAN GET MORE PEOPLE
WITH THE FIRST DOSE WHICH IS
PRETTY EFFECTIVE.
IT'S NOT 95% BUT IT'S PRETTY
GOOD.
>> IT'S STILL PRETTY GOOD AND
ULTIMATELY IT'S GOING TO GET US
OUT OF THE SITUATION WE'RE IN
NOW.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
GET A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WITH THAT
FIRST SHOT.
SO WE'VE BEEN ASKED A LOT
LATELY ABOUT NURSING HOME
VISITS.
REMEMBER THEY WERE ONCE AGAIN
PUT ON PAUSE AS WE WENT THROUGH
THE UP TICK IN HOSPITALIZATIONS
AND DEATHS AROUND THE HOLIDAY
SEASON.
NURSING HOME FACILITIES MUST GO
A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME WITH
NO CASES AMONG RESIDENTS OR
STAFF BEFORE VISITATION IS
ALLOWED.
ONE NURSING HOME OPERATOR TOLD
US SOME PLACES SHOULD BE ABLE
TO RESUME AS EARLY AS SOMETIME
NEXT WEEK.
>> WE REACHED OUT TO CATHOLIC
HEALTH WHICH RUNS FOURTH BAKER
MANOR AMONG OTHER FACILITIES
AND HERE'S THE QUOTE WE GOT.
WE APPRECIATE THE TRUST
FAMILIES HAVE PLACED IN US AND
LOOK FORWARD TO REUNITING THEM
WITH THEIR LOVED ONES IN OUR
LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES WHEN
IN PERSON VISITATION RESUMES IN
THE COMING WEEKS.
CATHOLIC HEALTH REMAINS
VIGILENT ADHERING TO ALL
GUIDELINES FROM THE NEW YORK
STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR
THE PROTECTION OF RESIDENTS,
PATIENTS AND STAFF.
AND CERTAINLY WE KNOW THIS HAS
BEEN SO DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE
WHO HAVE WANTED TO SEE THEIR
LOVED ONES AND OBVIOUSLY
UNDERSTANDING THE DANGERS OF
THAT AS WELL BUT IT'S CERTAINLY
DIFFICULT ON BOTH SIDES.
>> I HEARD FROM SOME PEOPLE ON
FACEBOOK SO TRYING THE PAST
COUPLE OF DAYS TO GET THE
LATEST GUIDANCE ABOUT
VISITATIONS AND IT'S BEEN KIND
OF DIFFICULT TO FIND AND THANKS
TO CATHOLIC HEALTH FOR GIVING
US INFORMATION TODAY BUT SOME
OF THE STUFF FROM THE STATE HAS
NOT BEEN EASY TO GO ONLINE AND
FIND OUT WHAT THE CURRENT RULES
ARE.
>> AND THAT ADDS TO THE
FRUSTRATION FOR SURE.
>> YEAH.
>> WE'VE HEARD FROM SO MANY
PEOPLE 65 AND OLDER WHO ARE
ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE BUT
WHO ARE HAVING A TOUGH TIME
NAVIGATING THAT ONLINE
APPOINTMENT SYSTEM.
>> YES.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE FORTUNATELY
BEEN ABLE TO BOOK A TIME TO GET
THEIR SHOTS BUT A LOT OF OTHERS
ARE STILL WAITING.
>> THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF
WALGREENS WAS ON THE TODAY SHOW
AND ASKED ABOUT WHAT IS BEING
DONE TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE.
>> SO WHAT DO THOSE FOLKS DO
WHO CAN'T GO ONLINE TO SIGN UP.
>> YEAH THAT'S RIGHT SO THAT'S
A REALLY GOOD CALL OUT THAT A
LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES
ESPECIALLY THE VULNERABLE ONES
MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE
TECHNOLOGY SO WHAT WE'RE DOING
NOW IS BUILDING OUT THAT
FUNCTIONALITY AND ALL
TRANSPARENCY IT'S NOT PERFECTLY
READY BUT WE WANT PEOPLE TO
HAVE THE ABILITY TO EVEN CALL
AND THEN SCHEDULE THEIR
APPOINTMENT.
