HEALTH, AND DR. JAMES HILDRETH,
PRESIDENT OFAND CEO AND AN
INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT.
YOURE IN TENNESSEE, WHICH HAS A
VERY LOW RATE.
ITS 39.1% OF PEOPLE 18 YEARS
AND OLDER, AND WE ARE NOW
LEARNING TONIGHT THAT EVEN AMONG
THE VACCINATED, THE DANGERS OF
THE DELTA VARIANT ARE GREATER
THAN WE THOUGHT.
WHAT IS THIS GOING TO MEAN FOR
TENNESSEE?
>> LAWRENCE, THANK YOU.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN.
I THINK WHAT IT MEANS FOR
TENNESSEE IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE
MORE VIGILANT AND REDOUBLE OUR
EFFORTS TO GET PEOPLE
VACCINATED.
THIS IS NOT THE SAME VIRUS THAT
WE STARTED WITH BACK IN JANUARY
OF 2020.
ITS CLEARLY A DIFFERENT VIRUS,
AND I DO AGREE THAT WE HAVE TO
BE -- WE HAVE TO HAVE A MUCH
MORE CONCERTED EFFORT TO FIGHT
THIS VIRUS BECAUSE IT IS SO
EASILY IT IS SO
EASILY TRANSMITTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THE
BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS REMAIN
LOW, I THINK WE CAN KEEP DOING
WHAT WERE DOING BUT WE CLEARLY
HAVE TO BE MORE VIGILANT ABOUT
THIS VIRUS BECAUSE ITS CLEARLY
NOT THE SAME VIRUS WEVE BEEN
CONCERNED WITH FOR THE LAST YEAR
OR SO.
>> DR. JHA, THIS MAKES PERFECT
SENSE, ITS A NEW VARIANT, IN
EFFECT A NEW ATTACKER AGAINST
US.
ITS LIKE A NEW WEAPON BEING
CREATED DURING WAR AND OF COURSE
IT CHANGES THE SITUATION.
AND YET THERES SO MUCH
DISCUSSION THAT I HAVE SEEN ON
TELEVISION AMONG PEOPLE WHO TAKE
THIS SERIOUSLY, WHO ARE KIND OF
SHOCKED AND AMAZED THAT WE MIGHT
HAVE TO WEAR MASKS AGAIN FOR
GOOD REASON JUST AS YOU MIGHT
HAVE TO WEAR GLOVES AGAIN THIS
WINTER IF YOUR HANDS GET COLD.
I MEAN, AT SOME POINT THIS
BABYING OF THE TALK TO AMERICANS
ABOUT HOW TO TAKE CARE OF
THEMSELVES CROSSES A LINE OF
JUST UTTER LUDICROUSNESS.
>> LAWRENCE, FIRST OF ALL,
THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK AS
WELL.
I MEAN, LOOK, THE VIRUS KEEPS
CHANGING.
THE PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED FROM
LAST YEAR, AS DR. HILDRETH SAID,
AS A DIFFERENT VIRUS.
IF WERE GOING TO DEPLOY THE
SAME TACTICS NO MATTER WHAT THE
VIRUS DOES, THAT WOULD BE REALLY
DUMB.
THAT WOULD NOT GET US WHERE WE
WANT TO GO.
THE CDC HAS LOOKED AT THE DATA,
LOOKED AT THE FACTS, AND SAID
THIS VIRUS IS BEHAVING
DIFFERENTLY.
THERES MORE TRANSMISSION
HAPPENING AMONG VACCINATED
PEOPLE, NOT A LOT, BUT SOME, AND
SAID WE WANT TO MAKE DIFFERENT
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW PEOPLE
SHOULD BEHAVE.
THATS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT
FEDERAL AGENCIES TO DO, RESPOND
TO EVIDENCE AND DATA AND CHANGE
POLICY WHEN THE EVIDENCE AND
DATA CHANGES.
>> AND DR. HILDRETH, THIS
HAPPENS ALL OVER THE PRACTICE OF
MEDICINE.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE RECOVERING FROM
BONE FRACTURES WHO, YOU KNOW, GO
FROM CRUTCHES TO CANE, THEN THEY
STRUGGLE WITH THE CANE AND
DOCTOR MIGHT SAY, ALL RIGHT,
LETS MOVE BACK AND TRY THIS.
PEOPLE HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH
THIS KIND OF ADJUSTMENT IN
MEDICAL RECOMMENDATION
THROUGHOUT THEIR OWN MEDICAL
HISTORIES.
BUT SUDDENLY AMERICA IS PLAYING
DUMB AND SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE,
YOU SAID I DIDNT NEED A MASK A
FEW WEEKS AGO, HOW DARE YOU SAY
I NEED A MASK NOW.
I MEAN, HOW DO YOU BEAR THIS
KIND OF JUST RANK IGNORANCE
THATS BEING SPEWED EVERYWHERE
IN REACTION TO THIS?
>> WELL, LAWRENCE, I AGREE WITH
DR. JHA THAT THE SIGNS IS NOT
EVOLVING, THE VIRUS IS EVOLVING.
IT GIVES ME GREAT COMFORT THAT
THE LEADERS OF THE COUNTRY ARE
RESPONDING TO HOW THE VIRUS IS
CHANGING.
SCIENCE IS NOT TRUTH.
ITS THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH.
AND THE TRUTH IS AS WE NOW KNOW
IT, THIS VIRUS IS EVOLVING.
ALL RNA VIRUSES MUTATE AND
EVOLVE.
THIS ONE IS NO DIFFERENT.
IM REALLY ENCOURAGED THAT OUR
LEADERS ARE MAKING CHANGES, ARE
MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON
HOW THE VIRUS IS EVOLVING.
I THINK THATS A VERY IMPORTANT
POINT THAT PEOPLE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND.
>> AND DR. JHA, IN CANCER
TREATMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE
ARE SETBACKS.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN DOCTORS
THINK WE GOT IT, WE THINK YOURE
CANCER FREE NOW.
A YEAR LATER, SOMETIME LATER,
THE CANCER IS BACK.
AND THOSE PATIENTS DONT SAY TO
THEIR DOCTORS I AM NOT COMING
BACK FOR CANCER TREATMENT, YOU
TOLD ME MY CANCER WAS GONE, I AM
NOT GOING TO COME BACK FOR
CANCER TREATMENT.
THAT IS WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE
DOING WHEN THEY ARE COMPLAINING
ABOUT HAVING TO PUT A MASK BACK
ON.
>> YEAH, IN SOME WAYS, LAWRENCE,
WE HAD PREDICTED THIS IN THE
SENSE THAT WE KNEW THAT WHILE A
THIRD OF AMERICA IS
UNVACCINATED, A THIRD OF
AMERICAN ADULTS, THAT WERE
GOING TO SEE THINGS LIKE THIS,
WERE GOING TO SEE MORE
DANGEROUS VERSIONS.
ABSOLUTELY.
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE LAST
VARIANT WELL DEAL WITH.
PEOPLE HAVE TO BUCKLE IN AND GET
VACCINATED.
IF WE GET 90 PLUS PERCENT OF
AMERICANS VACCINATED, WE REALLY