RIGHT NOW. >> OKAY. WE’RE JUST A FEW SECONDS AGO.
CASES ARE CLIMBING ONCE AGAIN.
THE RISK FACTOR HERE IN SAN
ANTONIO DEEMED WORSENING SO
SHE IS BACK. DOCTOR RUTH
BERGGREN. BUT THE LONG SCHOOL
OF MEDICINE AT UT HEALTH, SAN
ANTONIO, INFECTIOUS DISEASE
SPECIALIST. HAPPY TO HAVE YOU
HERE. EVEN THOUGH WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT CLIMBING COVID CASES.
SO WE KNOW THAT THERE’S THIS
NEW VARIANT OUT THERE BE A 5.
WHAT ARE WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE CHARACTER OF
CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS VERSION
OF COVID.
>> SO BA 5 IS A VARIATION OF
OMICRON. IT’S NOW MAKING OUT AT
LEAST 50% OF ALL THE COVID
CASES IN THE UNITED WHAT
HAPPENED IS THE VIRUS HAS
ACCUMULATED MORE MUTATIONS IN
THE SPIKE PROTEIN IS AT LEAST
30 DIFFERENT MUTATIONS. THESE
MUTATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THIS
IS HOW VIRUSES EVOLVE AND WHAT
THEY’RE DOING IS THEY’RE MAKING
THE VIRUS MORE INFECTIOUS.
BUT ALSO LUCKILY FOR US, THEY
DON’T SEEM TO BE MAKING THIS
VIRUS MORE LETHAL. SO WE’RE
SEEING A LOT MORE INFECTIONS.
THERE’S A REAL SURGE GOING ON.
AND WHILE HOSPITALIZATION RATES
ARE SLOWLY GOING UP, WE’RE NOT
BEING OVERWHELMED BY
HOSPITALIZATIONS BECAUSE THE
DISEASE SEEMS TO BE MILDER.
>> WHAT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
FOR VARIATIONS GOING DO WE FEAR
THAT AT SOME POINT IT DOES
BECOME MORE DEADLY OR LETHAL?
ARE THEY JUST GOING CONTINUE
TRYING TO THE OF AIDING OUR
VACCINES?
>> ALL RIGHT. WELL, THE WAY
THAT NATURAL SELECTION WORKS
IS THAT AS LONG AS VIRUSES ARE
REPLICATING, THEY’RE ALWAYS
GOING TO THE SELECTING FOR THE
MORE ADVANTAGEOUS MUTATIONS,
WHICH MEANS THAT ANY MUTATION
THAT MAKES THE MORE INFECTIOUS
THAT MUTATIONS GOING TO STICK,
BUT NOT NECESSARILY TRUE FOR
ME. FALLETTI NOT EVERY SET OF
MUTATIONS IS GOING TO MAKE
SOMETHING MORE LETHAL, BUT IT
COULD HAPPEN. AND SO WE DON’T
WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
AND AS LONG AS THE VIRUS IS
REPLICATING A LOT, LOTS OF
CASES ARE HAPPENING. THEN WE
RUN THE RISK OF WORSE MUTATIONS
COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.
SO WE HAVE A REAL VESTED
INTEREST IN TRYING TO PUT THE
BRAKES ON THIS PANDEMIC.
AND IT’S THE STUFF WE’VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT SINCE THE
BEGINNING, RIGHT? AND IT
REALLY, REALLY IS TIME TO PUT
THE MASKS BACK ON IN SAN
ANTONIO AND BY THIS. I MEAN, IF
YOU ARE IN INDOOR PUBLIC PLACE,
KNOW IF YOU’RE 2 YEARS OLD OR
OLDER, YOU SHOULD HAVE A REALLY
GOOD WELL-FITTED MASK ON AT A
MINIMUM. ONE OF THOSE SURGICAL
MASKS. WELL, IDEALLY A KN 95 OR
N 95 MASK WHEN YOU’RE IN
PUBLIC. AND IF YOU’RE NOT IN
PUBLIC, YOU SHOULD ALSO
CONSIDER MASKING IF YOU’RE
TAKING CARE. A FAMILY MEMBER
WHO HAS COVID AND THAT PERSON
SHOULD BE MASK WHEN YOU’RE
AROUND YOU AS WELL. SO THAT ALL
THESE MEASURES THAT WE’VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT IN THE PAST, THEY
APPLY NOW AND YOU JUST DON’T
WANT TO GET A COVID INFECTION.
