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>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW."
MY FIRST GUEST HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY THROUGHOUT THE
PANDEMIC TO DELIVER FACTS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AS CNN'S CHIEF
MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT.
THE LAST TIME HE WAS HERE IN THE THEATER, THERE WAS NO AUDIENCE
TO GIVE HIM A PROPER WELCOME.
LET'S MAKE UP FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," DR. SANJAY GUPTA!
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)
EVERYBODY.
ISN'T THAT NICE?
>> WOW.
>> Stephen: NOW AND I HAVE SPOKEN A FEW TIMES OVER THE
COVID LOCKDOWN, OVER THE ZOOM INTERVIEWS.
WHICH WAS GREAT.
WE HAD A GOOD TIME TALKING TO YOU, WE GOT INFORMATION OUT
THERE.
BUT THE THING THAT IS COMING BACK TO ME NOW, THE EMOTIONAL
MOMENT THAT I'M RELIVING WAS-- YOU WERE MY LAST GUEST IN THIS
THEATER IN 2020, ON MARCH 12 OF 2020.
WE HAD NO AUDIENCE.
THERE WERE SOME STAFF MEMBERS.
I HAVE A PHOTO RIGHT HERE.
THERE YOU GO.
WE HAD A FEW STAFF MEMBERS OUT IN THE AUDIENCE, AND JON BATISTE
WAS AT THE PIANO, RIGHT, JON?
>> Jon: YUP.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE AT THE PIANO, AND THAT WAS IT.
AND WE LEANED ON YOU TO TELL US WHAT YOU THOUGHT WE WERE ABOUT
TO GO INTO.
HOW-- HOW DO YOU THINK WE DID FOR THE LAST 15 MONTHS?
( LAUGHTER )
THE NEXT 15 MONTHS, WHAT'S YOUR TAKEAWAY FROM WHAT WE'VE
EXPERIENCED?
>> IT'S SO-- IT'S SO HARD TO SORT OF PIECE THIS ALL TOGETHER,
YOU KNOW, STEPHEN.
I HAVE TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, IT IS REALLY WONDERFUL TO BE HERE.
I MEAN, IT JUST-- IT FEELS--
>> Stephen: IT'S GREAT TO HAVE AN AUDIENCE BACK.
>> I MEAN I THINK-- I THINK YOU FORGET WHAT YOU MISS, JUST BEING
BATHED IN A SEA OF HUMANITY.
I LOVE THIS.
IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL.
AND I THINK THERE WERE TIMES OVER THIS PAST YEAR WHEN I
DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
I KNEW THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHEN.
THE FUTURE JUST SORT OF LOOKED BLANK WHEN I LOOKED OUT THERE.
IT WASN'T THAT IT WAS DARK OR LIGHT.
THERE WAS NOPTH THERE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
HOW DID WE DO?
WELL, STEPHEN, I THINK-- I REMEMBER YOU ASKING ME, "IS IT
TIME TO PANIC?" AND I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW THAT
PANIC HAS A REAL PURPOSE.
WE NEED TO PLAN.
WE NEED TO DO THINGS."
AS YOU KNOW, STEPHEN, 600,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED.
SO I AM STILL-- MY HEART IS STILL SO TIGHT.
I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO MARK MOMENTS OF THIS PANDEMIC BY THIS
SHOW BY SITTING WITH YOU, AS YOU SHOWED IN THAT PICTURE AND BEING
HERE TONIGHT.
BUT WE DIDN'T DO VERY WELL.
WE COULD HAVE DONE SO MUCH BETTER, AND THAT MAKES IT REALLY
HEARTBREAKING.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT VARIANTS, STILL, MEANING
PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, SPECIFICALLY
SOMETHING RISING-- SOMETHING CALLED THE DELTA VARIANT.
WHAT IS THAT AND HOW CONCERNED SHOULD I BE?
>> SO DELTA VARIANT IS A VARIANT SPREADING IN INDIA.
THIS HAS CAUSED A LOT OF THE INCREASES IN THE U.K.
THE U.K. VARIANT IS NO LONGER THE DOMINANT VARIANT IN THE U.K.
IT IS THE DELTA VARPT BECAUSE IT IS MORE PERMISSIBLE.
ABOUT 10% HERE HAVE THE DELTA VARIANT.