NOW THAT'S NEW FUNCTIONALITY
THAT WE'RE BUILDING OUT.
IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF
TIME BUT WE WANT TO GET THERE
FOR PEOPLE.
>> AND THAT'S JUST WALGREENS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER
PHARMACIES INVOLVED AND THEN OF
COURSE OTHER WAYS THAT PEOPLE
ARE GETTING THE VACCINE SO THIS
DOESN'T SOLVE EVERYTHING BUT AT
LEAST DOWN THE ROAD IT DOES
SEEM LIKE THERE MIGHT BE HELP
FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING THROUGH
THE TECHNICAL PARTS OF THIS.
>> IT CERTAINLY IS A MAJOR
ISSUE SOMETHING I'VE SEEN IN MY
OWN FAMILY WHERE IF THERE
WASN'T ASSISTANCE HERE PROBABLY
THERE WOULD BE A DECISION JUST
SAY WELL FORGET IT BECAUSE IT'S
TOO MUCH TO DEAL WITH.
>> THERE ARE GOOD SAMARITANS
OUT THERE OF PEOPLE HELPING
NEIGHBORS AND STUFF NAVIGATE.
>> YOU REALLY NEED IT.
>> FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING
RIGHT NOW YOUR SLEEP HAS BEEN
SEVERELY DISRUPTED DURING THIS
PANDEMIC.
A SCIENTIFIC SURVEY LATE LAST
YEAR FOUND MORE THAN HALF OF
AMERICANS SAID 2020 WAS THEIR
WORST YEAR FOR SLEEP EVER AND
MORE THAN FOUR IN TEN PEOPLE
SAID THEY CANNOT REMEMBER THE
LAST TIME THEY GOT A GOOD
NIGHT'S SLEEP.
>> TODAY WE GOT TO HEAR FROM A
SLEEP SPECIALIST.
DR. ALICE HOGLAND DIRECTOR OF
ROCHESTER REGIONAL HEALTH
INSOMNIA CLINIC SAYS STRESS AND
ANXIETY ARE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS
ALONG WITH LONELINESS.
MORE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND AN
INCREASE IN TECHNOLOGY.
>> YEAH PUT YOUR PHONES DOWN
WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP.
BUT SHE SAYS ANOTHER BIG
PROBLEM IS THAT SO MANY OF OUR
SLEEP PATTERNS HAVE CHANGED AND
THAT COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT.
>> YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING
AND YOU KNOW MAYBE YOU'VE GOT
YOUR PAJAMAS ON AND REALLY
DON'T HAVE YOUR FIRST MEETING
UNTIL 10:00 SO YOU SORT OF
WANDER AROUND AND SOMETHING
ELSE HAPPENS AND YOU BEGIN TO
LOSE THIS REAL SENSE OF
REGULARITY IN YOUR LIFE.
AND FROM OUR EXPERIENCE IT
SEEMS LIKE THIS IS ONE OF THE
BIGGEST DISRUPTORS FOR SLEEP
BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL
SLEEP IN UNTIL 8 IN THE MORNING
AND OTHER TIMES THEY WILL BE
GETTING UP AT 5:00 A.M.
OR THEY'LL GO TO BED AT
MIDNIGHT OR 9 AT NIGHT.
SO THAT RHYTHM STARTS TO GET
DISRUPTED.
THERE WAS A FABULOUS RESEARCH
ARTICLE THAT WAS RECENTLY
PUBLISHED WHERE THEY TRACKED
PEOPLE IN EUROPE RIGHT IN THE
BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND
THEY FOUND THAT WHAT WAS
HAPPENING ALMOST UNIFORMLY WAS
THAT PEOPLE WERE STAYING UP
LATER AND SLEEPING IN LATER.
SO THEY WERE DEVELOPING WHAT WE
CALL A DELAYED SLEEPING PHASE.
AND THAT SEEMED TO PERSIST THE
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ACTUALLY
DIDN'T GO TO WORK.