YOU’RE NOT LIKELY TO DIE FROM
THIS BA 5 VARIANT. HOWEVER, YOU
CAN GET LONG COVID FROM IT.
AND THERE’S A LOT OF
CONSEQUENCES TO LONG COVID THAT
WE’RE JUST BEGINNING TO UNPACK.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT BOOSTERS
BECAUSE IT’S YOU KNOW, IT’S
BEEN A MINUTE SINCE A LOT OF
PEOPLE GOT THEIR LATEST
BOOSTER. SO WHAT IS THE
GUIDANCE CURRENTLY ON WHEN WE
MAY NEED ANOTHER ROUND?
OKAY. SO
>> THAT DATA FROM BEXAR COUNTY
ARE SHOWING US THAT WHILE WE
HAVE A ALMOST A MILLION AND A
HALF PEOPLE THAT ARE FULLY
VACCINATED, WE HAVE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT HAVEN’T GOTTEN TO
STICK AND SO IF YOU HAVE NOT
HAD A BOOSTER SHOT, NEW 3RD
SHOT, YOU SHOULD GO OUT AND GET
ONE. NOW IS THE TIME IT’S GOING
TO RAISE YOUR ANTIBODY LEVELS.
THOSE ANTIBODY LEVELS WILL
REDUCE YOUR RISK OF HAVING A
SYMPTOMATIC INFECTION AND WILL
GREATLY REDUCE YOUR RISK OF
HAVING TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL
NOW WHO SHOULD GET A BOOSTER BE
ON THAT 3RD DOSE, IT WOULD BE
ANYBODY OVER THE AGE OF 8.
SO THERE’S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT
THAT ARE ELIGIBLE RIGHT NOW
TODAY TO GET A 4TH DOSE OF THE
EXISTING COVID VACCINE TO
PROTECT THEMSELVES BETTER THIS
THIS IT COULD BE NO BETTER TIME
THAN RIGHT NOW DURING THIS
SURGE TO GO GET YOUR FORTE
SHOCK. SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
ASKING ME ABOUT ELDERLY FOLKS,
THE 88 YEAR-OLD AND SO IN OUR
COMMUNITY THAT MAYBE GOT THEIR
4TH DOSE QUITE A LONG TIME AGO.
AND NEWS SINCE IT’S BEEN 6
MONTHS SINCE THEY HAD THAT
DOSE, SHOULD THEY GO RUN OUT
AND GET ANOTHER ONE? WE DON’T
HAVE GUIDANCE FOR THAT AT THIS
TIME. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO
HEARING SOMETHING IN FALL ABOUT
AN OMICRON SPECIFIC BOOSTER
AND EVERYBODY SHOULD PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO THAT AND GET OUT
THERE AND GET IN LINE FOR THAT
ONE. AS SOON AS IT BECOMES
AVAILABLE TO US, WE HAVEN’T
HEARD ANYTHING JUST YET.
BUT WE DO THINK THAT THIS IS IN
THE PIPELINE AND THEN THERE’S
THE LITTLE KIDS. YOU WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THEM. YOU DON’T NEED
US HERE. YOU DON’T NEED US HERE
AT ALL. YOUR SHOW NOW WE WE
ABSOLUTELY WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE
SPECTRUM. NOW WE KNOW THAT KIDS
6 MONTHS AND UP CAN NOW GET
VACCINATED. AND OF COURSE,
>> PARENTS HAVE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS. STILL HAVE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. SO WHAT
HAVE WE SEEN WITH THOSE
YOUNGSTERS WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED SO FAR, RIGHT.
SO I WAS JUST READING RECENTLY
THAT OVER 300,000 LITTLE KIDS,
6 MONTHS AND UP.
>> UNDER THE AGE OF 5 HAVE HAD
TO COVID VACCINE AND WE’RE NOT
SEEING ANY DANGER SIGNALS.
