[COVID-19 Update Virtual News Conference]
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I'M LASHONDRA SHAW PIO FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I AM THE MODERATOR FOR TODAY'S MEDIA AVAILABILITY.
SPANISH INTERPRETATION IS AVAILABLE ON ATX N THREE.
MEDICAL OPINION MAY NOT BE POPULAR OPINION, BUT I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE LAST TIME WE WERE IN STAGE FOUR WAS FEBRUARY, 2021.
WE DID NOT HAVE WIDESPREAD VACCINATIONS.
SO WE HAD TO RELY ON PROVEN PREVENTION METHODS TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 MASKING DISTANCING, AND HAND-WASHING AS TIME PASSED, WE RELAXED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS MORE OF THE COMMUNITY WAS VACCINATED AND LESS OF OUR LOVED ONES WERE HOSPITALIZED.
AND WE SAW FEWER DEATHS AND CASE COUNTS DECREASED, BUT WE HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE FOR THE GOOD TIMES.
AND THE BAD TIMES IN JUST FIVE MONTHS, WE HAVE EVIDENCED FOUR NEW VARIANTS OF THIS VIRUS.
AND THE LAST WEEK'S DATA SHOWS THAT THE DELTA VARIANT IS MORE SEVERE AND DEADLY THAN ITS PREDECESSORS.
ONE BIG AND CONCERNING DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE ARE NOW SEEING YOUNGER PEOPLE IN OUR HOSPITALS.
AND MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE TO ELABORATE ON THEIR EXPERIENCES.
NEW CASE HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS OF COVID HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE NOW HAVE A SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF ADMISSIONS OF 34 PER DAY, AND THAT HAS CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF 30 THAT WE ARE USING AS OUR MOVED TO STAGE FOUR SINCE JULY 4TH, THE SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE ON OF HOSPITALIZATIONS HAS INCREASED BY 203%.
SO IN ON JULY 4TH, WE HAD 63 ADMISSIONS DAILY.
AND AS OF YESTERDAY, WE'VE HAD 191 DAILY IN LESS THAN 20 DAYS.
THE NUMBER OF COVID PATIENTS BEING CARED FOR IN OUR LOCALIZED ICU'S HAS INCREASED NEARLY 402, SORRY, 242% RISING FROM 24 PATIENTS.
AND I SEE YOU ON JULY 4TH, UM, TO NOW, UH, 42 PATIENTS IN ICU AND, AND THAT 82 PATIENTS IN ICU.
AND THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE INCREASE THAT OUR HOSPITAL IS GOING TO BE STRAINED BY.
OUR HOSPITALS ARE GOING TO BE STRAINED BY THESE ALARMING NUMBERS PLACE US OFFICIALLY IN STAGE FOUR ON OUR RISK-BASED CHART, LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER MOVING FROM STAGE THREE, WE ARE ASKING AUSTINITES AND, AND, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY TO TAKE ACTION.
WE RECOMMEND AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF PROTECTION, EVEN IF YOU'RE FULLY VACCINATED, WEAR A MASK AT GATHERINGS, SHOPPING, DINING AND TRAVELING.
THIS IS TO PROTECT OTHERS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO CAN'T GET VACCINATED.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE PARTIALLY VACCINATED OR UNVACCINATED, WE NEED TO ASK MORE OF YOU AVOID GATHERINGS, EXCEPT IF ESSENTIAL, IF YOU GO OUT, WEAR A MASK AND PLAYS VACCINATED.
WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE THEY WORKED LAST SCHOOL YEAR TO KEEP INFECTION RATES DOWN IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, MUCH SLOWER THAN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
IN FACT, PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO INSIST THAT THEIR CHILD WEAR A MASK.
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IN SCHOOL, IF YOU TELL AN AUSTIN ISD THAT YOUR CHILD SHOULD WEAR A MASK WOMEN'S SCHOOL, AUSTIN ISD, WE'LL MAKE SURE OF THAT.AND YOUR CHILD WILL HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR IN PERSON.
WE ARE ALL FEELING FATIGUED, INCLUDING THOSE OF US IN HEALTHCARE.
I HAVE INVITED MY COLLEAGUES TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND HELP EVERYONE UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO TAKE AND MAKE THESE MEDICAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
METZKER TO SAY A FEW WORDS THAT I WANT TO SAY IN CLOSING THE WAY OUT OF THIS IS TO TEST ISOLATE YOURSELF IF YOU'RE POSITIVE, WEAR A MASK, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GET VACCINATED.
BRIAN METZKER, I'M AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR HERE IN AUSTIN, UM, AND THE DIRECTOR OF IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE WITH ST.
UM, AND I WANT TO START WITH TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ADULTS OF VARIANTS SINCE THAT IS LARGELY WHAT HAS, UH, CHANGED THE GAME HERE LOCALLY AND, UH, REALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, WITH THESE VIRUSES, THEY CONTINUE TO MUTATE AND CREATE NEW VARIANTS.
WELL, THIS DELTA VARIANT IS ABOUT 50% MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN THE ALPHA VARIAN FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM.
THAT WAS 50% MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN THE ORIGINAL, UH, COVID-19 STRAIN, UM, THE ABILITY TO REPLICATE AND CAUSE THESE MUTANTS THAT THE REASON THAT HAPPENS IS BECAUSE THE VIRUS IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, UH, TO TRANSMIT FOLKS AND REPLICATE.
UM, AND IN THE CASE IN THIS COUNTRY, IT'S, UH, LARGELY DUE TO, UM, UH, LOWER RATES OF VACCINATION.
AND THEN WE'D LIKE TO SEE, WE KNOW THAT VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING, UH, NOT ONLY SYMPTOMATIC COVID-19, BUT ALSO ESPECIALLY SEVERE DISEASE THAT CAUSES YOU TO LAND IN THE HOSPITAL.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT WEARING A MASK, UH, AS DR.
WACHS HAD POINTED OUT, UH, CAN HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 TO OTHERS IN YOUR FAMILY AND IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
UM, ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON WAS, UH, HOW MUCH THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THIS INFECTION HAVE CHANGED, UH, IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR.
UM, WE WERE MOSTLY SEEING PATIENTS OVER 60 YEARS OLD, UM, IN OUR ICU AND OUR, IN OUR HOSPITALS, UM, THAT HAS CHANGED, UH, QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, WE'RE SEEING THE PANDEMIC REALLY TAKE A TOLL ON YOUNGER PEOPLE.
UM, UH, LAST WEEK, IN FACT, ABOUT HALF OF THE PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED WITH SEVERE ILLNESS FROM COVID-19 WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 60 WITH ABOUT 12% OF THOSE PATIENTS BEING UNDER THE AGE OF 30.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO RELAY WHAT I'M SEEING IN MY IC RIGHT NOW.
