DAGEN: THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS,
ACCORDING TO FORMER FDA
COMMISSIONER, DR. SCOTT GOT
LEAVE,LIEB,THE NEW CORONAVIRUS V
ACCOUNT FOR THE MAJORITY OF
CASES BY MARCH.
THE NEW VARIANT, FIRST FOUND IN
THE UNITED KINGDOM, ALREADY
POPPED UP IN THREE U.S. STATES
AND CHINA HAS REPORTED ITS FIRST
CASE OF THE NEW VARIANT.
JOINING ME NOW IS NYU LANGONE
MEDICAL CENTER PULMONOLOGIST DR.
YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS
NEW VARIABILITY.
WHAT CAN WE -- THE TREATMENT
ISN’T ANY DIFFERENT.
IT’S JUST MORE CONTAGIOUS,
CORRECT?
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
IN FACT, IT WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED
IN BRITAIN IN SEPTEMBER, VERY
RAPIDLY BY DECEMBER IMPACTED 62%
OF ALL PEOPLE THAT WERE
INFECTED.
IT SEEMS TO SPREAD RAPIDLY.
IT’S NOT CAUSING MORE SEVERE
DISEASE.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN CALIFORNIA
WHEN THERE’S A VERY LARGE SPREAD
OF DISEASE, IT PUTS ENORMOUS
DEMAND ON THE HEALTH SYSTEM AND
I AGREE WITH SCOTT GOTLIEB
THAT’S VERY LIKELY.
AS I HEARD ABOUT THE STRAIN IN
BRITAIN, I WONDERED IF THAT’S
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA.
BRITAIN MEASURES AND MONITORS
THE GINO GENE ARCHITECTURE OF TH
VIRUS MORE CLOSELY THAN OTHER
COUNTRIES.
IN 2020, THEY IDENTIFIED 140,000
DIFFERENT VARIANTS.
IT’S NOT UNUSUAL THAT THIS VIRUS
HAS CHANGED.
IN FACT, THIS CORONAVIRUS
CHANGES LESS OFTEN THAN THE
INFLUENZA VIRUS.
WE’RE USED TO VIRUSES CHANGING.
BUT IT MAY MEAN THAT WE’RE GOING
TO HAVE MORE OF HE DEMAND FROM O
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
DAGEN: WATCHING WHAT IS GOING
ON OUT IN CALIFORNIA, DR. AHMED,
IT SEEMS THOUGH WITH -- THAT
LOCKDOWNS, AGAIN, DON’T --
AREN’T STOPPING THE SPREAD OF IT
AND IT’S VERY EASY TO BLAME
PEOPLE FOR NOT USING CAREFUL
BEHAVIOR, BUT IT’S ASTONISHING
TO ME THAT THESE STATE AND LOCAL
OFFICIALS ARE LITERALLY
REPEATING THE SAME THINGS THAT
THEY DID IN THE SPRING AND,
AGAIN, IT’S NOT WORKING.
>> SO DAGEN, YOU BRING UP A
VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE AND A
SENSITIVE POINT.
THERE’S CERTAINLY DATA TO THOUGH
SHOW THAT’S BEEN PUBLISHED IN
JOURNALS LIKE THE JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION,
THAT HOUSEHOLD TRANSMISSION, THE
ABILITY FOR US TO CATCH THE
DISEASE INSIDE OUR HOUSEHOLDS
FROM OUR FAMILIES CAN BE AS HIGH
AS 16%.
THAT’S BECAUSE THE CLOSE SPACES,
PEOPLE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS,
THEY DON’T HAVE PPE, AND IT’S A
HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS VIRUS SO I DO
BELIEVE THAT THE LOCKDOWNS
CANNOT ARREST NECESSARILY THE
SPREAD IN THE WAY THAT MANY
LOCAL AUTHORITIES HOPE.
ALSO, IF YOU ARE POOR, IF YOU’RE
SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED, YOU’RE
MORE LIKELY TO BE IN MORE
CROWDED ACCOMMODATIONS AND FROM
THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE MANY
ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT ARE IN
LOW LEVEL FRONTLINE WORK THAT
ALSO HAVE TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY
AND COME BACK.
SO THE LOCKDOWN IS AN EXTREMELY
BLUNT TOOL.
PEOPLE HAVE GOT VERY COMFORTABLE
USING IT AND THEY’RE NOT
THINKING ABOUT THE ECONOMIC
RAMIFICATIONS WHICH ALSO HAVE
HUGE PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS
INCLUDING DEATH, SUICIDE, MENTAL
ILLNESS, PSYCHOSIS, RISE OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, RISE IN CHILD
ABUSE, RISE IN OTHER SUBSTANCE
ABUSE, TERRIBLE THINGS THAT ARE
HAPPENING BECAUSE OF THE
LOCKDOWN THAT IS ACTUALLY
PROMOTING SOCIAL INEQUALITY,
WHILE IT ALSO PROPAGATES
TRANSMISSION.
