FOR THAT YEOMAN’S WORK.
MARK MEREDITH FOLLOWING ALL OF
THAT.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE
FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENT’S COVID,
OF COURSE, A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAYING IF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES COULD GET THIS,
THEN WHO ELSE IS NEXT?
PRETTY MUCH HARD TO FIND SOMEONE
WHO HAS NOT HAD CAN COVID THAN
SOMEONE WHO HAS.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI JOINS US RIGHT
NOW, WHITE HOUSE MEDICAL
ADVISER.
DOCTOR, VERY GOOD SEEING YOU.
THE PRESIDENT’S SITUATION, WHAT
YOU’RE LEARNING OF IT, A LOT OF
WHAT WE’RE GETTING, DOCTOR, IS
COMING FROM SECONDHAND FROM THE
PRESIDENT’S PHYSICIAN AND
RELAYED TO HIS -- THROUGH HIS
TOP MEDICAL AUTHORITIES.
THAT WAS NOT THE CASE WHEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS DIAGNOSED.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
SHOULD WE BE HEARING MORE FROM
HIS PERSONAL PHYSICIAN?
>> WELL, WE’RE HEARING I THINK
MORE THAN ONE DAILY
PRONOUNCEMENT ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY
IS GOING ON, SO IT’S A WRITTEN
STATEMENT AND THEN A STATEMENT
THAT’S GIVEN THROUGH DR. JAH,
AND THEN I SPEAK TO DR. KEVIN TO
CONNER TWICE A DAY -- TO CONNER.
I SPOKE TO HIM AS RECENTLY AS
LAST NIGHT AT 10:00.
WE WENT OVER THE CASE CAREFULLY.
AND AS HE’S BEEN SAYING, THE
PRESIDENT IS DOING REALLY QUITE
WELL.
HE CONTINUES TO IMPROVE.
AND I THINK THAT’S ANOTHER
EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE’VE ALL BEEN
SAYING OF WHAT IT MEANS WHEN YOU
HAVE THE INTERVENTIONS HIKE
VACCINATION -- LIKE
VACCINATIONS, DOUBLY BOOSTED AND
BEING ON AN ANTIVIRAL DRUG THAT
HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF
BEING VERY EFFECTIVE AT
PREVENTING THE PROGRECIAN TO
SEVERE DISEASE -- PROGRESSION --
NEIL: YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT
PAXLOVID?
>> YES.
HE’S ON PAXLOVID E, THE SECOND
DAY NOW.
HE’S TOLERATING IT WELL, AND HE
CONTINUES TO IMPROVE.
I MEAN, HE WAS BETTER TODAY THAN
HE WAS LAST NIGHT AND BETTER
YESTERDAY THAN HE WAS WHEN HE
FIRST GOT SICK.
NEIL: WHEN YOU DID TALK TO THE
PRESIDENT’S PHYSICIAN, OBVIOUSLY
YOU BOTH HAVE TO CONSIDER THE
AGE OF PRESIDENT AND WHETHER,
YOU KNOW, HIS GETTING BACK TO A
ROUTINE OR AT LEAST ONE FROM A
DISTANCE IS WISE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, HE IS FEELING WELL
ENOUGH THAT HE IS FULFILLING THE
DUTIES FROM A VIRTUAL
STANDPOINT.
NEIL, YOU AND I SPOKEN ABOUT
WHEN I GOT INFECTED, YOU KNOW,
I’M A LITTLE BIT OFFEDDER THAN
THE PRESIDENT.
I HAD SYMPTOMOLOGY VERY SIMILAR
TO WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAD.
I WAS ON PAXLOVID, SO THERE’S A
LOT OF SIMILARITIES THERE.
AND I DID EXACTLY THE SAME AS
THE PRESIDENT WAS DOING, AND IT
WAS -- I WASN’T ANY WORSE FOR
THE WEAR.
I DID MY WORK VIRTUALLY THE WAY
THE PRESIDENT IS DOING, SO HE’S
FOLLOWING THE COURSE OF A PERSON
WHO’S OTHERWISE QUITE HEALTHY
WHO DID THE RIGHT THING, GOT
VACCINATED, DOUBLY BOOSTED, DID
THE RIGHT THING, WENT ON
PAXLOVID AND IS DOING WELL.
SO I THINK THERE’S NOTHING WRONG
WITH WHAT HE’S DOING BY TRYING
TO GET WORK DONE FROM A VIRTUAL
STANDPOINT.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, DOCTOR, WE’RE
LEARNING THAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS
LOOKING AT HOLDING OFF FURTHER
BOOSTER SHOTS FOR THOSE UNDER
THE AGE OF 50.