IF YOU FOLLOW IT, IT SORT OF DOUBLES EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO, YES, IT WILL BECOME DOMINANT HERE JUST BY MATH, BECAUSE IT
CROWDS OUT THE OTHER LESS-TRANSMISSIBLE VARIANT.
>> Stephen: DOES THE VACCINE STOP THE DELTA VARIANT?
>> YES, THE VACCINE WORKS WELL.
IT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF A REDUCED EFFECT AGAINST IT BUT IT WORKS
WELL AGAINST THE DELTA.
>> Stephen: SO IF YOU HAVE THE VACCINE, YOU SHOULDN'T WHERE ARE
ABOUT DEATH OR HOSPITALIZATION OF THE VARIANT?
>> THAT'S THE THING.
IF YOU'RE VACCINATED, I THINK YOU SHOULD FEEL PRETTY GOOD THAT
YOU'RE NOT LIKELY TO GET SICK OR SPREAD IT.
BUT IF YOU'RE NOT, I HAVE TO SAY, YOU SORT OF THOUGHT YOU GOT
AWAY WITH IT.
"I DIDN'T GET INFECTED.
THIS THING IS IN THE REARVIEW MIRRORMENT.
THIS THING IS 60% MORE TRANSMISSIBLE, ROUGHLY.
THINGS YOU GOT AWAY WITH BEFORE IF YOU WERE UNVACCINATED, YOU'RE
PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE A HARDER TIME.
>> Stephen: EVEN A BETTER REASON TO GET THE SHOT NOW.
>> EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO THAT.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE DIDN'T KNOW IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR THAT
WE WOULD HAVE A VACCINE.
>> Stephen: SO FAST.
>> SO FAST AND SO EFFECTIVE, 90-PLUS PERCENT EFFECTIVE.
I DO NOT THINK WE CAN CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THAT SCIENCE
ENOUGH.
IT WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE SCIENCE.
IT WILL CHANGE THE PACE.
THE mRNA MAY BE THERAPIES FOR ANCER IN THE FUTURE.
>> Stephen: AND I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN A CLEARER SIGNAL ON MY
5"G" PHONE BEFORE.
IT'S AMAZING THE COVERAGE I GET.
>> ALL THE EXTRA BENEFITS.
>> Stephen: I HAVE TO ASK SOMETHING ON A LOT OF PEOPLE'S
MINDS.
ONE OF THE THINGS SCIENCE DOES, IT APPROACHES INFORMATION WITH
HUMILITY, AND CHANGES AS NEW INFORMATION COMES IN.
WHAT ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE CORONAVIRUS?
IS BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING A DEAR FRIEND OF
MINE-- >> YES, I HEARD.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOT TO BE THE WUHAN
CORONAVIRUS-- NOVEL CORONAVIRUS LAB.
WHY ELSE WOULD THEY NAME IT THAT IF THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT?
NOW, YOU'RE LAUGHING BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK OF
THAT RATIONALE?
AND IS THERE NEW INFORMATION?
I KNOW THIS IDEA, THIS THEORY HAS BEEN UP-DRAFTED RECENTLY.
AND IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE?
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS.
WHAT DO WE KNOW SO FAR.
>> YEAH -- >> Stephen: I DO WANT TO BE
RIGHT, THOUGH.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I THINK THAT THIS REALLY HAS TO BE INVESTIGATED.
I MEAN I THINK-- THE LAB LEAK THEORY WAS DISMISSED BY A LOT OF
PEOPLE AND USED FOR POLITICAL SORT OF GAMESMANSHIP, WITHOUT
ANY EVIDENCE.
THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT IT LEAKED FROM A LAB.
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT IT DIDN'T LEAK FROM A LAB.
IT'S SORT OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE AGAIN.
>> Stephen: WHY DOES IT COME BACK AROUND AGAIN, AND PEOPLE
LIKE ANTHONY FAUCI AND FRANCIS COLININS ARE SAYING NO, IT
SHOULD DEFINITELY BE INVESTIGATED.
>> I DID THIS INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT REDFIELD, WHO WAS HEAD OF
THE C.D.C. AT THE TIME, AND HE CAME OUT AND SAID-- THIS WAS IN
FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR-- THAT HE THINKS THAT'S LIKELY HOW THIS
ESCAPED.
AND HE'S SOMEONE WHO HAD ACCESS TO WITHDRAW RAW INTELLIGENCE AND
RAW DATA.
AND WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT THE PIECES, LIKE WERE THERE
PEOPLE WHO GOT SICK IN THAT INSTITUTE OF I HAVEROLOGY?
