>>> WE ARE NOW CHALLENGED WITH A
VERY DIFFICULT AND PROBLEMATIC
VARIANT REFERRED TO AS THE DELTA
VARIANT.
IT IS NOW DETECTED IN AT LEAST
90 PLUS COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD.
IT HAS THE CAPABILITY OF
TRANSMITTING EFFICIENTLY FROM
HUMAN TO HUMAN IN AN
EXTRAORDINARY MANNER, WELL
BEYOND ANY OF THE OTHER VARIANTS
THAT WEVE EXPERIENCED UP TILL
NOW.
>> THE GUY SOUNDS LIKE AN
EXPERT.
THE DELTA VARIANT IN FACT
ALREADY SENDING UNVACCINATED
AMERICANS TO THE HOSPITAL IN ALARMING NUMBERS.
ALARMING NUMBERS.
TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE DR. IRWIN
REDLENE WARNS US QUOTE GET READY
FOR A FAST MOVING SURGE NOW.
AS LONG AS WE DONT SHARE
VACCINES AND RESOURCES WITH LOW
INCOME COUNTRIES WHERE THE VIRUS
IS FESTERING AND FEW VACCINATED
EXPECT SURGE AFTER SURGE FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
NO WAY AROUND THIS.
SO BACK WITH US TONIGHT THE
AFOREMENTIONED DR. IRWIN
REDLANER FOUNDER OF COLOMBIAS
NATIONAL CENTER FOR DISASTER
AWARENESS WHO ADVICES US ON
PUBLIC HEALTH ALSO PROFESSOR OF
PEDIATRICS AT ALBERT EINSTEIN
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.
TO PUT IT PLAINLY WE HAVE 100
MILLION UNVACCINATED AMERICANS
IN THIS COUNTRY.
THATS A WHOLE LOT OF POTENTIAL
DAMAGE AHEAD.
IN YOUR VIEW, WHAT DO THE NEXT
SIX MONTHS LOOK LIKE?
WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF WORRY ONCE
AND FOR ALL FOR VACCINATED
PEOPLE IN THE FACE OF THIS DELTA
VARIANT?
>> HI, BRIAN.
IM REALLY VERY CONCERNED AS ARE
THE MAJORITY OF MY COLLEAGUES.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS HERE NOW IS
ALL OF US WHO ARE SO-CALLED
EXPERTS NEED TO BE PRETTY HUMBLE
ABOUT PREDICTING THE FUTURE.
THERES MORE THAT WE DONT KNOW
ABOUT THIS DELTA STRAIN THAN WE
DO KNOW.
A LOT OF THIS IS GOING TO
UNFORTUNATELY REMAIN TO BE SEEN.
THE FACTS ARE, THOUGH, AS YOU
STARTED TALKING ABOUT, BRIAN,
THERE ARE A HUNDRED MILLION
POTENTIAL AMERICAN TARGETS WHO
HAVE NOT EITHER HAD THE NATURAL
DISEASE AND NOT BEEN VACCINATED
OR MAY NOT EVEN BE ELIGIBLE FOR
VACCINATION.
AND THATS A BIG PROBLEM WHEN WE
HAVE A RAPIDLY MOVING VARIANT
LIKE THIS DELTA.
THE FACT IS THE PERSON WHO HAS
DELTA VARIANT AS THEIR INFECTION
HAS 1,000 TIMES MORE VIRAL LOAD
THAN SOMEBODY WHO HAD ONE OF THE
PREVIOUS VERSIONS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF VIRUS AROUND
AND A LOT OF TARGETS.
WERE WORRIED WHERE THIS WILL
GO, HOW LONG IT WILL LAST.
WILL IT END UP BEING MORE SEVERE
IN TERMS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AND
DEATHS REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO REALLY
FOLLOW SOME NEW RULES NOW,
BRIAN.
THATS WHY IM VERY SUPPORTIVE
OF WEARING MASKS INDOORS WHETHER
YOURE VACCINATE ORDER NOT
VACCINATED.
WE NEED TO AVOID LARGE CROWDS.
I HOPE MORE AND MORE
ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES WILL
MANDATE VACCINES FOR EMPLOYERS,
STUDENTS, EVENT PARTICIPANTS,
AND SO ON.
WE DO HAVE A LOT TO WORRY ABOUT
I AM SO SORRY TO SAY.
I THINK THAT IS THE WAY IT IS
RIGHT NOW.
>> AND THEN IN LIGHT OF THIS
COMES THE STUDY TODAY THAT THE
J&J ONE AND DONE VACCINE MAY BE
LESS EFFECTIVE IN THE FACE OF
THE DELTA VARIANT.
WHAT SHOULD J&J VACCINE
RECIPIENTS BE THINKING?
>> WELL, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A NEW
PIECE OF RESEARCH THAT IS
CONCERNING.
HOWEVER WE HAVE TO TEMPER THIS
BECAUSE THESE RESULTS ARE NOT
PEER REVIEWED YET, NOT
OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED, AND ALSO
NOT CONSISTENT WITH EARLIER
STUDIES.
WHAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT J&J IS IT
CAN PREVENT SERIOUS
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND FATALITIES
EVEN IF IT STILL ALLOWS YOU TO
GET INFECTED.
WE DONT QUITE KNOW WHAT TO DO
YET AND CLINICALLY THIS IS A
CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF OUR
PHYSICIANS.
IF I HAD TWO PATIENTS IN MY
OFFICE, A 30-YEAR-OLD HEALTHY
PERSON AND AN OLDER PERSON BOTH
OF WHOM HAD RECEIVED THE J&J
VACCINE, TO THE OLDER PERSON
WITH SAY COMORBID FACTORS I
WOULD SAY, LETS GIVE YOU A
NEW -- ANOTHER MNRA SHOT LIKE
PFIZER OR MODERNA JUST TO BE
SURE.
I NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS
A DOCTOR.
THE YOUNGER, HEALTHIER PERSON,
WE MATE SAY WELL WAIT A WHILE.
NEITHER OF THOSE IS ACTUALLY
APPROVED BY THE CDC.
A LOT OF CLINICAL JUDGMENTS IN A
VERY UNCERTAIN ENVIRONMENT RIGHT
NOW, BRIAN.
>> DOC, I GOT OFF THE AIR LAST
NIGHT AND SAW THE STORY ABOUT
APPLE TELLING ITS EMPLOYEES NOT
SO FAST.
WERE GOING TO DELAY AT LEAST BY
A MONTH COMING BACK TO WORK IN
PERSON.
DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE THIS KIND
OF THING AT COMPANIES ACROSS OUR
COUNTRY?
>> I ACTUALLY HOPE SO.
I THINK WERE NOT READY TO KIND
OF OPEN THE GAETZTES RIGHT NOW,
BRIAN.
I HOPE EVERY COMPANY WILL
MANDATE VACCINES THAT CAN BE
PROVED TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY
EMPLOYEES WHO WANT TO COME BACK
TO THE WORK PLACE.
I UNDERSTAND THE TENSIONS
COMPANIES ARE UNDER AND
UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS BUT WE ARE IN A
VERY DANGEROUS, UNCERTAIN
SITUATION RIGHT NOW.