I BELIEVE UNDER THE AGE OF 50
UNTIL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET TO
THE FALL WHEN SUCH BOOSTER SHOTS
WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THESE
VARIANTS, SUBVARIANTS.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
>> WELL, NEIL, I THINK THAT’S A
BIT OF A MISINTERPRETATION
BECAUSE I’VE BEEN ASKED THAT ON
SEVERAL INTERVIEWS.
SO I CALLED UP DR. PETER MARKS
WHO’S THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR
THAT AT THE FDA, AND HE ASSURED
ME THAT NO DEFINITIVE FINAL
DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT
THAT, AND IT IS STILL UNDER
ACTIVE CONSIDERATION.
BUT SOMEHOW A REPORT CAME OUT
THAT A FINAL DECISION WAS MADE
ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE LESS THAN 50
BOOSTERS NOW AS OPPOSED TO
WAITING --
NEIL: BUT IT’S THE BOOSTER SHOTS
NOW, DOCTOR. I THINK THE
GENESIS OF THIS IS PRESENT
BOOSTER SHOTS DO NOT REFLECT OR
DEAL WITH THE VARIANT, WHAT HAVE
YOU, THAT IT MIGHT BE WISER TO
WAIT A LITTLE BIT WHEN SUCH
BOOSTER SHOTS WILL BE ABLE TO TO
ADDRESS THAT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, NEIL, IT’S A JUDGMENT
CALL.
IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO’S LESS
THAN 50 YEARS OLD AND THEY ARE
IN A RISK CATEGORY HAVING AN
UNDERLYING DISEASE, IMMUNE
COMPROMISED OR EVEN WITHOUT
BEING IMMUNE COMPROMISED HAS A
DISEASE THAT MIGHT LEAD TO A
SEVERE OUTCOME -- CHRONIC
OBSTRUCT I PULMONARY DISEASE,
SEVERE DIABETES -- THE I WOULD
NOT WAIT FOR ANY OTHER BOOSTER
IN THE FALL IF THAT PERSON WAS
DUE FOR A WORCESTER. -- BOOSTER.
SO I THINK WE’VE GOT TO BE
CAREFUL.
KWR0U GO BY THE CDC GUIDELINES,
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO USE
CLINICAL JUDGMENT.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, DOCTOR, I HAD A
CHANCE THIS WEEK TO TALK TO THE
NOVAVAX CEO WHO’S DEBUTING A
VACCINE OF ITS OWN, I BELIEVE
THE FOURTH NOW WITH THE EXISTING
OTHERS.
ABOUT 20% OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
WHO HAVE YET TO BE VACCINATED AT
ALL, BUT I RAISED WITH THE
NOVAVAX CEO THE SAME ISSUE I
WANT TO RAISE WITH YOU RIGHT
NOW.
OF THAT 20 THE % LOOKING AT, YOU
KNOW, YOUR CLOSE CALL WITH THIS,
YOU KNOW, YOU CAME OUT OF IT
FLYING COLORS, THAT’S GREAT, AND
NOW HEARING THAT THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES GOT THIS,
FULLY VACCINATED, DOUBLE
BOOSTED, ALL OF THAT -- AS DID
I, BY THE WAY.
YOU NOTICE I PUT MYSELF IN YOUR
COMPANY.
THEY SAY, WELL, GOSH, IF THESE
GUYS ARE GETTING IT AND DOING
ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, THEN WHY
THE HECK SHOULD I BOTHER?
WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM?
>> OH, NEIL, I’M SO SO GLAD YOU
BROUGHT THAT THAT UP BECAUSE
THERE IS SOME MISUNDERSTANDING
ABOUT THAT.
THE VACCINES TO A VERY GOOD
JOB -- DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF
PROTECTING YOU FROM ADVANCING TO
SEVERE DISEASE LEADING TO
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS.
WHEN YOU HAVE A VERY HIGHLY
TRANSMISSABLE VIRUS LIKE THE
BA-5 WHICH WE’RE DEALING WITH
RIGHT NOW WHICH IS THE
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF ICE
ATLANTAS THAT ARE IN THIS
COUNTRY AND CIRCULATE ARING, YOU
MAY GET INFECTED.
VACCINES DO PROTECT YOU AGAINST
INFECTIONS SOMEWHAT, BUT SO
TRANSMISSIBLE THAT PEOPLE ARE
GETTING INFECTED WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE
DIFFERENCE, NEIL, BETWEEN PEOPLE
WHO GET SERIOUSLY ILL,
HOSPITALIZED AND AND COMPARE THE
UNVACCINATED PEOPLE WITH THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED AND
BOOSTED, THE DATA JUST SPRING
OUT AT YOU AS BEING SO OBVIOUS
FOR THE VERY, VERY STRONG
ADVANTAGE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF
SEVERE ILLNESS OF GETTING
VACCINATED.
THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
SO ARGUMENT OF SAYING THAT,
WELL, FAUCI OR THE PRESIDENT OR
NEIL CAVUTO GOT VACCINATED,
BOOSTED AND THEY STILL GOT
INFECTED SO WHY SHOULD WITH I
GET VACCINATED, THAT IS REALLY A
VERY, VERY PROFOUND
MISINTERPRETATION OF WHAT THE
REAL PURPOSE OF THE VACCINE IS.
IT’S TO KEEP YOU FROM GETTING
SERIOUSLY ILL.
NEIL: WELL, I’M GLAD YOU KEPT ME
MANY THAT TRIO, DOCTOR.
LET ME STEP BACK AND GET YOUR
SENSE OF WHERE ALL OF THIS FITS
INTO THE HEAT WAVE WE HAVE GOING
ON IN THIS COUNTRY, THROUGHOUT
MUCH OF THE WORLD.
I KNOW THERE’S SOME TREPIDATION
AHEAD OF THE FALL AND COOLER
WEATHER AND A LIKELY SPIKE IN
CASES FROM SOME IN THE MEDICAL
COMMUNITY.
BUT, OF COURSE, THESE ARE VERY
TOUGH CONDITIONS FOR ANYONE
WHETHER YOU’RE SENSITIVE TO HEAT
OR NOT.
IN THIS ENVIRONMENT DO COVID
CASES RISE -- THEY HAVE BEEN
RISING.
THEY’VE SPIKED MIGHTILY ACROSS
EUROPE, A SMATTERING OF SUCH
SPIKES IN KEY REGIONS IN CHINA
STILL.
I’M WONDERING HOW A HEAT WAVE
COMPLICATES THAT.
>> WELL, THE ONLY WAY THAT I
WOULD -- FIRST OF ALL, WE’VE
EXPERIENCED NOW, NEIL, AND YOU
AND I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THAT,
THAT THIS VIRUS SPREADS IN THE
SUMMER, IT SPREADS IN THE
WINTER, IT JUST KEEPS SPREADING
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH DEGREE OF
TRANSMISSIBILITY.
THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF AS
THE MOST OBVIOUS RELATIONSHIP
AND CONNECTION WITH A HEAT WAVE
IS THAT IT DRIVES MORE PEOPLE
INDOORS WITH AIR-CONDITIONING.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT AND YOU
DON’T HAVE PROPER VENTILATION,
YOU HAVE A RECIRCULATION OF THE
AIR, THAT COULD BE THE SAME SORT
OF RISK YOU PUT YOURSELF UNDER
AS OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU’RE IN THE
WINTER AND YOU GO INDOORS
BECAUSE IT’S COLD OUTSIDE.
SO ANYTHING THAT WOULD DRIVE YOU
IN A CLOSED INDOOR SPACE THAT
HAS AIR-CONDITIONING OR WHAT
HAVE YOU, THAT VERY WELL COULD
LEAD TO POOR VENTILATION FLOW.
AND THEN AGAIN WHEN THAT
HAPPENS, THAT’S ALWAYS A RISK
FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND
ACQUISITION OF A RESPIRATORY
ILLNESS.
NEIL: VERY QUICKLY, DOCTOR, WE
HAVE THESE SPIKES IN CASES AS
YOU KNOW, AND SOME ARE
REVISITING THE CDC WITH
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO
PUT MASKS BACK ON.
IN NEW JERSEY A RECOMMENDATION
FOR ALL 18 COUNTIES THERE NEW
YORK GOVERNOR HOCHUL IS
CONSIDERING THE SAME.
NOT GOING BEYOND THE
RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT?
DO YOU PERSONALLY VIEW MASKS AS
A GOOD IDEA IN THIS ENVIRONMENT?
OR A BAD ONE?
>> OH, IT’S A VERY GOOD IDEA,
NEIL.
I KNOW THERE’S THIS SORT OF
PUSHBACK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
MANDATE, BUT PUT MANDATE ASIDE
AND LOOKED AT WHAT’S GOOD COMMON
SENSE RECOMMENDATION TO KEEP
YOURSELF SAFE FROM BEING
INFECTED OR FROM TRANSMITTING
INFECTION.
THE DATA THE THAT WELL-FITTED
MASKS LIKE THE KN95 AND THE N95,
THOSE MASKS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND THERE’S A LOT OF STUDIES
THAT SHOW THAT.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT.
WE’LL WATCH IT CLOSELY,
DR. FAUCI.
VERY GOOD SEEING YOU AGAIN.