AND A LOT MORE ON THIS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21st, BUT FIRST,
WILLIE, LETS BEGIN WITH THE
VERY LATEST ON THE VIERUS.
>> GOOD MORNING, MIKA, THE
DANGEROUS, HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS
DELTA VARIANT AS OF THIS MORNING
WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 83% OF NEW
COVID INFECTIONS, A FULL SEVEN
MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE VACCINE BECAME
AVAILABLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
HOSPITALS ARE INUNDATED WITH A
SURGE OF PATIENTS WHO ARE VERY
SICK, AND THE NUMBER OF CASES IS
CLIMBING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THIS LATEST WAVE IS IMPACTING
THE MOST VULNERABLE STATES AND
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LOW
VACCINATION RATES.
IN A MOMENT, NBCS GABE
GUTIERREZ WILL REPORT FROM
LOUISIANA ON WHY PEOPLE ARE
DECIDING NOT TO GET THE SHOT.
FIRST, MIGUEL ALMAGUER WITH THE
LATEST NUMBERS.
>> INSIDE A GROWING NUMBER OF
HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT OUR NATION
HAS ALREADY ENTERED A FOURTH
WAVE, AN EXPLOSIVE SUMMER SURGE
IN COVID CASES FEW PREDICTED,
FUELED BY THE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS
DELTA VARNLT
DELTA VARIANT, ACCOUNTING FOR
83% OF NEW CASES.
THE U.S. IS AVERAGING 26,000 NEW
INFECTIONS A DAY, OVER 1,000 AN
HOUR.
>>st THE REASON ITS SO FORMIDAB
IS THE FACT THAT IT HAS THE
CAPABILITY OF TRANSMITTING
EFFICIENTLY FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN
IN AN EXTRAORDINARY MATTER.
>> ON CAPITOL HILL, THE NATIONS
TOP PANDEMIC DOCTORS SAY ITS
THE UNVACCINATED ACCELERATING
THE PANDEMIC AS DEATHS SKYROCKET
BY NEARLY 50%.
>> WE HAVE THINGS OPEN AT 100%,
NOBODY IS WEARING MASKS.
>> Reporter: WITH THE HIGHEST
INFECTION RATES IN THE NATION,
STATES LIKE MISSOURI, ARKANSAS
HAVE HOSPITAL VACCINATION
CENTERS THAT EMPTY AND HOSPITALS
ARE FULL.
>> HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU THAT
CHILDREN WILL BE AT THE NEXT
SURGE IN THE FALL?
>> THERES THAT CONCERN.
>> Reporter: AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM, THE
PEDIATRIC CARE UNIT WAS NEARLY
FORCED TO SHUT DOWN AFTER A
FLOOD OF CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES THAT USUALLY
SPIKE AND SPREAD IN THE WINTER.
CASES OF RSV ARE SURGING AS
RESTRICTIONS LOOSEN AND MORE
CHILDREN GATHER TOGETHER, THE
SAME WAY COVID CAME.
>> BE SMARLTT, BE SAFE.
TRY TO PROTECT YOURSELF.
>> Reporter: NOW FEARING A
WIDESPREAD FALL SURGE, EVEN
VACCINES ARE NO GUARANTEE
AGAINST DELTAS SERIOUS THREAT.
WE LEARNED A FULLY VACCINATED
WHITE HOUSE STAFFER AND AN AIDE
TO HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI
ALSO TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE
VIRUS AFTER MEETING WITH FULLY
INOCULATED DEMOCRATIC TEXAS
LAWMAKERS WHO FLEW MASKLESS TO
WASHINGTON AND SUFFERED
BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS.
AN EVOLVING THREAT AS THE
UNVACCINATED FACE A FUTURE THAT
LOOKED MORE LIKE OUR PAST.
JOHN BARTUCCI GOT THE COVID SHOT
HE PUT OFF FOR MONTHS.
>> WHAT WAS KIND OF HOLDING YOU
OFF BEFORE?
>> I DIDNT SEE THE NEED FOR IT.
IM YOUNG AND HEALTHY, AND I
THOUGHT MAYBE I WASNT GOING TO
BE AS AFFECTED AS MORE PEOPLE AS
RISK.