AND I WROTE DOWN THE AGES OF, WITH PATIENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE ICU AND AT THE ONE HOSPITAL THAT I'M AT AT ST DAVID'S MEDICAL CENTER, AND NINE PATIENTS ARE IN THE ICU THERE.
AND SEVEN OF THEM ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 50, UM, WITH, UH, THREE OF THEM UNDER THE AGE OF 14.
SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, 30 AND 40 YEAR OLDS, UM, UNFORTUNATELY IN THE ICU, UH, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PRETTY DEVASTATING TO US, UH, TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S SOMETHING, UH, PREVENTABLE.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HOSPITALIZED ARE UN-VACCINATED, UM, GENERALLY LESS THAN 10% OF THE PATIENTS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE HOSPITAL AND COVID-19 ARE VACCINATED.
UM, AND THEN THE VACCINATED MAKEUP, UH, 60 TO 70% OF ADULTS IN OUR AREA.
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UH, 90% OF THE CASES ARE COMING FROM APPROXIMATELY 30% OF THE POPULATION.SO YOU CAN SEE THAT DISPARITY AND HOW MUCH THESE VACCINES WORK, IF, UM, IF YOU WERE TO RECEIVE ONE, UM, IT'S NOW EASIER THAN EVER TO GET A VACCINE, UH, THEY'RE FREE.
YOU DON'T NEED, UM, IDENTIFICATION TO, TO GET ONE.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET VACCINATED, TO PROTECT YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO PROTECT THOSE THAT ARE STILL UNVACCINATED, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, 12 AND UNDER, AND ALSO, UM, PERSONS THAT ARE, UH, IMMUNOSUPPRESSED, YOU KNOW, COULD BE ON CHEMOTHERAPY.
IT COULD BE, UH, SOMEONE WITH, UM, ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION ON IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE MEDICATIONS, UM, WHO THE VACCINE DOESN'T WORK QUITE AS WELL.
AND SO WE NEED THAT HERD IMMUNITY.
WE NEED TO ALL PROTECT EACH OTHER.
UM, SO HOW DO WE DO THAT IN THE, IN THE SHORT TERM, IT NEEDS TO BE WEARING MASKS, UM, ESPECIALLY IN INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT IN OUR HOUSEHOLD.
UM, AND WE NEED TO, UH, GET VACCINATED.
UH, WE NEED TO INCREASE THOSE RATES OF VACCINATION SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT HERD IMMUNITY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M THE EXIT JUST DISEASED PHYSICIAN AT THE DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL.
AND I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, VACCINE AND THE VACCINE HESITANCY THAT WE'RE SEEING.
VAN SKIRT DID A VERY GOOD JOB AND REALLY DESCRIBING THAT PATIENTS ARE GETTING VERY SICK, BUT OVER 90% OF THE PATIENTS THAT ARE IN THE ICU AND VERY SICK WITH COVID ARE PATIENTS THAT WERE NOT VACCINATED.
AND I THINK THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, IT IS TRUE THAT WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME ZIP CODES IN AUSTIN WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE VACCINATED, BUT THERE'S MANY AREAS WHERE THE VACCINE RATES ARE LOWER.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE WHY PATIENTS DON'T GET VACCINATED.
AND, AND I REALLY SIT DOWN AND TALK TO MY PATIENTS AND ASK THEM, THERE ARE PATIENTS THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY.
THEY FEEL THAT THIS VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED VERY RAPIDLY, AND IT REALLY WAS, THERE WERE OVER 50 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND MANY, MANY YEARS DEVELOPING THIS TECHNOLOGY AND LOTS OF HISTORY OF THE VACCINE SAFETY AND THIS VACCINE IS VERY SAFE.
UM, SO WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE THE VACCINE, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY CAUSING A VERY LARGE PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, UM, I'M GOING TO SAY THIS IN SPANISH AS WELL.
UM, I WANT TO JUST GIVE MY PERSONAL STORY.
I REALLY HAVE LOOKED AT ALL THE STUDIES AND I RAPIDLY, I, I VACCINATED MYSELF AND THEN AS SOON AS I COULD, I VACCINATED MY CHILDREN.
UM, AND I REALLY DID THAT WITH TRUST THAT THE VACCINE IS VERY SAFE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK TO YOUR FAMILY, TALK TO, AS A PHYSICIAN, TALK TO YOUR PATIENTS, UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS, RESPECT THEIR CONCERNS, AND GIVE THEM ALL THE EDUCATION THAT'S NECESSARY SO THAT THEY BECOME VACCINATED.
I, UM, THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
I'M THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AT DELL CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER.
I'M A PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIST AS, UH, IN MY TRAINING, UH, AS A DR.
DOUGLAS HAVE STATED THE NUMBER OF COVID 19 CASES HAS GONE BACK ON THE RISE AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS
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OF DECLINE.UH, WE CONTINUE TO ALSO SEE THE ILLNESS INCREASING IN KIDS.
THE, THOSE SEVERE ILLNESS REMAINS RARE.
WE ARE SEEING, UH, CHILDREN GETTING INFECTED, GETTING SICK AND SPREADING THE INFECTION TO OTHERS.
WE AS PEDIATRICIANS, AS WELL AS FAMILY, PHYSICIAN LEADERS, ACROSS ASCENSION AND CENTRAL TEXAS SUPPORT THE CDC GUIDANCE THAT THE COVID 19 VACCINE IS VERY SAFE, IT'S EFFECTIVE, AND IT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO EVERYONE WHO'S ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE.
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS HAS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL CHILDREN OVER THE AGE OF TWO, UH, CONTINUE TO WEAR THE MASK, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE RETURNING BACK TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR, REGARDLESS OF THE VACCINATION STATUS.
SO WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND MASKING FOR ALL SCHOOL STAFF, AS WELL AS STUDENTS FOR THE AGE OF TWO, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WITH A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM WEARING THE MASK, UH, WITH SCHOOL, UH, SOON, RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
IT'S VERY CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS CAN NEED TO WEAR A MASK AT SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE CHILDREN ARE MARKET ELIGIBLE FOR COVID VACCINES.
UM, UH, PFIZER IS APPROVED FOR TEENS WHO ARE, UH, OR THE AGE OF 12.
SO IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR 12 AND ABOUT, AND THE VACCINE LIKE BOTH DR.
DOUGLAS AND DOCUMENTS AS STATED THEY'RE FREE AND IT'S EASILY AVAILABLE.
AND WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND EVERYONE ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE.
UH, THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE VACCINE FOR A CHILD.
HOW WAS IT DIFFERENT FROM AN ADULT? UH, THERE ARE VERY SHARP TERM EFFECTS.
THE CHILD MAY EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY GET THE VACCINE, WHICH IS VERY, VERY NORMAL.
