>> MICHIGAN HAS THE DUBIOUS
DISTINCTION OF LEADING THE COVID
CASES AND WHAT’S AHEAD WITH
WINTER ON THE HORIZON?
AS PRESIDENT BIDEN COMES TO
DETROIT TO DOUBTTOUT ELECTRIC
VEHICLES, ONCE AGAIN IT’S CHINA.
TODAY IS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST,
2021 AND THIS IS FLASH POINT.
>> Devin: AS WE COUNT OUR
BLESSINGS THIS WEEK LET’S GAVE
THANKS FOR THE RETURN OF DANNY
FENSTER.
AS WE WERE TRYING TO ABSORB THE
PRISON SENTENCE FOR CHARGES, HE
WAS SENT HOME THANKS TO THE WORK
OF BILL RICHARDSON AMBASSADOR TO
THE U.N.
AND IT WAS A WARMER MOMENT FOR
THE ARMY THAT HAD BEEN
ADVOCATING FOR HIS RELEASE.
DANNY, WE’RE SEE GLAD YOU’RE
BACK AND IN TIME FOR ON THE
MOTOR CITY.
WITH IT THE RETURN OF ONE OF THE
CITY’S GREATEST TRADITIONS,
AMERICA’S THANKSGIVING PARADE.
WE’RE BACK TO THE REAL THING,
NOT A VIRTUAL EDITION, BUT THE
BACKDROP IS THE WORRISOME RISE
OF COVID CASES AND HERE WE ARE
LEADING THE NATION IN THREE
CASES.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
I’VE GOT THREE DOCTORS ON CALL
TO TALK ABOUT IT.
A BIG WEEK FOR THE CITY AND
GENERAL MOTORS AS PRESIDENT
BIDEN BASEICALLY CHRISTENED THE
PLANT, AND AN OP-ED WARNS OF
CHINA.
WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT TODAY ON
FLASH POINT.
♪
>> WE’LL SPEND A GOOD PART OF
THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT THE
COVID SURGE IN MICHIGAN THAT’S
BEEN CONFOUNDING TO MANY.
WE’VE HIT A PANDEMIC HIGH ON THE
METRIC SEVEN-DAY TRACKING
AVERAGE.
LET’S TALK WITH THREE MEN LIVING
WITH THIS ON THE FRONT LINES.
CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER OF HENRY
FORD.
AND INTERNAL MEDICINE FOR
BEAUMONT AND OUR DR. FRANK
McGEORGE OUR HEALTH AND MEDICAL
REPORTER AT LOCAL 4 AND ALSO AN
EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN.
LET ME START WITH YOU, MICHIGAN
HAS SEEMED TO MOVE TO THE BEAT
OF ITS OWN DRUMMER THROUGH THIS
PANDEMIC.
WE HAVEN’T BEEN IN LOCKSTEP WITH
OUR NEIGHBORS OR THE REST OF
THE COUNTRY.
WHY DO YOU THINK WE’RE LEADING
IN COVID CASES.
>> WE’RE SEEING A FOURTH SURGE
WE HOPE YOU’D NEVER SEE AND I
THINK A NUMBER OF FACTORS.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A VARIANT
AT THE PRESENT TIME, THAT’S A
VARIANT THAT’S MUCH MORE
INEFFECTIVE AND TRANSMISSIBLE
THAN OTHER VARIANTS.
KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL AND WE KNOW
THAT THE NUMBER OF INFECTIONS
AND OUTBREAKS IN SCHOOLS HAVE
BEEN RISING IN MICHIGAN.
ACTUALLY AND INDOORS.
AND THIRD, WE ARE SEEING AT THE
PRESENT TIME PEOPLE GETTING
FATIGUE AND LOWERING THEIR
GUARDS BEING OUT IN PUBLIC AND
NOT WEARING MASKS, ARE NOT
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WE’RE NOT
AT THE TARGET FOR HERD IMMUNE
NATION, AND SO I THINK ALL OF
THESE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO WHAT
WE’RE SEEING.
>> Devin: THOSE SEEM PLAUSIBLE
TO WHAT WE’RE SATISFYING.
I’M NOT SURE ANY OF THOSE ARE
MICHIGAN SPECIFIC.
ANY IDEA WHY IT’S HERE?
>> I THINK THAT THE FACTORS THAT
THE DOCTOR DISCUSSED ARE
IMPORTANT, WHAT THEY DO ALLOW
THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS AND
THE--
US LETTING DOWN OUR GUARD I
THINK IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART
OF THAT, BUT WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND IS ALSO, THE VIRUS
DOESN’T SPREAD NATIONALLY, IT
SPREADS LOCALLY IN OUR
COMMUNITIES, SO YOU GET A LITTLE
POCKET IN A GROUP AND THEN THAT
POCKET CAN SPREAD OUT SO KIND OF
EBBS AND FLOWS THROUGHOUT
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE SEEING.
