THOUGHTS
THOUGHTS ON ALL OF THIS WITH US THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. >> I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >>> DEMANDING ANSWERS AFTER THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
USE THE UNPROVEN DRUG
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AS A
TREATMENT FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.
PRELIMINARY STUDY OF HOSPITALS
DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 SHOW
THAT THE ANTIMALARIAL DRUG HAD
NO BENEFIT AND CAUSED A GREATER
RATE OF DEATH.
THIS MORNING, JASON WHITELY IS
ASKING THE U.S. SECRETARY OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS ABOUT THE
CONTROVERSY IN A RECENT
INTERVIEW.
INTERVIEW. >> Reporter: MR. SECRETARY,
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> THE CDC WARNS THAT THERE
COULD BE ANOTHER FLAREUP LATER
THIS YEAR OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
IS THE VA SYSTEM ABLE TO STOCK
UP ON SUPPLIES YET?
HAS THE SUPPLY CHAIN CAUGHT UP
IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE VA
SYSTEM?
SYSTEM?
SYSTEM? >> WE ARE PREPARING FOR THAT
CONTINGENCY, NOT JUST WITH
SUPPLIES, BUT WE ARE STRESSING
THE SYSTEM IN TERMS OF
TELEHEALTH AND LIENS AND WHY
THAT IS IMPORTANT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF POLITICIANS
APPEAR WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND
THE SCOPE OF, THE SCALE OF THE
LONE STAR STATE.
IN THE NORMAL MONTH, WE WOULD
HAVE 40,000 MENTAL HEALTH TELE-
APPOINTMENTS.
APPOINTMENTS. IN THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE HAD
154,000.
154,000.
154,000. WE ARE PREPARING TO EXPAND THAT
SYSTEM SHOULD THE VIRUS KICKBACK
. WE HAVE 5200 VETERANS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE TESTED
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE. THAT IS OUT OF NINE AND HALF
MILLION VETERANS.
MILLION VETERANS. THE WESTERN PART OF TEXAS YET
TO BE HIT.
THE NUMBERS OF VETERANS IN SAN
ANTONIO AND AMARILLO, LUBBOCK,
AND DALLAS, ARE INCREDIBLY LOW.
I CONTINUE TO WATCH THAT IN
CASE THERE IS SOMETHING THAT
POPS THE GREAT RIVER AND MOVES
INTO TEXAS.
INTO TEXAS. >> I HAVE SEEN THAT SIGN ON I-
10 AND THAT IS A HEALTH SITE TO
DIGEST WHEN YOU'RE JUST
ENTERING TEXAS.
ENTERING TEXAS. THERE WAS TALK EARLY ON THAT
THE VA SYSTEM MIGHT BE OPENED
UP TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IF
PRIVATE HOSPITALS REACH
CAPACITY.
CAPACITY.
CAPACITY. IS THAT STILL A CONTINGENCY
PLAN WITHIN THE VA?
>> IT IS NO LONGER A
CONTINGENCY, IT IS REAL AND IT
IS HAPPENING TODAY.
WE OPENED UP OUR HOSPITALS IN
THE NORTHEAST IN MANHATTAN AND
BROOKLYN AND EAST ORANGE, NEW
JERSEY, AND DETROIT, CHICAGO,
AND ANN ARBOR.
ONCE WE HAD TAKEN CARE OF OUR
VETERANS.
VETERANS.
VETERANS. WE SERVED AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE
STATE AND WHERE WE CAN HELP, WE
WILL.
WILL.
WILL. WHAT I SEE AS THE COMING ISSUE
FOR THE VA IS NOT THE HOSPITAL
BEDS.
BEDS.
BEDS. I
BEDS. I THINK AMERICANS ARE FINE WITH
THE HOSPITAL BEDS.
I SEE THAT COMING ISSUE AND IT
IS ONE THAT I WILL BE SPEAKING
WITH OFFICIALS ABOUT, IS
NURSING HOMES.
NURSING HOMES. PARTICULARLY STATE OF VETERANS
NURSING HOMES.
NURSING HOMES. THAT IS WHERE I SEE OUR MOST
VULNERABLE VETERANS BEING.
WE SEND TO NURSES AND
GERONTOLOGIST.
GERONTOLOGIST. WE HELP THOSE SYSTEMS TAKE CARE
OF VETERANS.
OF VETERANS. >> DOCTORS PUBLISHED A STUDY
ABOUT THE HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE
DRUG AS WELL.
THAT WAS BASED ON CASE STUDIES
INSIDE THE VA HOSPITAL.
I AM CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR
REACTION TO THE RESULTS BECAUSE
IT SAID THAT
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE, WHICH THE
PRESIDENT HAS TOUTED, IS NOT
EFFECTIVE AND HAS ACTUALLY
KILLED SOME PATIENTS.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> IT IS AN OBSERVATIONAL
STUDY.
STUDY.
STUDY. IT
STUDY. IT TOOK A SMALL NUMBER OF
VETERANS AND LOOKED AT THEM IN
THE LAST HOURS, MAYBE THE LAST
DAY OF THEIR LIVES, AND THE
DRUG WAS GIVEN TO THEM AS A
LAST MEASURE.
LAST MEASURE. SO, WHAT DOES THAT DO?
IT HAS NOT BEEN CLINICALLY
REVIEWED OR PEER-REVIEWED. I
SEEN AS ANOTHER TOOL IN THE
TOOLBOX.
TOOLBOX.
TOOLBOX. THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE THE USE
OF THE DRUG ASPIRATIONAL.
WE HAVE THE WORKS ON YOUNGER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. WE KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN
WORKING ON MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE.
WHAT WE SHOW IS THAT AT LAST
DESPERATE TIME IN A VETERAN'S
LIFE, AND SOMETIMES DID NOT
WORK.
WORK.
WORK. SO,
WORK. SO, I SIT AS PART OF THE
NATIONAL TASK FORCE WITH DR.
FAUCI AND DR. BIRX AND WE ARE
TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN
IN AS SHORT A TIME AS POSSIBLE,