THEY MAY HAVE A HEADACHE, UH, SOME ACHES AND PAINS AT THE SITE OF THE INJECTION.
UH, BUT THESE ARE VERY, VERY SHORT DURATION AND THEY GET RESOLVED AND IT'S NATURAL AND NORMAL TO HAVE THESE EFFECTS.
UH, I HAVE MYSELF RECEIVED THE VACCINE AND, UH, AFTER SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH AND READING ABOUT THE VACCINE AND AS IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE AND SAFE, I HAVE GIVEN BOTH MY FAMILY MEMBERS AND MY KIDS.
SO EVERYONE PLAYS A VERY CRITICAL ROLE IN KEEPING US SAFE AND SPREADING THIS VIRUS.
SO THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY IS TO CONTINUE TO MASK HAND HYGIENE, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND GETTING YOUR VACCINE.
UH, I'M A DOCTOR THAT I GUESS SAN SOLOMON, I'M THE ASSOCIATE CMO WITH THE BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE HEALTH, UH, GREATER AUSTIN REGION.
I WANT TO THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS CALL AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY WHO PUT THIS CONFERENCE CALL TOGETHER.
I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE ON THE MISINFORMATION, AND I WILL START BY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST, UM, 13 TO 18 MONTHS SINCE THE COVID PANDEMIC HAD STARTED, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.
AND THE MISINFORMATION BY ITSELF IS A MEDICAL AS WELL AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
THIS MISINFORMATION HAS LED TO HUNDREDS OF DEATHS, HUNDREDS OF UNNECESSARY DEATHS.
THESE PEOPLE ARE PARENTS, CHILDREN, FATHERS, NEIGHBORS.
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN WITH US TODAY.
THIS IS UNNECESSARY PREVENTABLE DEATH THAT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE MISINFORMATION.
AND THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS MISINFORMATION IS TO REALLY TALK WITH YOUR DOCTORS.
I HAVE FEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED TO THINK OF THESE THREE ELEMENTS.
WHEN YOU'RE THINKING OF YOUR VACCINE, NUMBER ONE, TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, YOUR DOCTOR KNOWS YOU AND KNOWS YOUR MEDICAL ILLNESS.
THERE WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION BASED ON KNOWLEDGE, BASED ON INFORMATION BASED ON RESEARCH LAST YEAR.
YES, WE ADMIT WE DID NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS VACCINE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE KNOW A LOT.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUDIES THAT CAN GIVE US INFORMATION.
NUMBER TWO, I DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU HIGHLY DISENGAGE THE INFORMATION FROM THE EMOTIONS WE ARE HUMANS, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTIONS THAT CAN SOMETIMES DRIVE YOUR DECISION TO BALANCE YOUR THINKING WITH YOUR FEELING ABOUT INFORMATION.
NUMBER THREE, WHEN YOU HEAR INFORMATION, TRY TO THINK OF THE BIG PICTURE.
TRY TO THINK OF MORE THAN JUST ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION AND TO ILLUSTRATE THIS THIRD POINT, I WANT TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE THAT WAS SHARED AT ALL OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS, NOT TAKING THE VACCINE IS VERY SIMILAR TO YOUR DECISION OF JUMPING OFF A PLANE AND DECIDING
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THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO OPEN THE PARACHUTE BECAUSE YOU'RE WORRIED THE PARACHUTE IS GOING TO TANGLE WITH YOUR FEET.WHEN YOU GET INFORMATION, TRY TO GET INFORMATION FROM BOTH SIDES, INFORMATION ABOUT THE VACCINE, BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT THE INFORMATION, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE VACCINE AND THEN CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR AND THEN MAKE DECISION.
BUT IN HANDS ON THE SIDE PART WITH YOUR DOCTOR, GET ALL THE INFORMATION, THEN MAKE YOUR DECISIONS.
SECOND, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET TESTED AND BECOMING EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
YOU GOT TESTED BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE VALIANT, BUT DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE USED TO THINK OF THE SYMPTOMS A YEAR AGO, THE NEW VARIANTS HAVE SYMPTOMS THAT ARE MORE LIKE A COMMON COLD OR THE FLU.
YOU ARE MORE EXPERIENCED, SORE THROAT, HEADACHE, AND FEVER, THEN COUGH AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
INITIALLY THE, THE, THE LOSS OF TASTE AND SMELL ARE REALLY NOT PART OF THE PRESENTATION OF ESPECIALLY THE DELTA VALUE.
SO WON'T YOU BE HYPERSENSITIVE TO BEING TESTED, AND IF YOU GET TESTED, YOU GOT POSITIVE, OR WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE OUR, OUR MASS HAND-WASHING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.
I SHOULD RECOMMEND THAT FOR EVERYBODY, BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE, WITH THAT.
HONEYCUTT, YOU ARE STILL MUTED, SIR.
SO ME, I'M VERY GLAD TO BE HERE.
WACHS TWO DAYS AGO, UH, ON THE CHANCE THAT, UH, UH, A PHYSICIAN FRIEND OF MINE HERE IN AUSTIN IS VERY ACTIVE IN HEALTH CARE, UH, SUGGESTED I WATCH ZOOM AND SHE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PREVENTING, UH, DISCUSSING THE, THE, UH, UH, THE UPSURGE IN, IN, IN THIS VIRUS.
AND, UM, AND IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
SHE THEN ASKED ME TO JOIN IN BECAUSE I DID IN FACT, PAM COVID.
UM, BUT LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A VERY BRIEF HISTORY, UH, IN A WAY, UM, IT HAPPENED WITH ME, UH, GENERALLY I'M VERY PROACTIVE IN MY HEALTH.
AND ALSO WHEN I WAS IN PRACTICE OF ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY IN FORT WORTH OR 40 YEARS, I'VE TRIED TO BE THE SAME WAY WITH MY PATIENTS.
WE MOVED HERE IN 2016 TO BE CLOSER TO OUR FAMILY.
AND, UM, THE WHILE I WAS REALLY FASCINATED BY FEBRUARY 21ST, FOLLOWING THAT WE, MY WIFE AND I, WHO'S ALSO A FELLOW THAT'S NOTED, AS WE FOUND ALL OF THE PROTOCOL, UH, THAT CDC RECOMMENDED, UH, WE KEPT THIS, WE WORE A MASK, WE DID ALL THE THINGS YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING PRETTY WELL.
AND THEN ON JULY, THE FIRST I WOKE UP ONE MORNING WITH A SEVERE SORE THROAT WITH A COUGH.
I WAS JUST FEELING GENERALLY CRUMMY.
UM, UH, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS BASED PROBABLY JUST A BAD COLD.
I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD BE, UH, COVID UM, I'D HAD THE VACCINATION, BUT THE NEXT DAY I WOKE UP WITH, UH, THE OTHER SYMPTOMS CONTINUED AS I WOKE UP WITH, WITH, UH, THE LOSS OF THE SENSE OF TASTE THAT, THAT REALLY RANG TRUE WITH ME.
