HAVING CHILDREN RIGHT NOW,
BRETT, BACK TO YOU.
>> Bret: WE ARE JOINED TONIGHT
BY THE DIRECTOR FOR THE CENTERS
OF DISEASE CONTROL AND
PREVENTION DR. ROCHELLE
WALENSKY.
DOCTOR, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK,
BRET.
GOOD EVENING.
>> Bret: GOOD EVENING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
A LOT OF VIEWERS’ QUESTIONS AS
WELL THAT I WILL PLAY FOR YOU. I WANT TO START WITH WHEN DID
I WANT TO START WITH WHEN DID
YOU REALIZE, DID YOU KNOW THAT
OMICRON WAS GOING TO SPREAD THIS
QUICKLY.
OBVIOUSLY YOU HAD SOUTH AFRICA
IN NOVEMBER.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE IT WAS
GOING TO BE THIS.
>> THINGS ARE MOVING QUICKLY I
KNOW PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNED.
SO MAYBE WE WILL STEP BACK AND
REITERATE.
WE ARE NOW SEEING OMICRON IN 73%
IN OUR PROJECTIONS OF WHAT WE
HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND SOME AREAS OF THE COUNTRY AS
YOU NOTED THE AREAS ARE 90%
OMICRON.
BUT THIS CASE, THIS SPEED BY
WHICH OMICRON HAS BEEN, YOU
KNOW, TRANSMITTING HAS BEEN SEEN
AND MIRRORED IN MANY OTHER
COUNTRIES.
SO WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS
CAREFULLY.
WE ANTICIPATED THIS.
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN
PREPARING FOR.
THERE HAVE BEEN DOUBLING TIMES
OF THIS VIRUS IN OTHER COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE HAD THE VIRUS BEFORE
US IN ONE AND A HALF TO THREE
DAY RANGE.
SO THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE
ANTICIPATED AND IT IS WHY THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN MOVING
FORWARD AND TODAY ANNOUNCED A
THREE PRONG PLAN TO INCREASE
SUPPORT AND SURGE CAPACITY IN
HOSPITALS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO
FREE TESTS.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS
INCREASED CAPACITY FOR BOTH
VACCINATIONS AND FOR BOOTS.
BOOSTS.
I THINK IT’S PROBABLY.
>> Bret: GO AHEAD.
FINISH YOUR THOUGHT.
>> YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY
IMPORTANTLY, I REALLY DO WANT TO
SAY WE ARE IN A VERY DIFFERENT
POSITION NOW THAN WE WERE JUST A
YEAR AGO BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THE
SCIENCE.
WE HAVE THE TOOLS THAT WE NEED
TO CAM BAT.
THAT MEANS GETTING VACCINATED
AND BOOSTED AND PRACTICING
PREVENTION MEASURES WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT AND VACCINATED AND
BOOSTED PEOPLE THAT INCLUDES
WEARING A MASK IN PUBLIC INDOOR
SETTINGS.
>> Bret: THERE IS A LOT OF
CONCERN ABOUT TESTING PEOPLE
CAN’T GET TESTING I KNOW WHAT
THE PRESIDENT SAID TODAY AND
WHAT’S GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED
IN THE FIRST OF THE YEAR ABOUT
THE 500 MILLION TESTS.
HERE IS THE PRESIDENT BACK IN
DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR AND THE
PRESIDENT TODAY.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WE NEED TO SCALE UP TESTING.
SO ANYONE WHO NEEDS ONE CAN GET
A TEST.
AFTER 10 MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC,
WE STILL DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
TESTING. IT’S A TRAVESTY.
IT’S A TRAVESTY.
>> COVID IS SPREADING SO RAPIDLY
IF YOU NOTICED.
HAPPENED ALMOST OVERNIGHT.
I DON’T THINK ANYBODY
ANTICIPATED THIS WAS AS RAPIDLY
SPREADING AS IT DID.
>> Bret: NOW, DOCTOR, YOU SAID
THAT YOU WERE PREPARED.
AND YOU DID ANTICIPATE OMICRON
SPREADING AS RAPIDLY AS IT DID.
IF THAT’S THE CASE, WHY WASN’T
TESTING RAMPED UP FROM DECEMBER
OF 2020 IF IT WAS A TRAVESTY
BACK THEN, WHY ISN’T IT A
TRAVESTY NOW?