WE DO HAVE TO WEAR MASKS, CLEAN
OUR HANDS, AND I THINK THIS MAY
PUT ENORMOUS PRESSURE ON OUR
ABILITY TO VACCINATE AMERICANS.
I’M SURE SOMEWHERE THE APEX OF
GOVERNMENT THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS
AS TO WHETHER CALIFORNIA SHOULD
HAVE A MUCH FASTER ROLLOUT OF
THE VACCINE THAN OTHER PLACES
BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT
THEY’RE SEEING.
AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE THIS
VACCINE AMASSED IN THE UNITED
STATES.
WE’VE ONLY GIVEN THREE
AND-A-HALF MILLION DOSES, NOT
EVEN 1% OF THE POPULATION IS
VACCINATED UNLIKE ISRAEL WHICH
ALREADY VACATION NAILED 11% --
VACCINATED 11% OF THE
POPULATION.
OUR PRIVATE CHAINS, WALGREENS,
DWAYNE REED, CAN VAX NATE
100 MILLION -- VACCINATE
100 MILLION PEOPLE A MONTH.
MAYBE THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO
ENGAGE NOW, AND NOT WAIT FOR
LATER.
DAGEN: OVER THE WEEKEND, MARK
LEVINE, HE’S A NEW YORK CITY
COUNCIL MEMBER, HE’S CHAIR OF
THE HEALTH COMMITTEE HERE IN NEW
YORK CITY.
VACCINATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY
ARE ONLY HAPPENING DURING
REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS.
THERE’S VERY LITTLE THAT’S GOING
ON ON THE WEEKEND.
I MEAN, THAT IS JUST AN ABOMB
NATIONABOMBNATION TO ME.
BECAUSE THERE ARE PANDEMIC
VACCINATION PLANS THAT WERE PUT
TOGETHER FOR, SAY, IN CASE OF A
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS ATTACK.
SAY SMALL POX.
WHERE LITERALLY IN 72 HOURS THE
GOAL WOULD BE TO VACCINATE THE
VAST MAJORITY OF, SAY, THE
POPULATION HERE IN THE CITY AND
THEY’RE TREATING THIS LIKE, I
DON’T KNOW, THAT IT’S A CANDY
GIVE CAR-AWAY.
IT’S REALLY DISGUSTING.
>> YOU BRING UP AN IMPORTANT
POINT.
SMALL POX VACCINATION HERE IN
1947 IN NEW YORK WITHIN TWO
WEEKS WE VACCINATED MILLIONS, IF
MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY,
7 MILLION PEOPLE IN TWO WEEKS IN
1947.
YES, I’VE BEEN VERY SHOCKED.
I’M BLESSED, NYU LANGONE QUICKLY
VACCINATED ITS WORKFORCE.
WE’RE GOING TO BE CLOSE TO
VACCINATING EVERYBODY WITHIN A
FEW WEEKS, THAT’S OVER 50 YOU
THOUSAND EMPLOYEES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, ON THIS
NETWORK, I BROADCAST THAT
PRIVATE PRACTICE DOCTORS IN NEW
YORK HAVE NO MECHANISM FOR
GETTING THE VACCINE.
AND WE HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT IT
REGULARLY ON AIR BEFORE THE
GOVERNOR RECOGNIZED AND
ANNOUNCED TODAY, THE FIRST DAY
NONAFFILIATED DOCTORS, PEOPLE
THAT ARE SEEING FLOODS OF THE
PUBLIC BEING TESTED FOR THE
CORONAVIRUS, ACTUALLY HAVING A
MECHANISM TO BE VACCINATED.
SO THIS IS A FAILURE AT STATE
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
THEY LOVE TO SCAPEGOAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A A FAILU
OF THE STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND IN FACT PFIZER
ANNOUNCED THEY HAVE ALMOST
35 MILLION DOSES OF VACCINES
SITTING AROUND WAITING TO BE
VACCINATED, IF THE STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CANNOT GET THIS
DONE LET THE PHARMACIES DO IT.
IT’S VERY FRUSTRATING AS A
PHYSICIAN WHO HAS PATIENTS THAT
ARE AFRAID OF THE DISEASE, I
HAVE ELDERLY PARENTS THAT ARE
WAITING FOR THE VACCINE.
TO SEE THIS HAPPENING, WE’RE
AWASH IN THE MOST PRECIOUS
RESOURCE IN THE WORLD AT THE
MOMENT AND WE HAVE NOT A
MECHANISM TO DELIVER IT.
DAGEN: DOCTOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
PLEASE COME BACK.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE YOU,