I THEN CALLED MY, MY INTERNIST WHO GAVE ME THE EXCELLENT ADVICE OF GOING OUT, HAVING THE TEST DONE.
AND THEN DOMESTIC SURPRISE, THE TEST SHOWED I WAS POSITIVE FOR COVID AND I WAS WILLING, SURPRISED.
I WAS SHOCKED AS AN ACT IN THIS B I'VE BEEN TESTED AND I, BUT I DID WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
I RECEIVED VERY LITTLE TREATMENT.
IT JUST WASN'T NECESSARY BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY I WAS FEELING FINE.
UH, AND MY SENSE OF TASTE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO ME, UH, WAS BACK WITHIN ONE WEEK.
AND SO I FEEL VERY BLESSED THAT I HAD A MILD CASE.
THEY'RE CALLING THESE MILD CASES.
I BELIEVE BREAKTHROUGH CASES, UH, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, BUT STILL TURN UP POSITIVE.
UM, AND, UH, I AM THANKFUL THAT I HAD THAT VACCINE CAUSE THAT ARE NOT LIKE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE MENTIONED.
I COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL, VERY SICK AND EVEN FACING DEATH.
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UH, BUT BECAUSE OF THE VACCINE, IT, IT HAD A HAPPY ENDING FOR ME.STRANGELY, MY DAUGHTER ALSO PAUSED, UH, TURNED UP POSITIVE FOR, UH, SO, AND SHE HAD BOTH VACCINES AND OUR GRANDDAUGHTER HEARD HER DAUGHTER ALSO TURNED UP POSITIVE.
NOW THEY HAD HAD VACCINES AS REQUIRED OR SUGGESTED, AND WE WEREN'T TOGETHER, UH, UP UNTIL ABOUT, UM, 10 DAYS OR SO BEFORE.
UM, I STARTED NOTICING SYMPTOMS AND THAT WHETHER OR NOT THAT CAUSED THIS, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S REALLY, UH, I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
WE WERE DOWN AT THE BEACH WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF OPEN AIR AND, UH, BUT WE'RE TOGETHER QUITE A BIT.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS, UM, I HAD THE VACCINE AND HOW FORTUNATE I WAS TO HAVE HAD THAT.
UH, THE OTHER POINTS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT IF YOU THANK, YOU MAY HAVE THE VACCINE, YOU'RE NOT FEELING RIGHT.
AND YOU, EVEN IF YOU'VE BEEN VACCINATED OFF MYSELF, FOLLOW YOUR SYMPTOMS, QUESTION THE SYMPTOMS. AND IF, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, CALL YOUR DOCTOR OR GO TO A PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM SOMEWHERE, UM, AND DON'T LET THAT RIDE.
UM, AND, UH, I WAS VERY FAR FOR THAT.
I, I WAS CAUGHT IN TIME AND, UM, I HAD THE VACCINE.
THE OTHER POINT IS THAT, UH, YOU WILL BE PROTECTING NOT ONLY YOURSELF, BUT OTHER PEOPLE, UH, BY BEING VACCINATED.
UH, I WROTE, UH, READ SOME FIGURES LAST NIGHT THAT, UH, TEXAS IS ALL IS LESS THAN, UH, LESS THAN 50% VACCINATED.
UH, AND THAT'S, THIS IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST STAYS WITH THE UPSURGE IN PARTICULARLY AUSTIN.
AND SO I THINK THE ADVICE GIVEN BY THE SPEAKER BEFORE ME AND DR.
WE MADE THE, THIS IS A TEAM THING WE NEED TO HELP EACH OTHER.
AND I'M JUST, UH, UH, VERY THANKFUL TO BE HERE AND, UH, UH, GET THAT VACCINE.
HONEYCUTT, AT THIS TIME, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR QUESTION AND ANSWER PORTION.
WE HAVE MOLLY OAK, WHO IS OUR POOL REPORTER, WHO WILL ASK QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE MEDIA AND SHE IS REPRESENTING KVU MOLLY.
THANKS FOR MAKING YOURSELVES AVAILABLE.
AND AS I'M SURE GIRL, VERY BUSY, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, UH, THIS FIRST QUESTION COMES FROM KVU.
WHAT, IF ANYTHING WILL CHANGE IN THE STAGE FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND DOES THE CITY AND COUNTY PLAN TO ENFORCE THE CHANGES? IF SO, HOW SO? IN STAGE FOUR, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS, UM, WHEN THEY ARE INDOORS, UM, AND OUTDOORS, IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE, AND WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE WHO WERE UNPROTECTED BY BEING FULLY VACCINATED OR HAVING NOT RECEIVED ANY VACCINE AT ALL TO AVOID, UM, GETTING OUT AND GATHERING WITH PEOPLE.
UM, AND IF THEY DO HAVE TO GO OUT FOR SOMETHING THAT'S ESSENTIAL, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO WEAR A MASK.
WE'RE ASKING THIS TO EVERYBODY, WHETHER THEY'RE VACCINATED OR UNVACCINATED, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO WEAR A MASK.
IF THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME AS FOR WHETHER OR NOT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE THIS.
UM, WE ARE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE, BUT WE ARE ASKING OUR CITIZENS, OUR COMMUNITY, OR OUR NEIGHBORS WOULD THIS AS A CALL TO ACTION.
WE'RE ASKING THAT EVERYBODY TAKE HEED OF WHERE WE ARE AND WORK TOGETHER TO BRING THE CASE NUMBERS DOWN, TO HELP US GET THROUGH THOSE.
METZKER WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? OH, I, I THINK YOU SAID IT WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE AT A POINT RIGHT NOW OF A SURGE AND SO, UM, THE BEST SHORT-TERM FIX OF A SURGE IS TO START MASKING UP AGAIN.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOSE THAT WE HOPE WILL GET VACCINATED BY HEARING, AFTER HEARING OUR MESSAGE, UH, THAT DOES TAKE SOME, SOME WEEKS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE.
SO IN THE SHORT TERM, THE, THE ANSWER IS TO, UH, WHERE THEY ARE ANNOUNCED.
I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE MORE THING THAT I'M MASKING AT THIS STAGE HAS A MULTIPLICATIVE EFFECT.
THE LACK OF MASS KEY CAN LEAD TO NOT
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JUST ONE OR TWO PEOPLE GETTING INFECTED.IT CAN LEAD TO 10, 20, 30, PROTECTING YOURSELF BY PUTTING MASK.
NOT ONLY YOU'RE PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY, BUT YOU'RE PROTECTING MULTIPLE OTHER PEOPLE.
IT'S NOT A ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIP RELATIONSHIP.