>> SO, LET ME JUST BE CLEAR THAT
WHEN WE LEARNED ABOUT OMICRON AT
THE END OF NOVEMBER, AND WE
STARTED SEEING WHAT WAS
HAPPENING IN OTHER COUNTRIES
THAT IS WHEN WE ANTICIPATED HOW
QUICKLY IT COULD IN FACT
TRANSMIT.
BUT, LET ME SAY WE RECOGNIZE
THAT THERE IS A HUGE DEMAND
RIGHT NOW.
NOT ONLY JUST IN THE UNITED
STATES BUT AROUND THE WORLD FOR
TESTS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS
TAKING ACTION AND WE RECOGNIZE
WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.
SO, AS YOU NOTE, THE PRESIDENT
ANNOUNCED $3 BILLION TO RAPID
TEST AND 500 MILLION RAPID TESTS
SOON-TO-BE AVAILABLE.
BUT ALSO WE HAVE 20,000 FREE PCR
TESTING SITES AND AS WE SPEAK WE
ARE SETTING UP NEW FEDERAL
TESTING SITES IN AREAS WHERE
THERE IS INCREASED DEMAND RIGHT
NOW.
>> Bret: RIGHT.
AND I HEAR YOU.
BUT HERE IS ADMIRAL INJURY ROAR
ABOUT THAT VERY FACT.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> AT THE END OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN NOVEMBER
AND DECEMBER WE DID 180 MILLION
FREE TEST.
ONLY REASON WE ARE IN SUCH A
PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DID NOT
INVEST IN TESTING BETWEEN
JANUARY AND SEPTEMBER, THIS JUST
DIDN’T HIT US.
REMEMBER, IN SEPTEMBER, WITH
DELTA THERE WERE TESTING SHORT
TARGETS AND THEY FAILED TO MEET
THE MARK ON IMPROVING THE INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE THE TESTS
INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE THE TESTS
THAT PEOPLE NEED.
>> JUST IN THE LAST YEAR 13 FDA
AUTHORIZED RAPID TEST 8 OF THEM
ON THE MARKET.
THOSE RAPID TESTS WE ARE RELYING
ON NOW TO INCREASE THE TESTING
SUPPLY.
WE HAVE DONE AN EXTRAORDINARY
AMOUNT IN INCREASING THE TESTING
SUPPLY JUST IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND, AGAIN, HUGE DEMAND HERE IN
THE UNITED STATES AND ALSO
AROUND THE WORLD.
>> Bret: OKAY.
THIS IS BOBBY FROM TENNESSEE.
SHE HAS A QUESTION.
TAKE A LISTEN, PLEASE.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT
OF CONCERN ABOUT CASES THAT IS
TO BE EXPECTED.
WE KEEP HEARING IT’S VERY, VERY
MILD SYMPTOMS.
SO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE
MORE OF THAT ADDRESSED AND HOW
CONCERNED SHOULD WOULD HE BE,
THANKS?
>> Bret: THIS IS ABOUT THE
SEVERITY.
NICK HAS A SIMILAR QUESTION ON
TWITTER WHY ARE WE SO WORRIED
ABOUT CASE CASE TO HOSPITAL
RATIO.
ALL I READ FROM OMICRON IS IT’S
NOT SEVERE.
SAME KIND OF QUESTION, DOCTOR.
>> YEAH.
REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
WE STILL MORE AND MORE STUDIES
CONTINUE TO COME IN EVERY SINGLE
DAY ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF
OMICRON AND WE CONTINUE TO LEARN
MORE WE KNOW WITH INCREASED
CASES WE HAVE BOOM SEVERE
DISEASE.
WE ARE WATCHING BOTH THE
SEVERITY AS WELL AS THE NUMBER
OF CASES.
WE DO NEED TO STILL KEEP TRACK
OF CASES BECAUSE THEY ARE A
LEADING INDICATOR.
WE KNOW THAT OUR HOSPITALS GET
SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER OUR CASES
START TO RISE.
WE NEED TO KEEP A GOOD LINE OF
SIGHT ON BOTH.
