THEY’LL REQUIRE A PRESCRIPTION
BUT NOT EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY’LL
COST.
>> AS WE WAIT FOR A VACCINE, A
NEW WHITE HOUSE REPORT WAS ON
ATTEND BY NBC NEWS THAT CALLS
THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS
AGGRESSIVE, UNRELENTING AND
EXPANDING AND SAYS THE CURRENT
MITIGATION EFFORT ARE, QUOTE,
INADEQUATE.
>> THIS MORNING WE WANT TO
SPOTLIGHT TWO COMMUNITIES THAT
ARE IN THE THICK OF THE FIGHT,
THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, TEXAS NOW
HAS MORE CASES THAN 14 STATES
HAVE IN TOTAL.
>> IT’S REMARKABLE.
MEANWHILE, THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN AMONG THE WORST IN THE
NATION, THE NUMBER OF CASES AND
DEATHS EXPLODING THERE.
WE’RE JOINED BY TWO DOCTORS THIS
MORNING.
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ IS FROM EL
PASO, TEXAS.
GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU.
LET ME START ON THIS BREAKING
NEWS RELATED TO THE VACCINE,
WORD COMING FROM PFIZER THEY’RE
GOING TO ASK FOR EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION.
HOW OT MIST BEING SHOULD WE BE
THAT THIS IS THE NEWS WE’VE ALL
BEEN WAITING FOR?
>> IN A TIME WHEN WE DON’T GET
VERY GOOD NEWS AROUND COVID-19,
THIS NEWS IS REALLY ENCOURAGING.
IF THEY ARE 95% EFFECT OF, WHICH
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE, AND
THEY’RE SAFE, WHICH IT LOOKS
LIKE THEY ARE, THAT PUTS A LIGHT
AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
WE HAVE A WAY OUT OF THIS
PANDEMIC.
I DON’T THINK NEN WANTS TOANYONE
STAY IN THE CURRENT STATE OF
AFFAIRS.
>> THAT’S FOR YOU ARE.
>> DOCTOR, WE SHOULD MENTION
YOUR AREA HAS MORE CASES.
YOU’VE BEEN WORKING IN EL PASO
FOR 24 YEARS.
YOU SAID YOU’VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
>> NEVER CLOSE TO THIS.
WE’VE SEEN EVERY YEAR THE
INFLUENZA PEAK IN THE MONTHS OF
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AND NOT
EVEN CLOSE.
WE’RE SEEING NUMBERS GO THROUGH
THE ROOF AND WE’RE AT CAPACITY
AT EVERY FACILITY IN EL PASO,
WHERE HOSPITALS ARE SETTING UP
TENTS AND PARKS LOTS TO HOUSE
PATIENTS THAT NEED THAT CARE.
>>.
>> WOW.
DR. POTHOF, YOUR HOSPITAL
CONVERTED AN ICU FOR
NEUROSURGERY INTO ONE FOR
CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS.
AT THE RATE YOU’RE GOING, IS
THAT EVEN ENOUGH EXTRA SPACE FOR
YOU ARE GUYS?
>> NO, WE’VE EXCEEDED THE
CAPACITY.
WE’VE STARTED USING OUR
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO TAKE CARE
OF ADULT PATIENTS BECAUSE WE
DON’T HAVE ROOM.
WE HAVE A HOSPITAL ACROSS TOWN.
WE NOW HAVE TO PUT COVID
PATIENTS OVER THERE.
IT’S REALLY GETTING OUT OF
CONTROL.
>> DR. GONZALEZ, I WANT TO COME
BACK TO YOU FOR A MOMENT.
FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WATCHING, EL
PASO, TEXAS, DO WE KNOW WHY IT
SEEMS TO BE SO MUCH WORSE THERE
THAN IT IS IN JUST ABOUT ANY
OTHER PART OF THIS COUNTRY?
>> I REALLY DON’T HAVE A GOOD
EXPLANATION FOR THAT.
I THINK IT’S A COMBINATION OF
FACTORS, INCLUDING THE HOLIDAYS
THAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH,
INCLUDING HALLOWEEN AND LABOR
DAY RECENTLY.
ALSO THE RETURN TO SCHOOL
RECENTLY HAS MADE THAT POSSIBLE,
I THINK.
BUT I THINK THAT RELAXING
MEASURES, PRECAUTIONS HAVE LED
TO OBVIOUSLY WIDESPREAD CONTAGE
OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
>> AND DR. GONZALEZ-AYALA, AS IF
THIS YEAR WASN’T SCARY ENOUGH,
YOU STARTED SEEING PATIENTS THAT
HAVE BOTH COVID AND INFLUENZA.
MY GOODNESS.
>> YEAH, WE’RE AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE INFLUENZA SEASON.
WE’RE ALREADY SEEING IN OUR ICUs
AND HOSPITALS CASES THAT HAVE
BOTH.
WE’RE CONCERNED BECAUSE WE ARE
NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PEAK OF
THE SEASON FOR INFLUENZA.
WE’RE CONCERNED WITH SEEING
THOSE NUMBERS GO EVEN HIGHER.
WE’RE AT CAPACITY, AS I ALREADY
MENTIONED.
WE’RE FLYING PATIENTS OUT
DIRECTLY FROM THE E.R. TO THE
HOSPITALS IN SAN ANTONIO AND
HOUSTON AND DALLAS TO HELP US
DEAL WITH THIS SURGE.
>> WE’VE BEEN TALKING A LOT
ABOUT THIS ON THIS SHOW,
DR. POTHOF, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
STILL LANPLANNING GET TOGETHERS
WITH THEIR FAMILY.
>> WE’RE REALLY ENCOURAGING
PEOPLE NOT TO HAVE THOSE
GATHERINGS USE ZOOM, USE
FACEBOOK.
WE HEAR A LOT OF ACCOLADES AND
KUDOS TOWARDS HEALTH CARE
WORKERS.
IF YOU WANT TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS THIS
YEAR, STAY HOME FOR
THANKSGIVING.
WEAR YOUR MASK, STAY SOCIALLY
DISTANCED.
WE CAN’T HAVE THANKSGIVING LIKE
WE DID LAST YEAR.
>> AND DR. GONZALEZ-AYALA, ARE
YOU THINKING THE SAME THING?
SHOULD FOLKS JUST SKIP
THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR?
IS THERE ANY REASON TO HAVE IT?
>> WE’RE PLEADING WITH EVERYBODY
TO STAY HOME, TO DO THIS
REMOTELY, TO CONTINUE TO ISOLATE
AND AVOID GATHERINGS IN PERSON,
TO DO IT REMOTELY.
I HAVE PATIENTS CALLING IN FOR
FOLLOW-UPS IN MY OFFICE VIA
TELECONFERENCE AND THAT ARE
ASKING WHETHER THEY CAN GO AND
VISIT SOME RELATIVE ELSEWHERE.
I’M ASKING THEM TO STAY PUT, TO
SIT OUT THIS HOLIDAY SO THEY CAN
CELEBRATE THE NEXT ONE NEXT
YEAR.
>> THAT’S A GOOD SPOT TO LEAVE
IT.
DR. GONZALEZ-AYALA, DR. POTHOF,
TWO DOCTORS ON THE FRONT LINE OF
THIS THING.
TO DR. POTHOF’S POINT, I HADN’T
THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, WE TALK