AND I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR PEDIATRIC PATIENTS, YES, ADULTS, VARYING MOSQUE AND MODEL A BEHAVIOR OF RAIN MOSQUE, AND SHOWING THEM THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING AND KIDS WILL FOLLOW SUIT.
SO MASKING UP AND VACCINATION IS WHAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE THING ABOUT, UH, DR.
METZGER DID SPEAK ABOUT THIS, THAT THIS VARIANT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE MOST PREDOMINANT VARIANT IS MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS.
UM, WHERE THE FIRST, THE ORIGINAL COVID WE THOUGHT ONE PERSON WOULD INFECT THREE PEOPLE THERE, THE NUMBER WHICH IS CALLED THE
AND WE KNOW THAT EVERYBODY'S FATIGUED AND TIRED OF WEARING THE MASK, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT WORKS.
AND THERE'S SOME GOOD MODELING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS THAT SHOWS IF WE DON'T COMPLY WITH MASS, WE WILL REACH A CRISIS IN OUR ICU AND IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THEN, UM, BUT IF WE DO COMPLY WITH MASS, WE CAN AVOID THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY ESSENTIAL AND IT'S BEEN PROVEN THAT IT WORKS.
THIS NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CBS, AUSTIN.
WHAT DOES THE MOVE TO STAGE FOUR MEAN FOR LARGE EVENTS, SUCH AS SOCCER GAMES AND CONCERTS ARE VENUES STILL AUTHORIZED TO OPERATE AT FULL CAPACITY.
WE'VE NOT MADE ANY CHANGES TO CAPACITIES, UM, WHERE MAKING THIS PLAY TO INDIVIDUALS, CITIZENS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NEIGHBORS LOVED ONES, FRIENDS.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO GET VACCINATED NUMBER ONE, AND WE'RE ASKING THEM TO WEAR A MASK TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND EVERYONE AROUND THEM SO THAT WE CAN GET EVERYBODY VACCINATED AND PROTECTED AND DECREASE THE NUMBER OF CASES.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT, DR.
METZGER MENTIONED PROTECTING UNVACCINATED CHILDREN FOR LOCAL CHILDREN WITH COVID CASES.
NOW, HOW ARE THEIR SYMPTOMS AND EXPERIENCES DIFFERENT COMPARED TO SEVERAL MONTHS AGO? HOW HAS THE DELTA VARIANT AFFECTING CHILDREN? SO THIS IS MINA.
SO WE DO SEE PATIENTS, PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH THE DELTA AREA AND TO HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO ICU.
UM, THEY ARE A LITTLE MORE SICKER THAN WHEN WE SAW LAST YEAR.
AND THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS OF THE PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH THE INFECTION IS MUCH HIGHER, BUT THIS WAVE THAN WHAT WE HAD SEEN LAST YEAR.
UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PATIENTS WITH THE VARIANT BEING IN AN ICU, COMING WITH SYMPTOMS OF COUGH, FEVER, HEADACHE, AND GETTING REALLY SICK.
UH, BUT WITH THE TREATMENT THAT WE HAVE HERE, BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND HELP THEM RECOVER.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN IS DR.
WACHS NOW URGING LOCAL BUSINESSES, BENNETT BUSINESS OWNERS TO AGAIN, PUT MASKING POLICIES IN PLACE.
I'M ASKING EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP US GET THROUGH THIS NEXT PHASE IN OUR PANDEMIC WITH THIS NEW, THEIR END.
WE'RE ASKING EVERYONE TO PUT A MASK ON, PARTICULARLY IN INDOOR SETTINGS AND OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS STOOD WITH US AND HELPED US GET THESE THINGS DONE.
AND, UM, SO WE'RE AGAIN, CALLING ON EVERYBODY TO PUT A MASK ON.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM COOPERATIVE LEO, IS THERE A PLAN TO ACCURATELY TEST FOR ANTIBODIES PARTICULAR, PARTICULARLY IN THE IMMUNOSUPPRESSED OR TRANSPLANT PATIENTS TO DETERMINE IF AND WHEN GROCERS ARE NECESSARY, THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY, UM, UH, GUIDANCE TO DO SO.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY FOLLOWING CDC GUIDANCE AND THE GUIDANCE TODAY IS FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE OVER THE AGE OF 12 TO RECEIVE A FULL, UM, SERIES OF VACCINATIONS.
[00:35:01]
AND THAT'S TWO SHOTS OF THE MADONNA OR PFIZER VACCINES, AND ONE SHOT OF J AND J.UM, WE HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN GUIDANCE ON THIS THERAPY AT THIS POINT.
AND, UM, WE'RE NOT DOING ANTIBODY TESTING TO ASSESS, UM, ANYBODY AFTER VACCINATIONS, THAT'S BEING DONE ON A SCIENTIFIC LEVEL, BUT NOT ROUTINELY YOU'D LIKE TO ADD.
ONE THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE ANTIBODIES IS, UH, WHEN WE GET AN ANTIBODY TEST THAT MAY NOT CORRELATE PERFECTLY WITH WHAT SHE, UH, IS TALKED ABOUT NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES, AND THAT'S DONE IN A LABORATORY AND THAT'S MORE ACCURATE.
SO, SO GETTING, YOU KNOW, JUST AN ANTIBODY TEST MAY NOT BE ACCURATE.
I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT SOME PATIENTS THAT ARE UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY ARE VERY OLD OR HAVE OTHER IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE CONDITIONS, UH, MAY NOT HAVE HIGH NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES.
BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW STILL IS THAT THE VACCINE HELPS PREVENT SEVERE DISEASE, UM, IN ALL GROUPS, SO STILL RECOMMENDING VACCINATIONS, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WE SHOULD WEAR MASKS IS TO PROTECT THOSE VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
METZKER JUST WANT TO ADD THAT THAT TRACKING AND THAT DECISION ABOUT BOOSTERS IS REALLY A NATIONAL DECISION.
IT'S, IT'S A CDC, IT'S AN FDA, UM, DECISION ON WHEN THAT OCCURS AND THAT THAT'S DRIVEN BY, BY DATA.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, ANTIBODIES ARE A BIG PART OF THAT, BUT ALSO, UM, UH, THEIR T-CELL IMMUNITY AS WELL.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRACKING HOW LONG LASTING THAT IS AND, AND IN WHAT AGE GROUPS AND CO-MORBIDITIES, AND, UM, I THINK EVEN TODAY, THERE IS THE FIRST MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION AND CDC, UM, TO START TO DISCUSS THIS VERY TOPIC, UM, UH, THAT WE MIGHT LOOK, BE LOOKING AT BOOSTERS FOR A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION, UM, THIS FALL, BUT THAT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THE ONE SMALL PIECE OF INFORMATION TO, UH, THE, THE COMMENTS IS THAT I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN PATIENTS WHO ASKED ME IF THE INFECTION ITSELF, UH, CAN BRING IMMUNITY AND, UM, UH, THEORETICALLY IT MAY, BUT, UH, WE SHOULD NOT RELY ON JUST HAVING THE INFECTION OF THE COVID AS A WAY TO PROTECT YOU FROM FUTURE INFECTIONS.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS STILL A GETTING THE VACCINE IF YOU GET INFECTED OR NOT.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE SINCE LAST WEEK'S CONFIRMED CASES OF THE DELTA VARIANT IN AUSTIN IS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
NOW TESTING NEW CASES FOR THE VARIANT.