>> HES DESCRIBED AS THE MOVABLE
MIDDLE, ADULTS THAT MAY HAVE
BEEN SKEPTICAL OF THE VACCINE
BUT ARENT DEAD SET AGAINST IT,
PEOPLE LIKE SHARON LANDRY.
>> I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING
PUSHED INTO IT, AND WHEN SOMEONE
PUSHES, I PUSH BACK.
>> WHO BECAME CONVINCED AFTER
HER ADULT SON GOT SICK.
>> WHY DID YOU GET IT TODAY AS
OPPOSED TO SAY A COUPLE OF
MONTHS AGO?
>> I JUST DIDNT FEEL LIKE IT
WAS -- WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON,
I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO -- I
DIDNT DO ANY RESEARCH.
>> Reporter: AROUND THE COUNTRY,
ROUGHLY HALF OF AMERICANS ARE
FULLY VACCINATED BUT DAILY
VACCINATIONS HAVE DROPPED BELOW
1 MILLION.
LOUISIANA IS AMONG THE STATES
WITH THE LOWEST RATES.
36% OF THE POPULATION HERE IS
FULLY VACCINATED.
BUT SOME PARISHES ARE BELOW 20%.
>> I THINK THERES A LOT OF
MISINFORMATION THAT CAME OUT
INITIALLY WHEN THE VACCINE CAME
OUT.
>> Reporter: FOR THOSE GETTING
THE VACCINE NOW, IT SEEMS, THE
CHOICE IS ALL THE MORE PERSONAL.
JOHN BARTUCCI IS EXPECTING HIS
FIRST CHILD LATER THIS YEAR.
>> Reporter: THAT KIND OF RAISES
THE STAKES A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> GABE GUTIERREZ, JOINING US
FROM LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA.
THAT HOSPITAL HAS 260% MORE
COVID PATIENTS THAN IT DID TWO
WEEKS AGO, AND AS DOCTORS TALK
ABOUT THE MOVABLE MIDDLE, PUBLIC
HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THERE ARE
PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE WHO CAN
MOVE.
THATS WHERE THEY WANT TO GO,
AND IT LOOKS LIKE SOME MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS MAY ACTUALLY BE IN
THAT MOVABLE MIDDLE.
>> YES, WELL GET TO THAT IN A
MOMENT.
ON THE MOVABLE MIDDLE, THIS IS
SO INTERESTING BECAUSE THERE IS
A GROUP OF AMERICANS WHO PERHAPS
AS WE HEARD THE WOMAN IN GABES
PIECE SAY, I FELT PUSHED INTO
IT.
SHE WAS LISTENING TO ALL SORTS
OF INFORMATION, PERHAPS THEY
FOLLOWED DONALD TRUMPS
FOLLOWERS, AND THERES A LOT OF
DISTRUST, AND DISINFORMATION
EVEN THOUGH TRUMP HIMSELF GOT
THE VACCINE.
HE DIDNT PUSH IT.
HE PUSHED A LOT OF DISTRUST IN
THE VACCINE AND EVEN RECENTLY
HAS DONE THAT.
AND WHAT THE MOVABLE MIDDLE HAS
NOW IS THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
WATCH SCIENCE PLAY OUT BEFORE
THEIR EYES.
AND THEY SEE THAT THE VACCINATED
ARE SAFER FROM THIS VIRUS THAN
THE UNVACCINATED.
NOW, THOSE WHO ARE DYING NOW,
ARE PREDOMINANTLY UNVACCINATED.
THOSE WHO ARE GETTING SICK, AND
THOSE WHO ARE HAVING THE DELTA
VARIANT RIP THROUGH THEIR
COMMUNITIES ARE UNVACCINATED AND
YOUNGER AND SICKER, AND THAT IS
THE SCIENCE THEY CAN SEE BEFORE
THEIR EYES.
OVER THE COURSE OF MONTHS, OVER
THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, IT
HELPS.
AND AS WILLIE MENTIONED, THE
NUMBER TWO HOUSE REPUBLICAN
FINALLY GOT HIS FIRST DOSE OF
THE VACCINE.
