AND REOPENING GYMS TO SLOW THE
SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SAVANNAH?
>> MIGUEL, THANK YOU.
>>> JOINING US NOW, DR. RICHARD
BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR
OF THE CDC, ASKND NOW PRESIDENT
AND CEO OF THE RICHARD JOHNSON
FOUNDATION.
DR. BESSER, GOOD MORNING.
WE SEE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
ORDERED MORE DOSES.
WE HAVE A SUPPLY PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A DISTRIBUTION PROBLEM.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL NEEDS TO BE
DONE, AND IS IT HAPPENING?
>> WELL, I THINK, SAVANNAH, A
COUPLE THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN.
ONE IS, WE HAVE TO UP THE
CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT IS
GOING TO TURN THE TIDE ON THIS
PANDEMIC THIS WINTER.
IT’S NOT VACCINE.
VACCINE IS THE LONG GAME, BUT IF
WE DON’T GET PEOPLE TO DOUBLE
DOWN ON WEARING MASKS AND
KEEPING APART AND WASHING THEIR
HANDS AND WAITING THEIR TURN FOR
WHEN THEY SHOULD BE GETTING
VACCINATED, WE’RE GOING TO BE AT
REAL RISK, ESPECIALLY AS THIS UK
VARIANT STARTS TO SPREAD MORE
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
ANY LAPSES IN THOSE PUBLIC
HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS, IN OUR
FOLLOWING OF THOSE, IS GOING TO
COST US IN A REALLY BIG WAY.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THOSE
VARIANTS.
IT’S SAID THEY’RE MORE
CONTAGIOUS, POTENTIALLY WITH THE
UK VARIANT, POTENTIALLY MORE
DEADLY, AS WELL.
I MEAN, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER,
IF THOSE STRAINS BECOME DOMINANT
AND THEY’RE MORE CONTAGIOUS,
DOES IT TAKE LESS TIME TO GET
INFECTED, LESS TIME WITH AN
INFECTED PERSON WILL RESULT IN
AN INFECTION FOR YOURSELF?
>> I HAVEN’T SEEN DATA ON TIME,
BUT WHAT IT DOES SAY IS THAT IF
WE’RE SLOPPY, IF WE’RE NOT DOING
THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO,
IT WILL SPREAD EASIER.
AS DR. FAUCI WAS SAYING, THESE
ARE LIKELY NOT THE ONLY VARIANTS
OR MUTANTS THAT WE’RE GOING TO
SEE.
UPPING THE ABILITY OF THE CDC
AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH TO TRACK
STRAINS, TO LOOK FOR NEW
MUTANTS, TO LOOK FOR ANY SIGNS
THAT VACCINES ARE NOT AS
EFFECTIVE, ANY SIGNS THAT
MEDICATIONS AREN’T WORKING,
THAT’S PART OF THE ONGOING
BATTLE WITH THE VIRUS THAT WE
HAVE TO DO.
>> ARE YOU IN THE DOUBLE MASKING
CAMP?
DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD WEAR A
DOUBLE MASK OR TRY TO GET ONE OF
THE N-95s IF YOU CAN?
>> I’M NOT A DOUBLE MASKER.
I AM A BIG PUSHER FOR EVERYONE
TO WEAR ONE MASK AND TO PLEASE
NOT WEAR IT DOWN ON YOUR CHIN.
IF IT DOESN’T COVER YOUR NOSE
AND MOUTH, IT’S NOT GOING TO BE
EFFECTIVE.
I’M LOOKING FORWARD, SOON, TO
THE CDC ISSUING GUIDANCE AROUND
THE MASKS THAT WE PURCHASE,
RATING THEM IN THE WAY THEY DO
FOR MASKS AMONG HEALTH CARE
WORKERS.
THAT’LL GIVE US A BETTER SENSE
AS TO WHICH MASKS ARE THE RIGHT
WAY TO GO.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE CDC.
IT SEEMED SOMEWHAT SUDDEN,
COMING OUT YESTERDAY SAYING THAT
SCHOOLS SHOULD REOPEN.
THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT
SCHOOLS ARE NOT A PRIMARY SOURCE
OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.
WHAT IS BEHIND THE
RECOMMENDATION THERE, AND WHAT
DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, I WROTE AN
OP-ED ON THAT BACK IN DECEMBER.
IT’S BEEN CLEAR THAT SCHOOLS
THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE
RESOURCES, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
ENSURE THAT THEY CAN SCREEN
STAFF AND CHILDREN, THAT THEY
CAN DO SOCIAL DISTANCING, THAT
THEY’RE ENSURING PEOPLE ARE
WEARING MASKS, THAT IT IS A SAFE
PLACE.
FOR MANY CHILDREN, IT IS A MUCH
SAFER PLACE THAN BEING OUT AND
ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW, AS A PEDIATRICIAN AND AS
A PARENT, CHILDREN NEED TO BE IN
SCHOOL LEARNING.
IF WE CAN MAKE IT SAFE FOR
CHILDREN, MAKE IT SAFE FOR STAFF
AND TEACHERS, WE REALLY NEED TO
DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.
LIKE SO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES
HAVE DONE, GET KIDS IN SCHOOL
LEARNING.
IT POINTS TO THE REAL IMPORTANCE
OF NOT JUST COUNTING HOW MANY
PEOPLE ARE BEING VACCINATED, BUT
ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE BEING
VACCINATED?
FRONT LINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS,
INCLUDEING TEACHERS, SO WE CAN
GET SOCIETY UP AND RUNNING AS
SAFE AS POSSIBLE.