SOCIETY TESTING WILL BE THE KEY.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS WE HAVE SO
MANY TESTS, PERFECT TESTS, AND
WE ARE NOT SEEN THEM.
SO MANY ARE AWAITING THAT.
JOINING US NOW IS AN INFECTIOUS
DISEASE EXPERT AT FLORIDA
INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
WITH US.
THE BIG QUESTION PEOPLE WANT TO
KNOW IS ARE WE FLATTENING THE
CURVE.
THEY ARE WEARING MASKS WHEN
THEY GO OUTSIDE.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE RECOGNIZED
THAT THAT IS IMPORTANT NOT JUST
TO THEIR OWN HEALTH BUT TO
DIMINISH THE CURVE FOR
EVERYBODY ELSE.
THE LEAD RESEARCHER AT THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH
SAID TODAY THEY MIGHT BE ABLE
TO HAVE A VACCINE READY VERY
SOON.
I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY A QUICK
SOUNDBITE
WE ARE TARGETING FALL FOR
EMERGENCY USE.
THAT WOULD BE FOR HEALTHCARE
WORKERS THAT MIGHT BE IN
CONSTANT CONTACT AND RISK BEING
EXPOSED OVER AND OVER.
THEM FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION
OUR TARGET GOAL IS FOR NEXT
SPRING.
THAT IS, IF ALL THINGS GO WELL
IN THESE CLINICAL TRIALS AND IF
THEY WORK SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR
GOOD
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION THE
HEALING HEARING THAT.
HOW GOOD WOULD IT BE FOR FIRST
RESPONDERS TO BE VACCINATED
THIS FALL?
THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WILL BE
THE CASE BECAUSE THE STUDIES
TAKE TIME AND THIS IS A
COMPLICATED VIRUS THAT REACTS
WITH THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND VERY
COMPLICATED WAYS.
WHILE I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THE
TIMEFRAME IS REALISTIC I DO NOT
THINK IT IS.
I THINK IT WILL TAKE LONGER
THAN THAT.
EVEN THOUGH THE VACCINE IS
REALLY THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION AN
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT WOULD ALSO
BE A HUGE GAME CHANGER.
THERE IS A LOT OF PROGRESS
HAPPENING IN TERMS OF
ANTIVIRALS.
SOME OF THE EARLY RESULTS
COMING BACK FROM SOME OF THE
NEWER ANTIVIRALS THAT HAVE BEEN
TRIED HAVE BEEN PROMISING.
WHEN WE THINK OF ANTIVIRALS ONE
THING IS TO TALK ABOUT THEM AS
A TREATMENT.
AND OTHER AVENUE WE ARE LOOKING
AT IS A POSTEXPOSURE DRUG.
THAT WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF
HAVING A VACCINE IN TERMS OF
BEING ABLE TO KNOCK THE VIRUS
OUT OF THE POPULATION.
WE ARE WORKING WITH SCIENTISTS
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM
. DID NOT JUST A PROBLEM FOR
SOUTH FLORIDA.
TWO DAYS AGO THE STATE
SURGEON GENERAL SAID THAT
SOCIAL DISTANCING MAY BE
NECESSARY FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT
PROSPECT.
WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT IS
THE REALITY THAT THERE IS A
CONSTANT FLOW OF HUMAN BEINGS.
WE KNOW THAT THIS VIRUS
COMBINED TO THE EQUIVALENT
RECEPTORS IN CERTAIN ANIMALS.
WEATHER IT CAN BE TRANSMITTED
TO ANIMALS AND HOW THAT MIGHT
IMPACT THE OVERALL PANDEMIC FOR
HUMANS.
THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS WE
ARE STILL WORKING ON.
HE IS BEING VERY CAUTIOUS AND
WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE
SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT WILL
PROTECT PEOPLE SUCH AS A
VACCINE AT ONE OF THESE
ANTIVIRALS THAT COULD KEEP US
AND ALLOW US TO GO BACK INTO
NORMAL SOCIETY.