CONGRESSMAN STEVE SCALISE OF
LOUISIANA GOT HIS FIRST SHOT
THIS PAST SUNDAY.
HE HAD PREVIOUSLY TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID ANTI BODIES
BUT NOW WITH THE DELTA VARIANT
ON THE RISE, HE SAID QUOTE WHEN
YOU TALK TO PEOPLE WHO RUN
HOSPITALS IN NEW ORLEANS OR
OTHER STATES, 90% OF PEOPLE IN
THE HOSPITAL WITH THE DELTA
VARIANT HAVE NOT BEEN VAKS
VACCINATED.
THATS ANOTHER SIGNAL THE
VACCINE WORKS.
THE HOUSE MINORITY WHIP ADDED
THAT THE VACCINE IS SAFE AND
EFFECTIVE AND THANK YOU, STEVE
SCALISE, FOR GETTING OUT IN
FRONT OF THAT.
IT DOESNT MATTER WHEN.
ITS IMPORTANT YOU DO IT.
>> LETS BRING INTO THE
CONVERSATION, CLINICAL DIRECTOR
OF THE DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASES AT BRIGHAM AND WOMENS
HOSPITAL, DR. PAUL SACKS.
GOOD MORNING, ITS GOOD TO SEE
YOU.
LETS GET YOUR SNAPSHOT OF WHERE
WE ARE.
WE TOOK A TOUR OF THE COUNTRY
FOCUSED ON LOUISIANA.
SOME OF THESE STATES WITH VERY
LOW LATESRATES OF VACCINATION SE
THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS,
HOSPITALIZATIONS THROUGH THE
ROOF IN SOME OF THOSE PLACES.
WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW AS A
COUNTRY, AND WHERE DO YOU THINK
WERE HEADED AS WE MOVE INTO THE
SUMMER AND FALL WHEN SCHOOLS
OPEN AGAIN?
>> WHAT THIS DELTA VARIANT HAS
DONE IS ITS REALLY EXPOSED THE
UNVACCINATED PEOPLE TO GETTING
QUITE SICK FROM THE VIRUS, AND
WE HAVE SEEN THIS FROM
PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE WORLD.
THERE WAS A PRELUDE TO THIS IN
THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND ISRAEL
WHERE THEY HAD HIGH VACCINATE
RATES AND WE STARTED TO SEE
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN UNVACCINATED
PEOPLE GO UP AND THEN CASES IN
VACCINATED PEOPLE TOO.
THERE ARE CASES IN VACCINATED
PEOPLE ARE MUCH MILDER OR
SOMETIMES THEYRE JUST
COMPLETELY ASYMPTOMATIC, BUT
NONE THE
NONETHELESS, THE DANGER IS REAL,
THE DELTA VARIANT SPREADS VERY
EASY LIRKS AND
EASILY, AND UNVACCINATED PEOPLE
ARE AT HIGH RISK.
>> CAN YOU UNDER LINE WHAT THE
NUMBERS ARE IN TERMS OF WHO IS
ENDING UP IN HOSPITALS RIGHT
NOW, WHO IS DYING TRAGICALLY AT
THIS POINT IN THE PANDEMIC.
IS IT 98%, IS IT 99%
UNVACCINATED?
WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS?
>> IT DEPENDS ON THE PROPORTION
OF THE POPULATION THATS BEEN
VACCINATED BUT I CAN TELL YOU
THAT EVEN IN A STATE THATS
HEAVILY VACCINATED LIKE OUR OWN
STATE HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE SICKEST IN THE
HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW ARE THOSE WHO
HAVE BEEN UNVACCINATED.
BY AND LARGE.
THE OTHER GROUP I WORRY ABOUT
ARE PEOPLE WHOSE IMMUNE SYSTEMS
ARE WEAKENED BY THE UNDERLYING
ILLNESS THAT THEY HAVE.
MAYBE THEYRE TAKING MEDICINE
FOR CANCER OR OTHER PROBLEMS,
THAT SUPPRESS THEIR IMMUNE
SYSTEM.
THEYRE VULNERABLE, AND WE
REALLY OWE IT TO THEM TO TRY TO
GET AS MANY PEOPLE VACCINATED AS
POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT PROTECTS NOT