SO THIS PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL GOOD
ABOUT THAT. IF YOU’VE BEEN
HESITATING, IF YOU’VE BEEN ON
THE FENCE AS A PARENT ABOUT
WHETHER YEAR CHILD WHO’S UNDER
5 YEARS OLD SHOULD REALLY,
REALLY BENEFIT FROM THE
VACCINE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT
WE’RE NOT SEEING ANY DANGER
SIGNALS OR THAT THIS VACCINE IN
THAT AGE GROUP. AND WE HAVE
REASON TO BELIEVE THAT AS OUR
DAY TO GET BIGGER AS WE GET
MORE NUMBERS THAT WE’RE GOING
TO START TO SEE SIMILAR
PROTECTIVE EFFECTS AS WE’VE
SEEN IN OLDER PEOPLE WITH
RESPECT TO PROTECTING THE
LITTLE KIDS, ESPECIALLY THE
HIGH RISK ONES FROM GETTING A
SERIOUS INFECTION FOR GETTING
COMPLICATIONS
LIKE CROUP OR FROM PROTECTION
FROM NEEDING TO GO TO THE
HOSPITAL. SO THE PEDIATRICIANS
THAT I WORK WITH ARE GETTING
APPOINTMENTS TO HAVE THEIR OWN
UNDER 5 YEAR-OLDS VACCINATED.
IT’S A LOT OF PARENTS, I’M SURE
WITH SCHOOL JUST AROUND THE
CORNER. BELIEVE IT OR NOT
THINKING ABOUT THE TIMETABLE
THERE.
>> A REMINDER IT’S 3 SHOTS FOR
THE LITTLE KIDS. SO KEEP THAT.
KEEP THAT IN MIND. YEAH, I
RECOMMEND THAT YOU DON’T WAIT
UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE BEFORE
SCHOOL STARTS TO RUN OUT AND
GET THE BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO
NEED TO GET THAT SERIES.
AND THERE’S WEEKS IN BETWEEN
EACH SHOT.
>> SO IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET
COMPLETELY PROTECTED. SO THE
SOONER YOU START THE BETTER OFF
YOU ARE.
>> SOME OF US MAY WAIT FOR
SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND HAIR CUTS
AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT MAYBE
WITH ALL THESE VACCINES
AVAILABLE TO US. THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
WHAT IS THE TIMELINE NOW FOR
QUARANTINE? WE’VE BEEN TO THE
PANDEMIC FOR SO LONG. IT’S
CAUSED THE CHANGE. WELL, WE
AT NOW.
>> QUARANTINE AND JUST TO
REMIND EVERYBODY WHAT WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT QUARANTINE IS
WHEN YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED.
BUT YOU’RE NOT SICK. IF YOU’RE
SICK, THEN YOU ISOLATE. SO IF
YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE
VIRUS, YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY
HOME. BUT YOU DO HAVE TO WEAR A
MASK FOR 10 DAYS. A GOOD MASK
AND YOU HAVE TO MONITOR YOUR
SYMPTOMS IF YOU DON’T GET ANY
SYMPTOMS, YOU CAN GET A TEST
AT DAY 6 AND DON’T GET IT
BEFORE DAY 6 BECAUSE IT WON’T
BE AS ACCURATE. AND OF COURSE,
IF YOU DO DEVELOP SYMPTOMS
WHILE YOU’RE MONITORING
YOURSELF, YOU SHOULD THEN STAY
HOME AND THEN SEEK A TEST AND
YOU CAN DO A RAPID AT-HOME
RAPID ANTIGEN TEST. OR YOU CAN
GO AND GET A PCR TEST AT ONE OF
OUR SEVERAL FREE TEST SITES
THAT ARE IN THE CITY NOW, DON’T
JUST SIT AROUND IF YOU HAVE A
DIAGNOSIS OF COVID-19, IF YOUR
TEST IS POSITIVE, NEED
TREATMENT. AND HERE’S A NEW
DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU MAY NOT
BE AWARE OF.
THERE HAS IT HAS NOW BEEN RULED
THAT PHARMACISTS ARE ALLOWED
TO PRESCRIBE THE OUTPATIENT
MEDICATION. PAXLOVID 15 RIGHT?
YEAH. SO WE DO HAVE TO THE THE
PHARMACIST EVIDENCE THAT YOU
DON’T HAVE SERIOUS KIDNEY OR
LIVER DISEASE. THAT MEANS BRING
YOUR MOST RECENT LAB TESTS AND
SHOW THE PHARMACIST. BUT THEY
WILL LOOK AT THAT. THEY’LL LOOK
AT YOUR OTHER MEDICINES AND
MAKE SURE THERE’S NO DANGEROUS
DRUG DRUG INTERACTIONS AND THEY
CAN PRESCRIBE PAXLOVID. NOW
IT’S SO GOOD TO KNOW.
>> DOCTOR RUTH BERGGREN, I’M
SORRY. WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME
AND YOU WERE ALWAYS SO FULL
OF INFORMATION. BUT I KNOW THIS
IS NOT THE LAST TIME YOU WILL