♪ ♪ ♪
THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING BACK. WE'RE HERE WITH CBS NEWS MEDICAL
CONTRIBUTOR DR. DAVID AGUS. LAST JANUARY, THE VIRUS SPIKED
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS. AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING A SPIKE
AFTER THANKSGIVING. AS YOU SAID, IT'S LIKE 100 AND
HOW MANY-- >> 119,000.
>> Stephen: 119,000. HOW CAN PEOPLE TRAVEL AND
CELEBRATE SAFELY THIS YEAR? >> SO, TRAVEL IS SAFE.
AIRPLANES ARE SAFE. EVERY THREE OR FOUR MINUTES, THE
ENTIRE CIRCULATION OF THE AIR GOES THROUGH A HEPA FILTER AND
VIRUS IS FILTERED OUT. WE WEAR A MASK ON AN AIRLINE.
I FLEW HERE FROM LOS ANGELES. I AM COMFORTABLE ON AN AIRLINE.
>> Stephen: PART OF THE FILTER ISN'T ME BREATHING IN THE AIR
AND BREATHING IT OUT? >> WE'RE BLOCKING THE DROPLETS
WITH THE MASK AND THERE'S GOOD AIR FLOW, SO WITH GOOD AIR FLOW
AND THE MASK THE RISK IS VERY, VERY LOW.
I FLY ON A PLANE WHERE I CAN SIT ALONE OR SIT WITH SOMEBODY I
KNOW AND I CHOOSE THE SEATS APPROPRIATELY.
ANTIGEN TESTING, SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT TWO WEEKS
AGO WHEN HE GAVE HIS NEWS CONFERENCE-- I THINK IT WAS TWO
WEEKS AGO. I LOST THE ABILITY TO TELL TIME
AND WHEN THINGS HAPPENING DURING THE PANDEMIC.
HE TALKED ABOUT EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY FOR NOW FOR FREE, THE
INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL PAY, CAN GET AN ANTIGEN TEST.
YOU SWAP YOURSELF AND PUT IT ON A PIECE OF PAPER IN A PLASTIC
CARTRIDGE AND IT TELLS YOU IA YOU'RE INFECTED WITH COVID OR
NOT. >> Stephen: ONE LINE YOU'RE
NOT INFECTED, AND TWO LINES AND YOU'RE PREGNANT.
WORKS WILL THE SAME WAY. >> BUT IT'S VERY POWERFUL.
SO BEFORE OUR THANKSGIVING DINNER, WHEN FAMILY CAME OVER WE
DID THAT TEST. IT'S A LEVEL OF INSURANCE THAT
YOU'RE NOT INFECTIOUS. >> Stephen: IF SOMEONE DOES
GET COVID,s HOW IS TREATMENT CHANGING?
>> SO, THIS IS PRETTY WILD, RIGHT.
EARLY ON, IF YOU GOT COVID AND WENT ON A VENTILATOR, YOUR
CHANCE OF SURVIVAL WAS 20%. SIX MONTHS INTO THE PANDEMIC,
THAT NUMBER WENT UP TO 80% WITH NO DRUGS.
WE JUST GOT BETTER AT CARING FOR IT.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE'RE STARTING TO GET SOME DRUGS.
THERE IS A DRUG THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED, F.D.A., E.U.A.
APPROVAL, EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FROM PFIZER, IT'S
A PILL CALLED A PROTEASE INHIBITOR.
VIRUSES ARE NOT ALIVE. THEY GO INTO OUR CELLS AND USE
OUR MACHINERY TO DIVIDE, AND THIS IS THE FIRST DRUG DESIGNED
FOR COVID THAT BLOCKS THAT. SO TAKING A PILL FOR FIVE DAYS,
IF YOU'RE EARLY ON, WILL BLOCK YOU FROM BEING HOSPITALIZED.
THAT'S REMARKABLE.
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT THING-- WHEN-- WHEN DO WE GET THAT?
WHEN IS THAT AVAILABLE? >> THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE KIDDING! >> I'M SERIOUS.
>> Stephen: THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY!
( APPLAUSE )
RETURN TO NORMALITY. >> AND GET A LOD OF THIS --
>> Stephen: I'M READY TO GET LOADED.
>> TODAY, TODAY, THE F.D.A. GAVE AUTHORIZATION FOR 4% OF OUR
COUNTRY ARE IMMUNE SUPPRESSED. THEY HAVE CANCER.
THEY HAVE AUTO IMMUNE DISEASE. THEY CAN'T RESPOND TO A VACCINE
AND THEY'VE BEEN SHUT INSIDE. THERE IS NOW AN ANTIBODY
APPROVED TODAY THAT IS A SHOT IN THE ARM THAT GIVES YOU 12 MONTHS
PREXZ FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T RESPOND TO A VACCINE.
>> Stephen: IT'S NOT A VACCINE.
WHAT IS IT? >> IT'S A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
THAT IS LONG LASTING. INSTEAD OF LASTING A MONTH LIKE
THE CURRENT ONES DO, THIS LASTS A YEAR AND IS ABLE TO PROTECT
PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMUNE SUPPRESSED.
>> Stephen: SO INSTEAD OF-- LET ME SEE IF I UNDERSTAND THIS.
IF YOU'RE INJECTING ANTIBODIES, THAT MEANS YOU'RE NOT PUTTING
SOMETHING IN TO GET YOUR BODY TO REGISTER AND MAKE YOUR OWN
ANTIBODIES YOU'RE PROVIDING THE ANTIBODY.
>> EXACTLY. WE'RE GIVING THEM ANTIBODIES AND
GIVE THEM PROTECTION. SO YOU'RE ENABLING THEM TO SEE
THEIR GRANDKIDS, TO TALK TO THEIR NEIGHBORS, TO GO TO THE
SUPERMARKET. THIS IS A BIG STEP.
THESE ARE EXCITING, WE HAVE THESE TREATMENTS.
AND WE HAVE THE STANDARD MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIESES.
SOME WORK AGAINST OMICRON. IF YOU GET SICK AND IT'S EARLY
WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT INFUSION AND STOP THE VIRUS COLD.
WE ARE MUCH BETTER AT DEALING WITH IT.
THE KEY TO ALL OF THIS, THOUGH, IS VACCINE.
AND I CAN'T SAY IT DANNY. IF WE VACCINATE, WE CAN STOP
THIS VIRUS. >> Stephen: DO YOU SEE ANY
HOPE THAT VACCINE RATES ARE INCREASING?
>> YEAH. >> Stephen: OKAY-- REALLY?
>> FEAR OF OMICRON. I MEAN, YOU HATE TO SAY IT, FEAR
IS GETTING PEOPLE TO BE VACCINATED.
>> Stephen: SO I STARTED THIS INTERVIEW BY NOT HYPING THE
FEAR, BUT MAYBE I SHOULD BE HYPING THE FEAR TO GET PEOPLE TO
VACCINATE. >> GOOD POINT.
( LAUGHTER )
OMICRON. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST TOLD YOU
THE BOOSTERS WILL WORK. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FEAR IF
YOU HAVE HAD A BOOSTER. GET THAT BOOSTER.
BUT WE'RE SEEING, OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, REALLY NUMBERS GOING
UP, WHERE SEVERAL MILLION PEOPLE A DAY IN THE COUNTRY ARE BEING
VACCINATED OR GETTING A BOOSTER. AND THAT'S NEW.
IT HAD DIPPED FOR A WHILE, AND NOW IT'S COMING BACK UP, WHICH
IS GOOD.
SO MUCH. DR. DAVID AGUS, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY NATALIE HEMBY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).