TODAY ABBOTT LABORATORIES
ANNOUNCED THEY COULD BE
SCREENING UP TO 20 MILLION
PEOPLE FOR ANTIBODIES BY JUNE.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO LOOK
AT THE ANTIBODY REACTIONS.
ALREADY HERE IN MIAMI AND SOUTH
FLORIDA IT IS ALREADY ON THE
MOVE. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT GIVES US AN IDEA OF
WHO HAS BEEN EXPOSED, WHO NO
LONGER HAS SYMPTOMS, AND
WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED
FOR A SHORT TIME OR A LONG TIME.
EVEN WITH THAT WE HAVE TO BE
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE
JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS
DEVELOPED ANTIBODIES IS NOT A
CERTAINTY THAT THEY ARE GOOD
QUALITY ANTIBODIES THAT ARE
ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING TO KEEP
THE VIRUS DOWN.
WE ARE STILL WORKING TO
UNDERSTAND THAT ASPECT AS WELL.
WE HAVE SEEN THE HOSPITAL
SYSTEM IN NEW YORK COME UNDER
INCREDIBLE STRAIN.
HOW DO YOU SEE THAT PLAYING OUT
HERE IN FLORIDA?
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ENOUGH
HOSPITAL BEDS.
WE ARE LITTLE SHORT ON ICU BEDS.
THE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE
VARIOUS SYSTEMS WITHIN SOUTH
FLORIDA HAVE BEEN WORKING
FAIRLY HARD SINCE EARLY MARCH
TO DECREASE SURGICAL PROCEDURES
AND MORE ROUTINE TYPE MEDICINES
TO POSTPONE IT SO WE CAN BE
READY FOR WHEN WE REACH THE
PEAK IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
I AM PROUD TO SEE THAT THEY
HAVE DONE A BANG UP JOB.
THEY HAVE PROVIDED VENTILATORS
AND SHIELDS TO SOME OF THE
HOSPITAL SYSTEMS HERE TO TRY TO
HELP WITH THE SHORTAGES WHOSE
ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT YOU MAKE OF THE
ADMINISTRATION DRAWING FUNDING
FROM THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION?
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT
BELONGS TO ALL OF US.
ACTUALLY IT IS A VERY COMPLEX
ENTITY.
IT WORKS BECAUSE OF SCIENTISTS
ALL OVER THE WORLD INCLUDING AT
THE CENTER OF DISEASE CONTROL
WHICH IS ONE OF THE
COLLABORATING CENTERS. YOU ARE
ALSO TAKING AWAY MONEY FROM
PLACES LIKE THE CENTER OF
DISEASE CONTROL.
ON 14 JANUARY THEY HAD ALREADY
SPOKEN ABOUT SPECIFICALLY
PERSON-TO-PERSON TRANSMISSION.
IT WAS NOT THEIR ROLE TO SAY
ANYTHING ABOUT WHEN A COUNTRY
CAN OR CANNOT OPPOSE TRAVEL
RESTRICTIONS.
THAT REGULATION ASKED THE
GOVERNOR TO ASK A COUNTRY THAT
IS IMPOSING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
TO PLEASE GIVE THE HOME PUBLIC
HEALTH REASON TO. THAT IS THE
ONLY ROLE THAT THEY HAVE IN
TERMS OF TRAVEL.
IT IS A VITAL ORGANIZATION
NEEDED DESPERATELY RIGHT NOW.
NOT JUST FOR THE UNITED STATES
BUT FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.
PARTICULARLY COUNTRIES THAT DO
NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES BY
THEMSELVES TO GET RID OF THIS
VIRUS.
UNTIL WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS
VIRUS IS ACTUALLY A THREAT TO
EVERY HUMAN ON THE EARTH, NOT
JUST TO CITIZENS OF ONE CITY OR
ANOTHER.
UNTIL WE COME TOGETHER AND
UTILIZE THIS ORGANIZATION THAT
WE HELPED CREATE THEN WE ARE
SIMPLY NOT DOING OUR BEST TO
GET RID OF THIS PANDEMIC AND TO
SOLVE THIS HORRIFIC PROBLEM