LET ME JUST REITERATE WHAT WE DO
KNOW ABOUT THIS VIRUS, ABOUT
THIS VARIANT SPECIFICALLY IS
THAT IF YOU ARE VACCINATED AND
IF YOU ARE BOOSTED, YOU HAVE A
MUCH LOWER RATE OF ENDING UP AS
A SEVERE CASE OR ENDING UP AS A
FATALITY. >> Bret: JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU
>> Bret: JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU
HAVE ONE FATALITY LISTED AS
OMICRON AND WHAT ABOUT
HOSPITALIZATIONS LINKED TO
OMICRON DO YOU HAVE A SENSE.
>> CERTAINLY MY HEARTS GO OUT TO
THE FAMILY OF THIS CASE, THE
FATALITY THAT WE LEARNED OF
YESTERDAY IN TEXAS, AND WE ARE
STILL LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT
CASE.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IS
THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO
ARE IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW
ARE UNVACCINATED.
AND SO WE ARE LEARNING -- THERE
STILL CONTINUE TO BE PEOPLE IN
THE HOSPITAL FROM OUR DELTA
SURGE, OF COURSE, AND WE ARE
FOLLOWING WHAT THE SEVERITY AND
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE
OMICRON VARIANT AS WELL.
WHAT I CAN ALSO TELL YOU IN
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE HAD A SURGE
BEFORE US, WE’RE IN CLOSE TOUCH
WITH THEM.
THEY ARE STARTING TO REPORT
LESSEE VENTILATOR AND WE ARE,
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN
APPLY THE LESSONS THAT THEY HAVE
LEARNED, THE SCIENCE THAT THEY
HAVE LEARNED ON THE BACK DROP
THAT THEY HAVE AND HOW IT MAY BE
APPLIED HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
>> Bret: I GUESS THERE ARE
QUESTIONS, DOCTOR, ABOUT THE
OVERALL NUMBER, THE 800,000
DEATHS TIED TO COVID ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER.
WHETHER IT’S DELTA ONE FROM ONLY
CHRON OR THE ORIGINAL COVID-19.
WITH ALL OF THOSE FOLKS AND CO-MORBIDITIES, DO YOU HAVE IT
CO-MORBIDITIES, DO YOU HAVE IT
BROKEN DOWN PRETTY WELL?
>> WE CAN TELL YOU SOME OF THE
DEMOGRAPHICS WITH REGARD TO AGES
AND A LOT OF THIS WORKING VERY
CLOSELY WITH OUR STATE AND LOCAL
JURISDICTION WHOSE DATA WE RELY
ON TO BRING IT IN TO THE CDC SO
WE CAN COMPILE IT TOGETHER AND
LOOK AT IT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL
BUT CERTAINLY WHAT WE ARE
CONTINUING TO LEARN IS PEOPLE
WHO WHO HAVE SEVERE DISEASE WHO
ARE IN THE HOSPITAL ARE MORE
LIKELY TO BE OLDER PATIENTS,
MORE LIKELY TO HAVE
CO-MORBIDITIES AND CERTAINLY
MORE LIKELY TO BE UNVACCINATED.
RIGHT NOW I CAN TELL YOU DATA
UPDATED JUST ON FRIDAY HAS
DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE IS A 20
TIMES INCREASED RISK OF DEATH
ASSOCIATED WITH CODE IF YOU ARE
UNVACCINATED COMPARED DO IF YOU
ARE VACCINATED AND BOOSTED.
>> Bret: OKAY.
JUST A COUPLE MORE QUICKLY.
THIS IS LORI ANN WHO WRITES WHY
WON’T THEY TALK ABOUT NATURAL
IMMUNITY?
EVERY OTHER COUNTRY TAKES INTO
ACCOUNT NATURAL IMMUNITY.
WHY DON’T WE?
>> YOU KNOW, WE HAVE -- THAT’S A
REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
AND WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT
NATURAL IMMUNITY AND WE AT
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL HAVE
RECENTLY RELEASED A SCIENTIFIC
BRIEF TO DEMONSTRATE ALL WE KNOW
ABOUT NATURAL IMMUNITY.