WE HAVE, I HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR SEQUENCING, WHICH IS WHAT THE TERM IS USED THAT IS USED FOR DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THE VARIANT IS OF A OR DELTA OR WHATEVER.
AND, UM, THOSE TESTS ARE BEING DONE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT IF SOMEONE TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, THE, THE, THE DOCTORS THAT ARE TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 ARE STILL GOING TO PROCEED WITH THE SUPPORTIVE CARE THAT'S NEEDED.
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE DO TO TREAT THOSE PATIENTS AND THE SEQUENCING IS MORE, UM, OF, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, TO SEE WHAT IT IS, HOW THE VARIANTS ARE IMPACTING OUR, UM, CASE NUMBERS.
SO THEY, THEY LACK OF TESTING EVERY PERSON THAT TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO TEST TYPE IDENTIFY WHO HAS COVID-19 AND THEREBY TREAT THEM APPROPRIATELY, HAVE THEM GET, UM, BEING PLACED IN ISOLATION AT THEIR HOMES, WITH THEIR OWN ROOMS, THEIR OWN BATHROOMS, SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY FROM FURTHER SPREAD OF COVID-19.
[00:40:01]
IS FROM KUT.WHY ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED BEING ASKED TO WEAR MASKS? IS IT PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF CONCERNS THAT THEY COULD BE ASYMPTOMATIC AND SPREAD THE VIRUS TO THOSE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED? OR IS IT BECAUSE OF A RISE? IN BREAKTHROUGH CASES, WE ARE SEEING PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED WHO DEVELOP COVID-19, THEY'VE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED, THEY'VE RECEIVED BOTH SHOTS, AND THIS IS EXPECTED WITH VACCINES.
WE DON'T HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT PROTECTION.
SO THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO UNFORTUNATELY MAY DEVELOP COVID-19.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
IN THIS INSTANCE, THIS IS A DELTA VARIANT, UM, ISSUE IN THAT THIS IS A MUCH MORE EASILY TRANSMITTED VIRUS.
IT SPREADS FASTER BETWEEN PEOPLE.
DOUGLAS SAY THAT THE ARE NOT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ONE PERSON CAN INFECT IS SIX.
SO YOU, IF YOU HAVE A COVID-19 AND IT'S THE DELTA VARIANT, YOU CAN INFECT SIX OTHER PEOPLE.
IF THOSE PEOPLE HAPPEN TO BE VACCINATED WHO ARE, UM, GETTING COVID-19, THEY'RE GETTING A MILDER CASE OF IT IN MANY INSTANCES, BUT ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE ASYMPTOMATIC.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IN BOTH OF THOSE INSTANCES, THOSE INDIVIDUALS COULD SPREAD IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO MAY NOT BE VACCINATED FOR INSTANCE.
SO WE ARE ASKING EVERYBODY TO WEAR A MASK, THOSE WHO WERE VACCINATED, AND THOSE WHO WERE UN-VACCINATED BECAUSE WE WERE SEEING SUCH A SPREAD SO THAT WE CAN GET THE NUMBER OF CASES TO DECREASE.
I WANTED THE COMMENT, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THE LAST TIME WE WERE IN FOR WAS IN FEBRUARY.
WELL, AND THERE'S SO MUCH FATIGUE ABOUT THIS.
LIKE, WE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HAPPENING AGAIN, BUT WE'RE NOT AT THE EXACT SAME POINT.
AND SO WE HAVE TWO PROTECTIONS, THE VACCINE, IT DOESN'T PREVENT A HUNDRED PERCENT ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIER.
WE STILL CAN CARRY THE VIRUS AND SPREAD IT TO SOMEBODY, BUT IT IS FELT THAT THE VACCINE HELPS YOU CARRY LESS OF THE VIRUS.
SO NOW WE'RE IN A BETTER SITUATION BECAUSE IF WE ALL GET VACCINATED AND WE WEAR THE MASK, THIS IS THE SURGE.
WE COULD REALLY MAKE A GREAT AND FAST EFFECT ON THE SURGE.
SO IT'S, TWO-FOLD TWO THINGS WE NEED TO DO, BUT THAT WILL BE VERY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WE'RE SO FATIGUED THAT IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S THE POINT? WELL, THERE IS A DEFINITE POINT IN BOTH THOSE MEASURES.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM BOX SEVEN, SHOULD JOHNSON AND JOHNSON RECIPIENTS GET
THE CURRENT GUIDANCE IS THAT ONCE YOU'RE FULLY VACCINATED, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR A BOOSTER.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, HAVING ANOTHER, UM, VACCINE BEING GIVEN AFTER THE SINGLE DOSE OF JOHNSON AND JOHNSON.
I, I THINK, UM, THERE'S JUST NOT THE DATA TO SUPPORT THAT YET.
AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS JUST TO CONTINUE WITHOUT BOOSTER FOR NOW.
UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S, UM, CONSISTENTLY BEING LOOKED AT.
AND SO IF THAT NEED ARISES, THEN, UM, I'M SURE THAT WILL BE RECOMMENDED.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KX FAN, DO LOCAL HOSPITALS HAVE THE STAFF AND CAPACITY TO HANDLE ANOTHER SURGEON HOSPITALIZATIONS WHILE YOU ALL NEED HELP OR NEED TO BRING IN HELP FROM WHERE AND AT WHAT METRIC DO YOU REQUEST THAT HELP? UH, THE, AS WE STAKE, OUR HOSPITALS ARE MAINTAINING AND, UM, ABLE TO CARE ADEQUATELY FOR OUR PATIENTS IN OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, BUT IT'S UP TO OUR COMMUNITY TO DO WHAT WE'RE ASKING TODAY, THIS CALL TO ACTION OF WEARING THIS.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED OR FULLY VACCINATED GOING OUT AND COMPLETING YOUR VACCINE SERIES, IT'S UP TO US.
[00:45:01]
ARE IN A SEARCH MODE RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE PLANNING, AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT IF WE DO NEED TO HAVE STAFF THAT WE WILL REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE, HOWEVER, IT'S UP TO US, WE HAVE TO PUT ON OUR MESS.DOUGLAS JUST SAID, IT'S TOO BOLD, PUT ON A MASK AND, AND GET THE ACCIDENT.
