WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU.
I DON’T ENVY YOUR CHALLENGES
AHEAD.
THANKS FOR JOINING ME.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE
BREAKING NEWS EARLIER FROM
PFIZER AND BRING IN DR. TOM
FRIEDEN, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
OF THE GROUP RESOLVE TO SAVE
LIVES.
PFIZER TODAY IS GOING TO ASK THE
FDA FOR EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION
TO ROLL OUT THIS VACCINE AS
EARLY AS MID-DECEMBER.
WHAT HAPPENS?
DOES THE FDA JUST HAVE TO CHECK
A BOX?
>> WELL, STEPHANIE IT WILL BE
GREAT TO SEE ACTUAL DATA, NOT
JUST PRESS RELEASES ABOUT THE
INFORMATION.
SO THAT’S IMPORTANT.
YOU’LL SEE THE FDA ADVISORY
COMMITTEE GO THROUGH IT.
YOU’LL SEE THE CDC ADVISORY
COMMITTEE GO THROUGH IT.
AND THEN, YES, IT’S POSSIBLE
THAT THERE WILL BE VACCINES IN
ARMS IN DECEMBER.
THE PROBLEM IS, STEPHANIE,
THAT’S ONLY THE START OF A VERY
LONG ROAD TO GETTING ALL OF US
TO HAVE THE AVAILABILITY OF
VACCINE.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT MANY MONTHS
BEFORE VACCINE IS WIDELY
AVAILABLE, AND WHILE THAT’S
GREAT NEWS FOR TODAY, TODAY WE
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT’S GOING
TO HAPPEN NEXT WEEK AT
THANKSGIVING WITH EXPLOSIVE
SPREAD ALREADY IN MUCH OF THE
COUNTRY AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT
THANKSGIVING WILL CREATE NOT
JUST ONE SUPERSPREADER EVENT BUT
ESSENTIALLY A SUPER BOWL OF
SUPERSPREADER EVENTS.
>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY WE’RE
HAVING THIS EXPLOSION
NATIONWIDE?
WE SAW ALMOST 200,000 CASES
YESTERDAY.
IN THE SPRING, I GOT IT.
WE WEREN’T WEARING MASKS YET.
WE WERE STILL GOING ABOUT OUR
DAILY LIVES.
WE’VE CHANGED OUR BEHAVIORS
DRAMATICALLY.
I AM COMING TO YOU RIGHT NOW
FROM A COMPLETELY EMPTY STUDIO
THAT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE 60
PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD
THAT THE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP SO
MUCH?
>> WELL, MAIN ISSUE IS WE NEVER
CRUSHED THE CURVE.
SO THERE WAS ALWAYS SO MUCH
VIRUS OUT THERE THAT WHEN WE
BEGAN TO CONGREGATE AGAIN, AND
WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF SPREAD
FROM PEOPLE GOING OVER TO OTHER
PEOPLE’S HOUSES.
YOU HEAR ABOUT THE WEDDINGS OR
BRIDAL SHOWERS THAT CAUSE LARGE
SPREAD.
WHAT’S CAUSING A LOT OF THE
SPREAD IS TWO OR THREE FAMILIES
GETTING TOGETHER, SPENDING A FEW
HOURS TOGETHER INDOORS AND
TRAVEL, STEPHANIE.
TRAVEL.
WHEN PEOPLE TRAVEL, THE VIRUS
TRAVELS.
AND ANY TIME YOU GO FROM A
HIGHER AREA, HIGHER INCIDENCE
AREA TO LOWER INCIDENCE AREA YOU
MAY SPREAD IT.
OTHER WAY AROUND, YOU MAY CATCH
IT.
WE’RE LOOKING AT A BAD SITUATION
GETTING WORSE RAPIDLY WITH THE
REAL POSSIBILITY THAT
THANKSGIVING WILL DRIVE NUMBERS
UP TO VERY, VERY HIGH LEVELS
THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE
FOR MANY HOSPITALS TO BE ABLE TO
MANAGE THE PRESS OF PATIENTS
WELL.
AMID ALL OF THIS, A FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT THAT’S BASICALLY
MISSING IN ACTION AT THE WHITE
HOUSE LEVEL.
>> I UNDERSTAND SO MANY OF THESE
RESTRICTIONS AND WHY THEY
MATTER.
