WE'RE BACK WITH C.D.C. DIRECTOR DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY.
ONE OF THE THINGS -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS -- IS
OMICRON DOESN'T CARE IF YOU'VE HAD THIS BEFORE, LIKE IF YOU'VE
HAD DELTA OR THE ALPHA VARIANT OF THIS, IT DOESN'T OFFER YOU
IMMUNIZATION AGAINST THE OMICRON VARIANT.
DOES OMICRON -- DO WE KNOW IF OMICRON CARES WHETHER YOU'VE HAD
OMICRON BEFORE?
>> WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, WELL, IF IT'S LESS SEVERE, WHY
DON'T WE HAVE CHICKENPOX PARTIES AND WE'LL GET TOGETHER, HAVE A
KISSING BOOTH, EVERYBODY GETS OMICRON AND WE ALL DON'T GET
THAT SICK AND WE'RE ALL DONE.
YOU DON'T RECOMMEND THAT APPROACH?
( LAUGHTER ) >> I DEFINITELY DON'T.
WE KNOW IF YOU'RE VACCINATED, YOU'RE 17 TIMES LESS LIKELY TO
BE IN THE HOSPITAL THAN IF YOU'RE UNVACCINATED, AND IF
YOU'RE VACCINATED, YOU'RE 20 TIMES LESS LIKELY TO DIE THAN
UNVACCINATED.
WE KNOW SOME VACCINATIONS GIVE YOU SOME PROTECTION AGAINST
OMICRON.
BUT PROBABLY BEING PREVIOUSLY INFECTED FROM DELTA OR THE WILD
TYPE WON'T PROTECT YOU AGAINST OMICRON.
WE THINK OMICRON MIGHT PROTECT YOU AGAINST DELTA AND,
THEREFORE, SUGGESTS THAT OMICRON MAY PROTECT YOU AGAINST OMICRON.
SORRY.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THERE ARE A LOT OF
CONDITIONAL WORDS IN THERE -- MAY, KIND OF, SORT OF, IFFY --
OKAY.
THE BIG C.D.C. NEWS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE MONOLOGUE IS YOU'VE
GONE FROM RECOMMENDING A TEN DAY TO A FIVE-DAY ISOLATION.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WE KNOW BASED ON TWO YEARS' EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VIRUS THAT
THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOUR TRANSMISSIBILITY HAPPENS IN THE
DAY OR TWO BEFORE YOU GET SYMPTOMS AND THE TWO TO THREE
DAYS AFTERWARDS.
SO PROBABLY 80 TO 90% OF ALL YOUR TRANSMISSIBILITY HAS
HAPPENED DURING THOSE FIRST FIVE DAYS, AND WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE
TO BE SURE IF THEY'RE HOME, THEY'RE HOME FOR THE RIGHT
PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THEY'RE MAXIMALLY TRANSMISSIBLE.
>> Stephen: AND BY TRANSMISSIBILITY, DO YOU MEAN
THAT THE ACTUAL VIRUS IN YOU GOES TO SLEEP, OR YOU'RE JUST
NOT PRODUCING MUCH OF IT ANYMORE?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE TRANSMISSIBILITY GOES DOWN?
YOU STILL HAVE IT IN YOU.
>> THE BURDEN.
>> Stephen: THE AMOUNT.
THE AMOUNT OF VIRUS AND THE AMOUNT OF VIRUS THAT YOU COULD
POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, AEROSOLIZE, PUT OUT IN DROPLETS,
COUGH AROUND TO OTHERS.
SO MOST OF THAT HAPPENS IN THOSE FIRST TWO DAYS BEFORE YOU HAVE
SYMPTOMS AND TWO TO THREE DAYS AFTER.
SO, BY DAY FIVE, WE REALLY THINK MOST OF THAT TRANSMISSIBILITY IS
BEHIND YOU.
>> Stephen: IN THE U.K., THEY -- AGAIN, CORRECT ME IF I'M
WRONG -- BUT IN THE U.K., THEY WENT FROM TEN TO SEVEN DAYS, BUT
THEY ARE ALSO REQUIRING OR RECOMMENDING A NEGATIVE TEST
BEFORE CONSIDERING YOURSELF OUT OF QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION.
ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT HERE?
BECAUSE DR. FAUCI ON CNN AND ABC SUGGESTED THAT'S UNDER
CONSIDERATION.
IS HE TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH OVER THERE AND YOU
WOULD JUST LIKE TO TELL HIM TO PUT A CORK IN IT, TONY?
>> I'D NEVER SAY THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) DEEPEST RESPECT FOR DR. FAUCI.
>> Stephen: OBVIOUSLY, YES.
REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION -- THE F.D.A. HAS AUTHORIZED THESE
TESTS, AND THEY'RE TERRIFIC TESTS FOR WHAT THAT YOU'VE
AUTHORIZED THEM FOR.
SO THE F.D.A.'S AUTHORIZED THEM FOR DIAGNOSIS, AND WHAT THEY'VE
SAID FOR THE TESTS ARE THE BEST DIAGNOSIS FOR EARLY IN THE
DISEASE COURSE.
>> Stephen: THE RAPID ANTIGEN TEST?
>> EXACTLY.
SO IF YOU HAVE ACCESS AT A TEST AND WANT TO DO A TEST AT DAY
FIVE AND IF YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE GONE AND FEELING WELL, GO AHEAD
AND DO THAT TEST.
HERE'S HOW I WOULD INTERPRET THAT TEST -- IF IT'S POSITIVE,
STAY HOME FOR ANOTHER FIVE DAYS.
IF IT'S NEGATIVE, I WOULD SAY YOU STILL REALLY NEED TO WEAR A
MASK, YOU STILL MAY HAVE TRANSMISSIBILITY AHEAD OF YOU,
YOU STILL SHOULDN'T VISIT GRANDMA, SHOULDN'T GET ON AN
AIRPLANE AND SHOULD BE CAREFUL ABOUT BEING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
WHILE WEARING A MASK ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: IF I WERE TO GET COVID AND ISOLATED FOR FIVE
DAYS, WHEN COULD I COME BACK AND DO MY SHOW AGAIN?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY, ARE YOU FEELING BETTER?
>> Stephen: YES, LET'S SEE I'M FEELING BETTER.
>> YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE GONE.
>> Stephen: YES, AFTER FIVE DAYS.
>> THEN I WOULD SAY YOU WOULD WANT TO WEAR A MASK ALL THE
TIME.
>> Stephen: EVEN ON STAGE DURING THE MONOLOGUE?
>> EVEN ON STAGE DURING THE MONOLOGUE.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
>> TEN DAYS.
>> Stephen: TEN DAYS.
WELL, THERE YOU GO.
I GAVE IT A SHOT.
I'VE GOT NO PLANS, I JUST WANT TO KNOW NOW FROM THE HORSE'S
MOUTH.
WE WANT TO TAKE ONE MORE BREAK.
STICK AROUND.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I'LL ASK THE DOCTOR ABOUT RESTORING TRUST IN
THE C.D.C.