WE HAD A GOOD LULL THE LATE, MID
SUMMER AND THEN AS WE KIND OF
GOT TOGETHER AGAIN IN SCHOOLS
AND OTHER FACTORS THAT LED TO
THAT AND THEN JUST A FEW CASES
BECOME MANY MORE CASES AND UNTIL
WE KIND OF LIKE RECOGNIZE THAT
THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO TO
MITIGATE THIS, WE’LL SEE THIS.
AND THE VACCINE IS A VERY
IMPORTANT PART OF IT, BUT IT’S
NOT A PERFECT SOLUTION.
>> Devin: NO, IT’S NOT.
IT’S CERTAINLY THE BEST ONE THAT
WE HAVE, DR. McGEORGE AND WE
STILL NEED PEOPLE GETTING
VACCINES AND NOW YOU THIS PAST
WEEK URGE PEOPLE TO BE GETTING
THEIR BOOSTERS.
THE MOST RECENT HOSPITALIZATION
NUMBERS, WE SEE THAT ALMOST 30%
OF THE PEOPLE BEING HOSPITALIZED
HAD THE VACCINE AND I THOUGHT,
THAT MIGHT NOT HELP SOME OF THE
VACCINE HESITANT TO GET ON BOARD
IF--
BUT SO CAN YOU CHARACTERIZE THE
PEOPLE GETTING THE VACCINE AND
YET ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL?
>> YEAH, SURE, YOU KNOW, I THINK
IT’S AN IMPORTANT POINT A LOT OF
PEOPLE ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL
EVEN WHEN THEY’RE VACCINATED
FRANKLY OLDER PEOPLE OR PEOPLE
WITH OLDER IMMUNE XHOIMDCOMPROMI
CONDITIONS.
IF YOU LOOK AT DEATH IN
BREAKTHROUGH CASES HIGHER AGE
GROUP, OVER 65 IN GENERAL.
I THINK THE UNDERLYING FACTORS
THAT PUT YOU AT HIGH RISK FOR
COVID, WHETHER YOU’RE VACCINATED
OR UNVACCINATED.
BEING VACCINATED GIVES YOU THAT
MUCH MORE OF AN EDGE OVER BEING
UNVACCINATED.
WHETHER YOU’RE HIGH RISK OR NOT,
BEING VACCINATED PUTS YOU AT A
DISADVANTAGE AND THAT’S WHY THE
VACCINE IS SO IMPORTANT
REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR
UNDERLYING RISK FACTORS ARE,
AGE, OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, YOU
NAME IT, YOU NEED TO GET
VACCINATED BECAUSE YOU’RE AT
EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH RISK WITH
THE HIGH RATES OF COMMUNITY
TRANSMISSION THAT WE’RE
EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.
>> Devin: IT REMAINS A BIG
PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE UNHEALTHY TO
BEGIN WITH FOR SURE.
BUT, THE BREAKTHROUGH CASES THAT
WE’RE SEEING, WOULD YOU ASCRIBE
THOSE MORE TO THE DELTA VARIANT
AND MAYBE THE WAY THAT IT CAN
WORK ITS WAY AROUND OUR VACCINES
OR IS THIS TELLING US MORE ABOUT
HOW LONG THE VACCINES LAST AND
WHY THE BOOSTERS ARE SO
IMPORTANT?
>> WELL, I THINK IT’S A
COMBINATION OF BOTH.
AS YOU HAVE MENTIONED 70% OF THE
PEOPLE ARE HOSPITALIZED AT THE
PRESENT TIME HAVE NOT BEEN
VACCINATED.
SO WE KNOW THAT VACCINES ARE--
PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE.
AND THE PEOPLE VACCINATED AND
GETTING THE INFECTIONS LIKE DR.
McGEORGE HAVE MENTIONED ARE
PEOPLE WHO HAVE UNDERLYING
ILLNESSES, WHOSE IMMUNE SYSTEM
IS COMPROMISED AND THIS IS WHY
THEY’RE NOT GETTING THE BENEFIT
OF THE VACCINE.