THEY GOT SICK IN OCTOBER-NOVEMBER TIME FRAME.
THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THIS DIDN'T START TO HIT
UNTIL DECEMBER.
WAS IT CAUSED BY COVID OR SOMETHING ELSE?
WE FOUND OUT LOTS OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WAS BEING
PURCHASED IN CHINA FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE UNITED
STATES, AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE THE REST OF THE WORLD WAS GIVEN
NOTICE.
DID THEY KNOW SOMETHING?
WAS SOMETHING KNOWN?
WE DON'T HAVE EVIDENCE TO SAY THAT THAT PROVES TO A LAB LEAK
THEORY.
>> Stephen: THAT-- THAT POINTS TO DECEPTION.
>> IT POINTS TO DECEPTION.
>> Stephen: BUT IT DOESN'T POINT TO--
>> BUT WHY DECEPTION.
ABSOLUTELY.
THE IDEA THAT WAS BIOMANUFACTURED ASAISE WEAPON
SOMEHOW VERSUS AN ACCIDENTAL LAB LEAK VERSUS A NATURAL JUMP FROM
ANIMALS TO HUMANS.
THOSE ARE REALLY THE THREE THINGS ON THE TABLE.
THE BIOWEAPON PART OF IT, I THINK MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY
THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT THE IDEA THAT THIS VIRUS COULD HAVE BEEN STUDIED IN THE
LAB, COULD HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY EXPOSED TO AM HAD
CELLS, AND ACCIDENTALLY LEAKED OUT OF THE LAB IS A THEORY THAT
I THINK IS VERY WORTHY OF INVESTIGATION.
THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE: TYPICALLY, WHEN A VIRUS JUMPS
FROM ANIMALS TO HUMANS, IT KIND OF SPUTTERS ALONG.
IT TAKES A WHILE FOR IT TO SORT OF GAIN STEAM.
AS WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, THIS THING CAME OUT 90 MILES AN HOUR,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN JUST STARTED INFECTING WILDLY.
WHY?
WELL, IF IT HAD BEEN STUDIED IN A LAB AND EXPOSED TO HUMAN CELLS
IT WAS BECOMING MORE AND MORE EFFICIENT.
IT WAS BECOMING SMARTER AT THE TIME THAT IT LEAKED.
IT WAS A HUGE PROBLEM.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU'VE BEEN INFORMING THE NATION, FOR THE
WORLD ABOUT FACT VERSUS FICTION ABOUT COVID OVER THE PAST YEAR.
BUT NOW YOU HAVE A NEW PODCAST.
IT'S CALLED "CHASING LIFE."
WHAT IS THAT?
>> "CHASING LIFE" IS BASICALLY ABOUT THE REEMERGENCE OF SOCI
SOCIETY.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED THIS PAST YEAR?
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT OURSELVES?
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT HUMAN CONNECTION?
ALSO I KEPT THINKING ABOUT THE COUNTRY IN SOME WAYS, STEPHEN,
AS MY PATIENT THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
I REALLY DID.
I FELT A REAL SORT OF-- I FELT AN EMPATHY.
I FELT-- I DON'T KNOW.
THERE WAS A CONNECTION I NEVER FELT BEFORE.
AND THE PATIENT IS STILL RECOVERING.
THEY'RE NOT TOTALLY HEALTHY.
THEY'RE STILL RECOVERING.
BUT PART OF THAT RECOVERY IS THE PHYSICAL RECOVERY.
AND PART OF IT IS THE MENTAL RECOVERY AS WELL.
>> Stephen: LAST QUESTION, MOST IMPORTANT ONE: THERE'S THE
PHYSICAL AND THEN THERE'S THE MENTAL RECOVERY.
AND THEN THERE'S THE ROMANTIC RECOVERY.
WHEN YOU WERE HERE 15 MONTHS AGO, I SCHEDULED YOU IF IT WAS
TIME TO STOP DATING.
AND YOU SAID YES.
( LAUGHTER )
>> THAT WAS SCIENCE.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND.
CAN WE DATE AGAIN?
ARE YOU ENDORSED HOT VAX SUMMER?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
( LAUGHTER )
I AM.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: THAT'S SCIENCE!
>> THAT'S SCIENCE!
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
HIS PODCAST IS CALLED "CHASING LIFE."
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH RITA MORENO.
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