OK? ALL RIGHT. JOHN KING, SECONDS AWAY. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, IT’S REALLY THE LAST
THING THAT WE WANTED YET.
ANOTHER COVID CHRISTMAS.
BUT HERE WE ARE AND WE’RE
DEALING WITH YET ANOTHER COVID
VARIANTS. SO HOW DO WE ALL STAY
SAFE? DOCTOR RUTH BERGGREN,
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST
WITH THE LONG SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE AT UT HEALTH, SAN
ANTONIO. JOINING US NOW.
>> TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF OUR
>> TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF OUR & - YOU HAVE ONE NEGATIVE AT-HOME
TEST, YOU ARE NOT OUT OF THE
WOODS AND YOU NEED TO MASK AND
NOT GO EXPOSE OTHER PEOPLE AND
YOU NEED TO GET THAT TEST
REPEATED EITHER BY THE HOME
TEST OR GO TO A PLACE WHERE
YOU CAN GET A PCR TEST.
>> NOBODY WANTS TO CANCEL THEIR
HOLIDAY PLANS AND WE’RE ALL
TIRED. WE’RE TIRED OF LIVING
WITH THIS AND SOME PEOPLE MAY
LOOK AT OMICRON SYMPTOMS AND
SAY THEY’RE NOT THAT BAD, BUT
NOT THAT SEVERE NUMBERS IN OUR
COMMUNITY. THEY’RE CLIMBING,
THE SURE ARE CLIMBING, BUT
THEY’RE NOT THAT BAD WHEN IT
COMES TO WHAT WE’VE SEEN IN
THE PAST.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM ABOUT
THE WAY WE SHOULD BE THINKING
ABOUT THIS LATEST SEARCH?
>> YES, SO IT’S ALWAYS THE CASE
THAT THINGS HEAT UP OUT ON THE
COASTS ON THE EAST COAST TO THE
WEST COAST AND THEY’RE KIND OF
LIKE BELLWETHERS FOR THE REST
OF THE COUNTRY. AND SO EVEN
THOUGH WE HAVE A LOW COMMUNITY
POSITIVITY RATE RIGHT NOW, IT’S
BEEN RISING. TRUE, BUT IT’S
STILL RELATIVELY LOW.
WE CAN EXPECT A SURGE. AND WHY
DO I SAY THAT WITH GREAT
CONFIDENCE? JUST LOOK AT WHAT’S
HAPPENING ON THE EAST COAST
RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO
EVEN GET THE TESTS BECAUSE SO
MANY PEOPLE ARE SYMPTOMATIC
AND WORSE. THE HOSPITALS IN
MANY COMMUNITIES ARE NEEDING
HELP AND EVEN CALLING IN THE
NATIONAL GUARD TO HELP JUST
THAT. THE SHEER CROWDS OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO THE
HOSPITAL. SO THAT’S HAPPENING
IN OUR COUNTRY ON THE EAST
COAST RIGHT NOW. WE CAN
ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL HAPPEN
IN TEXAS AND THE WAY TO
MITIGATE IT IS TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYBODY GETS VACCINATED
THE VACCINATED. PEOPLE NEED TO
GET BOOSTED AND THE MASKS NEED
TO COME ON AND STAY ON. WHEN WE
GO TO CROWDED INDOOR PLACES.
>> BUT YOU’RE ALSO HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONAL. AND SO YOU HAVE
THE BENEFIT OF SEEING THE IS
SEEING THIS FROM A VERY
DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
WHERE IS I THINK THE GENERAL
PUBLIC MIGHT JUST THINK OF THIS
IS BEING SORT OF
INCONVENIENCED. AND I THINK
THAT’S WHAT YOU WERE GETTING
OUT EARLIER. MYRA. SO BUT NOW
THAT WE’RE ALMOST 2 YEARS
INTO THIS, WHAT WHAT DO YOU
SEE? WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?
SO FAR? JUST LOOKING BACK.
WHAT? HOW CAN YOU REFLECT ON
EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED IN
AND SAY THIS IS WHAT I’VE
LEARNED IN THIS IS WHAT I
ADVISE PEOPLE TO DO.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF VULNERABLE
PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT
EVEN EVEN THOUGH YOU HEAR
OMICRON IS MILD, THERE ARE
PEOPLE THAT AREN’T VACCINATED
AND PEOPLE THAT COULD DIE FROM
OMICRON. THAT’S NUMBER ONE.
WE DON’T WANT ANYBODY TO DIE
FROM OMICRON. WE DON’T WANT
PEOPLE GETTING LONG COVID FROM
OMICRON AND THAT’S A VERY
SIGNIFICANT ISSUE. AND FINALLY,
WITH RESPECT TO THOSE WHO SAY,
WELL, IT’S JUST AN
INCONVENIENCE. I WOULD ARGUE
THAT ONE THE HOSPITAL IS FULL
AND YOU CAN’T GET INTO THE
EMERGENCY ROOM WHEN YOU’RE
HAVING A HEART ATTACK OR
STROKE. IT’S A LOT MORE THAN
JUST INCONVENIENT. IT CAN
ACTUALLY BE LIFE AND DEATH.
IF THE HOSPITALS ARE FULL OF
PEOPLE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM
BECAUSE OF COVID SYMPTOMS
GETTING ADMITTED AND THE REST
OF THE PEOPLE HAVING THEIR
USUAL HEALTH CARE ISSUES CANNOT
GET IN. THAT IS MUCH MORE THAN
AN INCONVENIENCE. AND SO WE
NEED TO CONSIDER THAT THAT THE
HEALTH OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT.
>> BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, DOCTOR
BERGGREN, I JUST WANT TO ASK
YOU SAID WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE A
SURGE IN TEXAS. SO WOULD YOU
SAY IT HASN’T HIT US YET?
BUT IT’S GOING TO AFTER THE
HOLIDAYS.
>> THE PATTERNS THAT WE’VE
SEEN, ESPECIALLY ON THE EAST
COAST ARE THAT IT KIND OF GOES
FROM 0 TO 60 IN A WEEK
RAPID RAPID ACCELERATION IN
CASES. AND THAT’S JUST BECAUSE
IT’S SO INFECTIOUS. IT’S A
HIGHLY INFECTIOUS VARIANT OF
THE SARS-COV 2. SO WE’RE
LOOKING OKAY RIGHT NOW. BUT
THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT WON’T JUST
SHOOT UP, ESPECIALLY WHAT HAS
PEOPLE GO TO PARTIES AND SO
DURING THIS CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY WEEK.
>> ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR RUTH
BERGGREN FROM UT HEALTH, SAN
ANTONIO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING WITH US AND HAPPY
HOLIDAYS TO YOU. NOW WISHING
YOU AND I HAVE ONE HEALTH