>> AND THIS IS SO HUGE BECAUSE
WE KNOW ABOUT SLEEP IN GENERAL
IS THAT IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO
OUR HEALTH.
>> YEAH.
IT IMPACTS SO MANY ASPECTS OF
YOUR OVERALL HEALTH.
I DID LISTEN TO HER FOR A LONG
TIME TODAY.
SHE HAD SUCH IMPORTANT AND GOOD
INFORMATION.
I WILL SAY THE ONE THING THAT
HELPED ME I ACTUALLY BOUGHT ONE
OF THOSE SLEEP MASKS AND I
SLEEP LIKE A BABY NOW.
I'M NOT JOKING.
IT DID WONDERS FOR ME.
>> IT'S FUNNY.
I STARTED GETTING UP EARLIER
WATCHING THE SUNRISE ALL OF
THAT.
I FEEL LIKE THAT HELPS.
>> AS LONG AS YOU DIDN'T GO TO
BED EARLIER.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW.
>>> THE COVID TRACKING PROJECT
SAYS MORE THAN 437 PEOPLE HAVE
DIED FROM COVID-19.
>> YEAH.
IT IS A HORRIFIC NUMBER THAT
YOU CAN SEE THERE ON YOUR
SCREEN.
THE ONE SILVER LINING REALLY
RIGHT NOW IS THE DEATH RATE HAS
SLOWED DOWN AT LEAST A LITTLE
BIT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF
WEEKS.
KEEP IN MIND A PROJECTION FROM
EARLY JANUARY PREDICTED THAT WE
WOULD HAVE ALREADY HIT HALF A
MILLION DEATHS BY TOMORROW.
WE'RE NOT QUITE GOING TO BE
THERE.
STILL THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO
HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO THIS
IS STAGGERING.
>> COVID-19 IS MORE DEADLY THAN
MOST OTHER PANDEMICS THAT HAVE
HIT THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT
FOR THE ONE IN 1918 ON JANUARY
22 COVID HAD KILLED 410,000
PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
THE 1918 FLU PANDEMIC TOOK
MORE, 675,000 LIVES.
HEALTH EXPERTS AREN'T EXPECTING
QUITE THAT MANY DEATHS THIS
TIME.
BUT IT HAS BEEN MUCH, MUCH
WORSE THAN THE 1968 INFLUENZA
PANDEMIC WHICH KILLED 116,000
PEOPLE AND THE 2009 PANDEMIC
THAT LED TO 12,469 DEATHS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT COVID COMPARED
TO OTHER DEADLY DISEASES IT
HASN'T QUITE KILLED AS MANY
PEOPLE.
AGAIN ON JANUARY 22, COVID HAD
KILLED 410,000 PEOPLE IN A
LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR.
THE AVERAGE DEATH TOLL IN 2020
FOR HEART DISEASE WAS 655,000
AND FOR CANCER A LITTLE MORE
THAN 606,000 PEOPLE.
AND COMPARED TO PEOPLE LOST
DURING FAMOUS MOMENTS IN
HISTORY COVID IS RIGHT UP
THERE.
FOR INSTANCE IN WORLD WAR II
THE U.S. HAD 405,399 MILITARY
CASUALTIES SO AS PRESIDENT
BIDEN POINTED OUT ON JANUARY 22
WE ALREADY PASSED WORLD WAR II
AMERICAN CASUALTIES.
58,000 MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY
WERE KILLED IN VIETNAM.
WE BLEW PAST THAT WITH COVID
NUMBERS AND REMEMBER HOW AWFUL
EVERYONE FELT ON 9/11 WHEN
FEWER THAN 3000 PEOPLE LOST
THEIR LIVES ON THE ATTACK.
MORE PEOPLE THAN THAT WERE
DYING FROM COVID EACH DAY IN
MID JANUARY.
>> IT'S INTERESTING TO HAVE
THIS PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE EVERY
DAY WE TALK A LOT ABOUT NUMBERS
AND WE DON'T TALK A LOT ABOUT
THE FACT THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE
NUMBERS IS A HUMAN