BUT I’VE GOT TO ASK WHAT I
SPECIALIZE IN AND THAT’S A DUMB
QUESTION.
CURFEWS.
WHY DO CURFEWS MAKE A
DIFFERENCE?
IF I’M GOING TO THE GYM UNTIL
9:00, WHY IS THAT DIFFERENT
BETWEEN 9:00 AND 10:00?
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THAT ONE
ADDITIONAL HOUR IN GYMS OR
RESTAURANTS THAT MAKE IT SO MUCH
MORE DANGEROUS?
>> WELL, I THINK THE BROADER
ISSUE IS, HOW DO WE NUANCE OUR
RESPONSE?
WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE IS WE DO
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP OUR
KIDS IN SCHOOL LEARNING,
ESPECIALLY K THROUGH 8 WHERE
THERE AREN’T GREAT ALTERNATIVES.
IF POSSIBLE, WE KEEP RETAIL OPEN
SO WE CAN KEEP THE HOLIDAY
SEASON GOING AND KEEP OUR
ECONOMY GOING.
BUT THAT MEANS BEING REALLY
CAREFUL WITH NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE GOING IN, AMOUNT OF TIME
SPENT THERE, WEARING MASKS,
KEEPING PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK OUT,
MAKING SURE WE HAVE PAID SICK
LEAVE.
REALLY IMPORTANT, STEPHANIE,
BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN MAKING MONEY THAT
THEY NEED TO PAY THE RENT AND
POTENTIALLY PUTTING OTHERS AT
RISK, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT’S A
CHOICE THAT’S GOING TO RESULT IN
OTHERS BEING PUT AT RISK.
IN TERMS OF CURFEWS, IT’S A VERY
EMOTIONAL ISSUE BECAUSE IT
SOUNDS LIKE PARENTS AND KIDS AND
DON’T TREAT ME LIKE A KID.
AND I WOULD LEAVE THAT TO
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE LESS
TIME PEOPLE SPEND TOGETHER IN
INDOOR AIR, THE LOW ARE THE
RISK.
AND THAT’S RELEVANT AS
THANKSGIVING COMES.
SO IF YOU GO OVER TO A FRIEND’S
HOUSE, MASK UP THE WHOLE TIME
YOU’RE NOT EATING OR DRINKING
AND LIMIT YOUR TIME THERE.
ALSO OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN
DO.
SPEAK SOFTER BECAUSE LOUDER
VOICES, SHOUTING, SCREAMING,
ACTUALLY SINGING, SPREADS THE
VIRUS A WHOLE LOT MORE.
AND OPEN THE WINDOWS IF YOU CAN
OR HAVE THE AIR BLOWING OUT.
INCREASE VENTILATION MAKES A
DIFFERENCE.
WHAT WE DON’T WANT IS TO HAVE A
THANKSGIVING THAT WE’RE GOING TO
REGRET.
A ZOOM THANKSGIVING IS A LOT
BETTER THAN AN ICU CHRISTMAS.
>> IF WE’RE GOING TO NEED TO
STOP SCREAMING WE’LL HAVE TO
CANCEL EVERY HOLIDAY FOREVER
MORE IN MY FAMILY.
HERE’S MY LAST QUESTION, AND I
KNOW WE’RE OUT OF TIME.
THE NUMBERS ARE EXPLODING.
THE CDC IS RECOMMENDING THAT
PEOPLE DON’T TRAVEL.
YET PEOPLE ARE ANGRY AND THEY’RE
GOING TO ANYWAY.
WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO GET
PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR?
>> I THINK THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE
HERE IS THAT WE HAVE TO
RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER.
IT’S A MATTER OF WORKING
TOGETHER AGAINST THE VIRUS SO WE
CAN DO MORE THINGS THAT WE WANT
TO DO, NEED TO DO, LOVE TO DO,
BUT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO
PRIORITIZE.
SOME THINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT
THAN OTHERS.
SAVING THE LIVES OF OUR PARENTS,
LETTING OUR KID GOES TO SCHOOL
IN PERSON, THAT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT.
MORE IMPORTANT, FRANKLY, THAN
KEEPING OUR BARS OPEN WHERE WE
KNOW THAT THE VIRUS IS
SPREADING.
>> DR. TOM FRIEDEN, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
WHAT A GIFT.