As expected, the CDC unveiled
its updated COVID-19 guidance.
If you've been exposed to the virus,
you no longer need to quarantine,
regardless of your vaccination status.
You also don't need to stay at
least six feet away from others.
Now, for schools,
this new guidance ends the so-called
test to stay recommendation,
where students who have been
exposed test negative regularly
in order to remain in class.
The CDC says high vaccination rates and the
sheer number of people who've already gotten.
COVID are really the reason for this change.
Let's bring in our medical expert
Doctor David Winter from Baylor.
Scott and White health doctor winter.
It is good to see you OK,
so let's talk about this new
guidance and I do want to be clear
they're talking here about exposure,
not testing positive for COVID
that's true. They they actually point out
the fact that they're relaxing some of the
recommendations because of, as you mentioned,
higher immunity in this country.
A lot of folks have had vaccines.
A lot of folks have had COVID before,
and that helps. Also, they point out
we got better treatments right now.
So if you do get sick,
we have things that can help
keep you out of the hospital.
So I think it's a good idea now.
They also emphasize the fact that
these relaxed standards occur if
you're not in a high risk area,
and if you are healthy,
the underlying medical conditions
or some immunological.
Problems then, no,
that doesn't apply to you right now,
so it's nice to see this,
but it'll still have individual
judgments for all of us as we get back
to quote the I guess a new normal.
Yeah, and I think that's a
really important distinction to
make doctor Winter, so the CDC
emphasized a good treatment options.
What exactly are they referring to?
Because we've heard about a
lot of different options.
And there are a lot out there.
There's two different pills that
are out right now that work pretty
darn well if you start them early.
You've heard a lot about PAX livid.
There's another monoclonal
antibody pill this out.
There's also some antiviral
infusions at work.
Well, they have to go to an infusion center,
urgent care center to get those,
but those work also.
So we have some other options right now.
Unfortunately,
this particular variant is highly contagious.
We keep talking about that,
but we're not seeing the deaths
we had early on.
So if you're healthy,
you can get out a little bit more now.
It seems there are good.
Treatment options yes,
this darn immune evasive thing.
We got lingering around.
OK yesterday it was mentioned
that COVID is here to stay.
I mean, I think we all sort of
knew that it's not just going
to disappear once it's here.
That's how it works, right?
Yeah, I think that's right.
I compare this to influenza.
We got used to that a long time ago.
The influenza virus mutates every year.
We have new vaccines every year
and that works pretty well.
I think it will be the same also with COVID.
I want to switch gears,
doctor Winter and talk about
monkey pox because we're still
hearing a lot about cases rising.
Is that the case here in
Texas and across the country?
What are we seeing?
Yes indeed Sony.
We talked last week there were about
6000 cases of monkeypox in this country.
It's up to almost 10,000 this week.
Last week we said that 25% of all
the cases of monkeypox in the
world were here in this country.
It's up to 30%.
So monkey pox cases are increasing
and they're increasing faster
in America than anywhere else
in the world right now.
So I'm not sure if you've
treated anyone with monkey pox,
but with these vaccines in short supply,
it was announced that the Vaccine
administration is going to change,
and that those.
Exposed will only get a partial
dose like 1/5 of the dose,
so is that going to work and what?
How are you advising people who are
nervous and worried about this,
especially in communities where
there's high transmission?
Yeah, it's a big problem.
We don't have enough vaccines right now.
We're told that in a couple of
months we should have plenty,
but in the meantime we
need more more vaccines,
and So what they're doing is we're
giving 1/5 of the dose in a different
technique where they injected right
under the skin as opposed to in the
muscle and with other vaccines.
That does seem to work.
You have some kind of higher
immune response under the skin
rather than the muscle,
so it just might work,
and it may be our only option
right now because there's just
not enough vaccines out there.
Doctor Winter as people.
Are struggling with monkey pox.
I mean this is I've heard very,
I mean incredibly painful.
What can you offer for
people who are in isolation?
They're struggling with this
pain and and it's like days
and weeks of the same for them.
Yeah, you're right.
He can last up to two to three weeks
and it can be very, very painful.
Fortunately, let me emphasize the death
rate is extremely low prior pandemics.
It could be 5 or 10%.
We're not seeing that now.
This is like less than 1%.
In the meantime,
it can be very uncomfortable,
so some people just need
plain pain medications,
anti-inflammatory medications,
Advil, Aleve, Tylenol.
Those seem to work well.
Soothing lotions on the on,
the skin lesions,
or blisters that come out that
can help some if you get it you
want to talk to your doctor.
The first see if you can get a vaccine,
or rather, the antiviral medication,
and then see if you can have some
way you can treat these locally,
because they can be very,
very painful.
OK doctor winter. Thanks for
your time today. Appreciate it.