SOLOMON WITH THE BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE.
UH, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION NOW, ONE YEAR I GO, BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVE DEVELOPED THE MUSCLE MEMORY AND THE EXPERIENCE OF HOW TO HANDLE THE SEARCHES.
I CAN TELL YOU FROM WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION AND THE HOSPITALS IN AUSTIN, WE ARE STILL ABLE TO HANDLE THE, BOTH THE COVID AND THE NON COVID PATIENT.
FORTUNATELY, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE CAT TRACK FOR PROVIDING US WITH THE STAFF, BECAUSE THAT'S A CRITICAL ASPECT OF, UM, OF TAKING CARE OF OUR PATIENTS.
THE, BUT THE MAIN THING FROM THE PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE IS THAT THE, THE ACTIVITY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON MAY MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
WE REALLY ASKING FOR, TAKE THE VACCINE WITH THE MASK, UM, WASH YOUR HANDS AND AVOID, UM, SOCIAL GATHERING, KEEP YOUR SOCIAL DISTANCE.
YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM TELEMUNDO AUSTAN, UH, THEY ASKED THAT DR.
DOUGLAS RESPOND IN SPANISH, BUT BREAKTHROUGH CASES BEING REPORTED IN OUR AREA.
HOW DO YOU CONVINCE THOSE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED TO GET THE VACCINE, ESPECIALLY THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY WHO HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST VACCINATION RATES? UM, WE'RE NOT A
WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO THE SECOND QUESTIONS FROM THE NEWS OUTLETS.
THIS ONE IS FROM KBU DSHS REPORTED ICU BEDS.
WE'RE AT THE THIRD LOWEST, SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC YESTERDAY, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 31 FOR THE AUSTIN AREA.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT? AND HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU GOING FORWARD? WELL, I AM CONCERNED, AND THAT IS ONE OF THOSE FACTORS THAT HAS LED ME TO THE DECISION TO RECOMMEND THAT WE MOVE TO STAGE FOUR.
UM, THE, THE DECISION WAS NOT MADE LIGHTLY, AND WE MEET REGULARLY WITH HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. UM, THEY HAVE BEDS, THEY HAVE EQUIPMENT, BUT WE HAVE STAFF AND THE STAFF ARE, UM,
[00:50:01]
STRESSED AND STRAINED AND HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR OVER 18 MONTHS TO CARE FOR PATIENTS.AND SO OUR REAL CONCERN IS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR, UM, HOSPITALS ARE SUPPORTIVE AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE IN.
IF WE HAVE TO, WE WILL BE REQUESTING HELP FROM OUR STATE LEADERSHIP TO GET STAFF TO COME IN AND OUT OF SO THAT WE CAN EXPAND OUR ICU BED CAPACITY.
BUT RIGHT NOW, UM, WE ARE MANAGING, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO STAND WITH US, TO SUPPORT OUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND STOPPED THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS.
UM, PROTECT YOURSELVES, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR LOVED ONES, GET A VACCINATION AND WEAR A MASK.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO KIND OF A PERSONAL PLEA OR FOR, FOR THE, FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR 18 MONTHS.
WE'RE ASKING PLEASE PUT ON A MASK AND GET VACCINATED, BUT PUT ON A MASK IS SO SIMPLE.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHEN THE, THE ICU NURSES START HEARING THAT THE SURGE IS HERE AND IT'S COMING, I SEE THIS LOOK OF JUST REALLY, UH, THEY'RE OVERWHELMED.
THEY WORK, THEY HAD TO BE IN PATIENT'S ROOM COMPLETELY WITH THESE MASKS THAT WERE SO UNCOMFORTABLE WORK.
SO MANY HOURS, WE'RE TIRED AND THEY'RE TIRED.
AND, AND SO I JUST ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AND WEAR A MASK THAT WILL MAKE SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE.
I WOULD ECHO THAT TOO, ESPECIALLY IN THE PEDIATRIC WORLD WHEN WE HAVE A PATIENTS, BUT THE FAMILIES ARE NOT ABLE TO VISIT THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SACRED COVID AND ADMITTED.
IT DOES AFFECT PATIENT CARE, HEALING AND RECOVERY.
UH, SO WE STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR WEARING A MASK, SOCIAL DISTANCING AND GETTING THE VACCINE.
SO WE CAN CURB THIS ILLNESS BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER ILLNESSES ALONG WITH COVID VACCINE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF IN THE HOSPITAL.
SO PLEASE TAKE YOUR VACCINE SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THIS DISEASE.
I JUST, THAT BRINGS UP A TOPIC FOR ME THAT, UM, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, THE VACCINATION RATE BASICALLY DECREASES WITH AGE.
UM, AND AS I POINTED OUT EARLIER, UM, SEVEN OF THE NINE PATIENTS AND IN MY ICU RIGHT NOW ARE UNDER 50.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WITH US TALKING WITH THOSE PATIENTS, THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE GOING TO BE IN THIS SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, I, I WANT TO ADDRESS YOUNGER PEOPLE THAT MAYBE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, OH, I CAN GET THROUGH THIS.
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THOSE PEOPLE IN THE ICU THOUGHT THE SAME THING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REGRETTING THAT DECISION.
SO PLEASE DON'T GET TO A POSITION WHERE YOU REGRET THAT DECISION.
AND I WAS ASKED TO JUST LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WAS THE ROUND OF QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU DO HAVE TO GO BACK TO PATIENT APPOINTMENTS, YOU CAN DROP OFF AS WE CONTINUE ON THIS LAST ROUND OF QUESTIONS.
AUSTIN ARE HEALTH LEADERS MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOLS OTHER THAN MASS SWEARING IN SHOULD VIRTUAL LEARNING OPTIONS BE CONSIDERED FOR GRADE LEVELS, NOT YET ELIGIBLE FOR A VACCINE AS WE'VE, UM, HEARD RECENTLY.
AND WE ALL HAVE, UM, SUPPORTED THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, UM, GUIDANCE THAT CHILDREN, AND, UH, OVER THE AGE OF TWO WITH, UM, NO ISSUES WITH WEARING MASK, FOR WHATEVER REASON, MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND STAFF THAT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE VACCINATED, THAT THEY SHOULD WEAR A MASK THAT THAT'S COME OUT RECENTLY.
AND WE STAND AND SUPPORTIVE THAT, UM, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE ABLE TO BE VACCINATED, WE, WE WANT THEM TO BE VACCINATED.
UM, AND I'LL PASS THIS OVER TO DR.
IYER TO ADD HER COMMENTS AS A PEDIATRICIAN.
UH, WE WILL STRONGLY CONSIDER ADVOCATE FROM ASKING ABOUT THE AGE OF TWO AND ABOUT AND VACCINATION FOR EVERYONE ELIGIBLE.
