>>> THE REOPENING OF FLORIDA’S ECONOMY IS UNDERWAY EVERYWHERE EXCEPT IN MIAMI AND BROWARD
COUNTIES.
>> MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE
CASES ARE RIGHT HERE.
THE METRICS SEEM TO BE TRENDING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO A TARGET DATE FOR REOPENIG
IS MAY 18.
THERE IS DEBATE.
THE DOCTOR IS BACK WITH US SHE
IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE
SPECIALIST, WELCOME BACK AND IT
IS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> WELCOME BACK LINDA, HAPPY
MOTHER’S DAY.
>> GIVE US SOME SCIENTIFIC
PERSPECTIVE ON OPENING SOUTH
FLORIDA IN EIGHT DAYS.
>> FIRST OF ALL, THE MAYOR OF
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, HAS BEEN
TREMENDOUS AND CAUTIOUS.
HE HAS TRIED TO APPLY AS MUCH
SCIENCE AS POSSIBLE.
A MEETING WE HAD YESTERDAY WITH
OTHER DOCTORS, TO GO OVER ALL OF
THE DETAILS OF HOW WE PLAN TO
OPEN.
THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS BEING
TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION NOT THE
LEAST OF WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE
IN THIS OUTBREAK AS A COUNTRY
AND AS A STATE AND IN PARTICULAR
AS A COUNTY FAIR.
>> THERE ARE NEW EFFORTS AND
RAMPED UP EFFORTS FOR ANTIBODY
TESTING WHICH IS A BLOOD TEST
FOR PEOPLE THAT LET YOU KNOW IF
YOU HAVE IT NOW AND WHETHER YOU
HAVE HAD COVID-19 BY SHOWING
THAT YOUR BODY HAS THESE
ANTIBODIES TO FIGHT IT WHICH BY
ALL ACCOUNTS, AND I THINK YOU
WERE THE FIRST TO SHARE THIS,
ALLOWS US TO SEE WHERE THIS IS
AN ACCURATE PICTURE.
WHETHER THESE POSITIVES HAVE
COME UP FALSE OR NEGATIVE, I
WANT TO KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO
THAT THERE CAN’T BE AN ACCURATE
PICTURE OF THERE’S NO RESULTS.
>> YOU ARE CORRECT, THERE IS A
SMALL PERCENTAGE OF FALSE
POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES
PARTICULARLY WITH THE FIRST TEST
BECAME AVAILABLE.
OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS
BETTER QUALITY TESTS WERE
DEVELOPED AND NOW WE HAVE SOME
THAT ARE VERY SPECIFIC.
BY THAT WE SAY THEY WON’T SEE
THE FALSE POSITIVES, THE ONLY
THING THAT SEEMS TO CROSS-REACT
OR CAUSE A FALSE POSITIVE IS THE
ORIGINAL SARS VIRUS WHICH IS
SIMILAR TO THE SARS TWO VIRUS
WHICH CAUSES COVID-19.
THE TESTS ARE GETTING BETTER AND
THAT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT.
THE OTHER THING IS REGARDING
THESE ANTIBODIES AS THEY DO NOW
INDICATE IF YOU HAVE BEEN
EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS, AND HAVE
PRODUCED ANTIBODIES TO IT.
IT DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU
ARE COMPLETELY IMMUNE TO THE
VIRUS NOR DOES IT NECESSARILY
SAY IF YOU ARE IMMUNE HOW LONG
IT WILL LAST.
THAT WILL TAKE TIME TO FIGURE
OUT.
>>> DOCTOR, YOU HAVE BEEN A
STRONG ADVOCATE IN THE LAST
SEVERAL MONTHS AND IN YOUR
CAREER OF GETTING GOOD DATA OF
LETTING SCIENCE DRIVE POLITICAL
AND PUBLIC POLICY, AND
DECISIONS.
THE MEDIA HAS BEEN AT POINT WITH
THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE IN
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BECAUSE
THEY HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO MAKE
PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT
COVID-19, PARTICULARLY IN
NURSING HOMES, AND THEY IN FACT
INSTRUCTED THE STATES MEDICAL
EXAMINERS NOT TO RELEASE
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION
ABOUT HOW PEOPLE HAVE DIED,
ABOUT THEIR HEALTH HISTORY
SPIRIT THAT IS NOT IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF SCIENCE OR TRYING TO
SOLVE THIS RIDDLE IS IT,.
>> NO IT WOULDN’T BE AT ALL.
>> THAT IS EIGHT NICE SHORT
BROADCAST.
>> I DON’T KNOW IF YOU WERE ABLE
TO HEAR OUR LAST INTERVIEW WITH
A BARBER WHO HAS OPENED AND HE
MADE THE POINT THAT WITH THE
CLOSURES, AND WITH SO MANY
BUSINESS PEOPLE WANTING TO DO
BUSINESS FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL
WELL-BEING THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT
DOING THE RIGHT THING
NECESSARILY.
I WONDER IF YOU WILL WEIGH IN.
WE HAVE SEEN SOME OPEN ONLY TO
CLOSE BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE NOT
DOING THE RIGHT THING.
WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS.
WHAT RULES ARE IN PLACE THAT
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FACTOR
WON’T BE THERE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE
FUNDAMENTALLY WE NEED TO REOPEN
THE ECONOMY BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT
SAFELY.
THAT IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT
FOR THE MEDIA, PROGRAMS LIKE
YOURS TO BRING TO THE PUBLIC’S
ATTENTION THAT WE WILL BE USING
SCIENCE TO MINIMIZE THE RISK AS
WE PERMIT REOPENING.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THE
UNITED STATES IS STILL IN THE
PLATEAU SPACE.
WE ARE THE ONLY COUNTRY
ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE ECONOMY
TO SOME DEGREE WITHOUT HAVING A
DROP IN CASES.
IF YOU LOOK AROUND AT THE WORLD
RIGHT NOW AND LOOK AT THOSE
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE HAD A
TREMENDOUS DROP IN CASES AND
BEGAN TO OPEN UP, WE SEE MANY
EXAMPLES OF NEW CLUSTERS.
SO WE HAVE TO BE EXCRUCIATING
CAREFUL.
THIS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS
FUNDAMENTAL.
THE MAYOR DOESN’T WANT TO HAVE
TO USE COURSE OF FORCE DOESN’T
WANT TO FOLLOW INDIVIDUALS.
KEY, AND I AND EVERYONE ELSE
WOULD PREFER EVERYONE TO
UNDERSTAND THAT WE WILL HAVE A
LOT OF RESTRICTIONS IN HOW WE
OPEN UP BUT IF WE ARE ALL
GOODHEARTED ABOUT IT AND WE
ADHERE TO THE RESTRICTIONS, THEN
WE CAN HAVE AN OPEN ECONOMY TO A
DEGREE AND SLOWLY GET BACK TO
WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS
FUNDAMENTAL.
>> WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR
EXPERTISE AND YOUR WILLINGNESS