THERE’S NO QUESTION THE DATA
INDEPENDENT IS CLEAR WITH
RESPECT TO THE WANING PART OF
THE EFFECT OF THE VACCINE AND
ESPECIALLY IN THE POPULATION,
WHAT WE’VE SEEN IS THAT THE
IMMUNE DEFENSE THAT’S WITH THE
VACCINE GOES DOWN WITH TIME AND
THIS IS MORE PROMINENT IN PEOPLE
WHO ARE ELDERLY OR PEOPLE WHO
HAVE CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHERE
THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS NOT AS
STRONG.
>> Devin: DR. CARPENTER, WE’VE
SEEN RETICENCE ON THE PART OF
THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE, NOW
OF COURSE SHE’S ALSO HAD ROAD
BLOCKS THROWN DOWN IN FRONT OF
HER BY THE COURTS, BUT RHETTETIC
TO SOME OF THE MEASURES EARLY ON
AND SOME PHYSICIAN ARGUE THOSE
WERE EFFECTIVE AND HOW WE
BROUGHT THINGS INTO CONTROL TO
BEGIN WITH.
IS IT TIME TO MOVE BACK, WHETHER
IT’S MASKING, A VACCINE MANDATE?
IS IT TIME TO MOVE BACK TO
STRICTER RULES?
>> I THINK WE COULD RATCHET IT
UP A LITTLE BIT.
I WOULD BE CAUTIOUS GOING BACK
TO WHERE WE WERE BECAUSE WE SAW
A LOT OF CONSEQUENCES FROM THAT
THAT WERE DEFINITELY UNINTENDED
AND UNFORTUNATELY WE’VE LEARNED
FROM THAT, BUT MORE COMMUNITY
USE OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES WOULD
BE REALLY WELCOME AT THIS TIME.
I THINK I’VE BEEN TO SOME VENUES
WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUST ACTING
LIKE THERE IS NO COVID AND THOSE
ARE THE TYPE OF VENUES THAT WE
WILL SEE, YOU KNOW, SPREAD OUT
OF.
IT’S CHALLENGING TO KIND OF GET
THEM KIND OF TO RECOGNIZE THAT
AND TO, AGAIN, THAT YOU KNOW,
THE SIMPLEST THINGS WE CAN DO
ARE WEARING MASK AND WASH OUR
HANDS AND PEOPLE ARE NOT DOING
THAT IN THE COMMUNITIES UNLESS
THE BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES
AND OTHER AREAS ARE HELPING THEM
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
THAT.
I THINK WE COULD TAKE THAT STEP
BACK A LITTLE BIT AND KIND OF
HAVE THAT MASKING AND OTHER
THINGS OUT THERE, AND I THINK
THAT WOULD HELP A FAIR AMOUNT.
>> I THINK THERE IS SUCH A
NATURAL URGE TO RETURN TO SOME
KIND OF NORMALLY, AND FRANK,
THAT INCLUDES FOUR DAYS HENCE
WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE
GATHERING AROUND THEIR
THANKSGIVING TABLE.
WE’VE GOT A LOT OF TRAVEL GOING
ON, A LOT OF FAMILY GETTING
TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE
THEIR DIRECT HOUSEHOLDS.
WHAT’S YOUR WORRY LEVEL NOW AS
WE’RE ALREADY AT THIS VERY HIGH
LEVEL AND THAT WE MOVE INTO THE
HOLIDAYS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT YOU
HIGHLIGHTED WAS THAT MICHIGAN IS
ON A DIFFERENT CURVE THAN THE
REST OF THE NATION.
>> Devin: YEAH.
>> SO DEPENDING HOW THE MIXES
GO.
IT COULD ACTUALLY SPREAD FURTHER
ACROSS OTHER PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY THAN JUST RIGHT NOW, YOU
KNOW, IN MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA,
FOR EXAMPLE, IS VERY HOT.
BUT WITHIN MICHIGAN, WE ARE AT
SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY
TRANSMISSION THAT EVEN FOR
FAMILIES THAT DO NOT LIVE
TOGETHER, BUT ARE STILL IN THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN, YOU SHOULD
STILL TAKE APPROPRIATE
PRECAUTIONS AND MIGHT MEAN DOING
AN AT-HOME TEST PRIOR TO A
GATHERING WITH MULTIPLE FAMILIES
OR OUTSIDE FAMILY MEMBERS.
THERE’S A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF
CONCERN THAT THE HOLIDAYS AS
THEY HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, CAN
INCREASE THE RATE OF
ACCELERATION AND WE’RE ALREADY
ON AN ACCELERATED PATH RIGHT
NOW.
>> Devin: YEAH, ALL RIGHT, WE’RE
GOING TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK FROM
OUR MEDICAL SCHOOL LESSON HERE
AND I’M GOING TO ASK THE DOCTORS