Let's jump into our 2nd guest right away.
Here, Doctor David Winter,
the medical officer for Baylor,
Scott and White and Doctor. Winner.
Thank you again for being with us.
I know you've been on the
program with us here many times.
I want to ask you as we start
off here what the most important
thing for people at home to know
right now about COVID-19 now that
we are two full years into the
pandemic and going into a third.
Well, indeed, and we're seeing
this surge start to come down,
but I want to emphasize that hospital
census and better socks cotton white
hospitals around the state it's come down,
but it's still high.
We are able to do elective cases.
That's good, but here's what
people find surprising.
If you look at folks admitted
with serious illness,
because if COVID,
they're hospitalized with COVID.
The average age is 42.
Jason and most all those
folks are not vaccinated,
so clearly the vaccines are making a
difference is whether you're going
to get sick and go in the hospital.
Or not,
yeah. So and that's something that it
seems like we've been seeing throughout
the pandemic ever since vaccines have been
available that most of the hospitalizations
and certainly the deaths as well,
are among the unvaccinated Dr winner.
I want to ask you this,
because we've been getting
some questions from people we,
you know, we've asked people to
text in their questions.
Several people have asked about masks.
You know, if they're fully vaccinated,
do they still need to wear a mask?
Right now?
I think that a lot of people are
hearing that things are getting
better and and they're just not quite
sure what to continue doing there.
Well, it's an important question
now because mask clearly work.
Last year I saw no case of influenza.
Very few cases of COVID and folks
who are masking significantly and
no influenza or cold viruses.
All that seem to go away so they do work.
How bad doing to have them right now?
If you're vaccinated at a high risk area,
it's probably still a good idea.
We talk about what kind of masks to use.
Well, they've talked about the
fact very clearly in the country
that the N 95 and the K-95.
For the best mask or the mask
also work but not as well.
Some of those I say just double up if you're
worried about that at a high risk area.
So masks are still important right now.
If you're with your family,
everybody been vaccinated,
and then you're probably OK if you have
older parents or grandparents who have
immunocompromised states who are frail,
I'd be careful about them.
You might want to mask and have them mask
around you also, so masks still work.
Hopefully we get to.
We don't have to wear them as much
as we do right now, but may I ask,
are still an important part
of it limiting the spread?
Of this coronavirus,
yeah, just to be clear,
none of us likes to wear them and and we
do know that there's been a lot of burnout.
A lot of people are tired of
wearing those masks, but as you say,
they're doctor winter.
It still has efficacy in some ways,
and and it is something that we should
still be considering in our daily routines.
What are you seeing right now
as far as people coming in
needing treatment for COVID?
Yeah, now I have a lot of patients who have
had or had COVID the last couple of months.
Jason, they've all been vaccinated.
And for these folks,
almost all those folks have two,
three or 40 illness of head congestion.
Cough, little fatigue didn't get well,
so it's a minor illness there.
And these folks actually can
stay home and do very, very well.
We do have some new treatments out though,
for the folks that are
frail or immunocompromised.
Unfortunately,
we have a new monoclonal antibody that works,
so Trove Emanuel.
Hear more about that from
one of our researchers later.
We've got 2 pills out that work now.
Unfortunately,
all of these new treatments are in very,
very short supply now.
So if you're frail immunocompromised,
vulnerable to this virus,
I'd be careful.
But the vast majority of
folks have mild illnesses and
case can stay home with that.
Any any closing thoughts before
we move on here? Doctor winter.
I know that you've, you know,
been on the program with as many times here,
and it seems like we always, you know,
get smarter after you've been here.
Well, a recent report came out.
I do want to emphasize Jason that
says that if you've been fully
vaccinated and you come down with
a serious illness with COVID that
you're 14 times less likely to die.
This is what we're looking
at the desk right now.
And if you're vaccinated and boosted
your 97 times less likely to die.
So I just want to emphasize
the fact that for many folks,
it's a mild illness, but some folks out
there are still dying of this today,
and we can prevent that
by distancing masking.
Washing your hands.
Those things still work.
Jason,
well, there's there's some
extraordinary numbers.
A little Birdy told me.
It's your birthday today.
So happy birthday and thank you
for taking time out of the special
day today to help inform us all.
Thank you Jason.