WHAT WE CAN TELL YOU WITH
OMICRON, EVEN WITH NATURAL
IMMUNITY IS THAT THERE IS
INCREASED RISK OF REINFECTION
WITH OMICRON IF YOU HAVE BEEN
PREVIOUSLY INFECTED COMPARED TO
THE PRIOR VARIANT.
SO EVEN THOSE WITH NATURAL
IMMUNITY, WE ARE RECOMMENDING
THAT YOU GET VACCINATED AND GET
BOOSTED.
AND REALLY WHAT THIS IS TELLING
US, WHAT OMICRON IS TELLING US
WITH A VARIANT THAT HAS THIS
MANY MUTATIONS WE NEED A REALLY
HIGH LEVEL OF IMMUNITY AND THAT
MEANS GETTING YOURSELF MAXIMALLY
VACCINATED.
>> Bret: BUT YOU HAVE HAD
OMICRON AND YOU GET THROUGH IT,
WHICH MOST PEOPLE ARE, DOES THAT
PROVIDE IMMUNITY FOR DELTA OR
VICE VERSA?
>> YEAH.
REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE’RE STARTING TO LOOK AT THE
STUDIES NOW IN THE LAB.
THAT WILL TRY AND INFORM THE
QUESTION OF THE CROSS REACTIVE
PROTECTION OF DELTA TO OMICRON
AND THE FACT OF OMICRON TO DELTA
AND THOSE STUDIES ARE JUST
EMERGING RIGHT NOW.
WE DO KNOW THAT THERE IS LESS
CROSS PROTECTION FROM PRIOR
VARIANTS TO OMICRON AND THE
STUDIES OF WHETHER OMICRON WILL
PROTECT YOU FROM OTHER VARIANTS,
THOSE STUDIES ARE JUST EMERGING.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE STUDIES
THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE
POPULATION LEVEL IN THE CLINICAL
SITUATION ARE STILL EMERGING
RIGHT NOW.
>> Bret: OKAY.
LAST ONE.
THIS IS DAVE JOYCE.
HE HAS A QUESTION ABOUT MASKS IN
SCHOOLS.
>> YOU HAVE CONSISTENTLY CITED
ONE STUDY IN ARIZONA AS
JUSTIFICATION FOR MASK MANDATES
IN SCHOOLS.
YET, THERE IS REPORT NOT GUILTY
ATLANTIC THAT SAYS THAT THE
STUDY IS DEEPLY FLAWED.
WILL YOU FOLLOW THE SCIENCE AND
STOP RELYING ON FAULTY STUDY AND
END MASK MANDATES FOR CHILDREN
IN SCHOOLS?
>> Bret: YOUR RESPONSE?
>> UM, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN
STUDY AFTER STUDY NOT ONLY IN
THIS COUNTRY BUT IN OTHER
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED
THAT OUR LAYERED PREVENTION
STRAUS STRATEGIES, INCLUDING
MASKS IN SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO
KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFELY OPEN.
WHAT I WOULD SAY NOW IS THAT WE
HAVE THE CAPACITY WITH VACCINES
AVAILABLE NOW TO CHILDREN ABOVE
THE AGE OF 5 THAT WE WOULD
ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO GET THEIR
CHILDREN VACCINATED.
IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT TO BE ABLE
TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN AND THE
BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO USE
THOSE LAYERED PREVENTION
STRATEGIES AND THAT INCLUDES NOT
ONLY VACCINATING OUR CHILDREN
AND OUR ADULTS BUT ALSO TO
CONTINUE TO MASK CERTAINLY IN
THE CONTEXT OF THE TYPE VERY
TRANSMISSIBLE OMICRON VARIANT.
>> Bret: AND YOU HAVE STUDIES
ABOUT THE DETECTIVE TRIMENTS OF
LOCKDOWNS AND SHUT DOWNS BOTH
PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY ALREADY?
RIGHT?
>> THOSE STUDIES ARE UNDERWAY.
WE HAVE SEEN CERTAINLY THE
CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH
PANDEMIC MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR
CHALLENGES AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH
WORKERS AND OUR HEALTHCARE
WORKERS, IN OUR CHILDREN OVER
THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
WE UNDERSTAND THE DEEP -- THE
DEEP CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH
WHAT THIS PANDEMIC HAS DONE.
>> Bret: DR. WALENSKY WE REALLY
APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON AND
WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK TO