AND OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE SEEN AS KIDS DON'T GO TO SCHOOL,
[00:55:01]
THEY DO WATCH FOR LEARNING THAT SOCIAL INTERACTION NOT HAVING HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OUR MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS.AND THERE'S BEEN A SPIKE IN THAT.
AND SEVERAL OTHER ILLNESSES, YES, WE CAN CONSIDER WHAT YOUR OPTION, BUT WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE KIDS TO GO BACK INTO SCHOOL, WORK WITH EACH OTHER, HAVE THAT SOCIAL INTERACTION SO THEY CAN GROW DEVELOPMENTALLY AS TO WHOLESOME INDIVIDUAL.
SO TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN, WE WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO GET VACCINATED AND CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK.
THE NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT.
WALKS TO CONSIDER RECOMMENDING VIRTUAL LEARNING? I, AT THIS POINT, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING IN-PERSON LEARNING, UM, AND, AND ALLOWING OUR CHILDREN TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL.
UM, THEY'VE HAD A LOSS OF LEARNING AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE SOCIAL INTERACTION, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO, UM, GET THAT ONE-ON-ONE INSTRUCTION THAT THEY HAVE IN IN-PERSON SETTINGS.
AND SO WE STAND IN SUPPORT OF IN-PERSON LEARNING.
UM, THERE MAY BE INSTANCES WHERE VIRTUAL LEARNING MAY BE NECESSARY, BUT WE ALL STAND IN SUPPORTIVE OF OUR CHILDREN BEING ABLE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT IF WE GO OUT AND GET VACCINATED.
AND IF WE START TO LEARN US, I WOULD, AGAIN, ECHO THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE KIDS TO GO BACK INTO SCHOOL, BE WITH EACH OTHER SOCIAL INTERACTION.
LIKE I STATED EARLIER, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS HAS SEEN A CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY.
UH, EVEN WE ADULT CHILDREN'S HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PATIENTS SHOWING UP FOR MENTAL HEALTH, ILLNESS AND ADMISSIONS.
IT'S BECAUSE OF NOT HAVING THE SOCIAL INTERACTION.
AND THE OTHER THING IS ALSO KIDS NOT ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD AND NUTRITION INSTRUCTION, THIS HUGE IMPACT ON THE GROWTH OF A CHILD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
SO IF WE CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK AND GET VACCINATED, WE CAN SAFELY BRING THE KIDS BACK INTO SCHOOL AND CONTINUE WITH THAT GROWTH.
WACHS MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO STOP THE SPREAD OF DISEASE IN CROWDED BARS LIKE THOSE ON SIXTH STREET, WHAT WILL THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS LOOK LIKE? OUR CALL TO ACTION TODAY IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED OR NOT FULLY VACCINATED TO GO AND COMPLETE THEIR SERIES OF VACCINE, UM, OR GO AND START THAT SERIES.
UM, WE'RE ALSO ASKING PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS IN INDOOR SETTINGS IN PARTICULAR, UM, SO THAT WE CAN STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS DISEASE.
WE'RE ALSO ASKING PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED TO AVOID GATHERING IN CROWDS SO WE CAN STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS DISEASE.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, GET VACCINATED AND WEAR A MASK.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CO-OP RADIO, DOES THE VAST GLOBAL NUMBER OF UN-VACCINATED WHO CONTRACT AND RECONTRACT COVID MAKE IT TOO EASY FOR THE VIRUS, THEREBY SLOWING ITS DEVOLUTION INTO A LESS RELIABLE DISEASE.
LIKE THE 1918 FLU DID OVER THE LAST CENTURY.
ANYTIME THAT WE ALLOW THE SPIRES TO REPLICATE IN ANOTHER PERSON IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHARACTER OF THE VIRUS TO CHANGE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALL MUTATIONS.
AND AS, UM, THE VIRUS MUTATES, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE FACED WITH A NEW SET OF CHALLENGES.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN SPENDING WITH YOU, THAT WE MUST PROTECT OURSELVES WITH VACCINATION.
NOW WE HAVE VACCINES THAT WORK AND WE NEED TO PROTECT EACH OTHER IN THE MEANTIME, BY WEARING A MASK SO THAT WE DON'T BECOME INFECTED PRINCIPAL AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES IS THAT VIRUSES AND BACTERIA.
WHEN THEY MUTATE, THEY DON'T BECOME MORE FRIENDLY.
UM, THEY CAN DEVELOP ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE.
[01:00:01]
IN THIS CASE, THIS VIRUS HAS LEARNED TO ATTACH MUCH MORE READILY AND SPREAD.AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIG CONCERN IS THAT, UM, THESE VIRUSES CAN BECOME MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS AND CHANGE TO ESCAPE PROTECTION FROM THE, THE, YOU KNOW, ESCAPE THE IMMUNITY.
SO DEFINITELY ONE OF PREVENT THE REPLICATION OF THIS VIRUS.
AND THE ONE WAY IS TO GET VACCINATED.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM BOX SEVEN.
DOCTORS TELL US A NATIONWIDE NURSE SHORTAGE IS CAUSING PROBLEMS IN HOSPITALS HERE.
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PREPARE FOR A SURGE AND ENSURE HOSPITALS ARE ADEQUATELY STAFF, PLEASE PROVIDE STAFFING AND CAPACITY NUMBERS.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.
WE HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT WE'RE GOING TO STAGE FOUR, AND THAT IS OUR WAY OF HELPING THIS COMMUNITY DECREASE THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IN DOING THAT, WE WILL ASSIST OUR HOSPITALS IN CONTINUING TO PROVIDE CARE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
OUR CAPACITY TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE.
IS THERE, OUR STAFF STAY READY AND WILLING AND ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS WHO ARE SICK, BUT IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO PUT ON A MASK, TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE AND TO STOP THE SPREAD IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE ASKING THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY VACCINATED OR WHO HAVE NOT STARTED GETTING VACCINATED TO GO OUT AND DO SO.
WE ARE READY AND WILLING AND ABLE TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
BUT IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TIME DOESN'T GET HERE.
WE NEED TO GET VACCINATED AND WE NEED TO WEAR A MASK.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KX A N BASED ON CURRENT MODELS, AND SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING COVID FATIGUE, WHEN DO YOU ESTIMATE WE WILL RETURN TO A MORE NORMAL LIFE WITHOUT THESE STEPS BACKWARD INTO STRICTER GUIDELINES.
I, I DON'T HAVE THAT CRYSTAL BALL.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE TO BECOMING ILL FROM COVID-19, AS LONG AS WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN BE COME ILL, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPREAD THIS DISEASE BETWEEN PEOPLE, WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP DEALING WITH THIS.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET VACCINATED AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE WEAR MASKS.
WE, WE KNOW THAT, UM, OH, GO AHEAD.
UM, TALKING ABOUT COVID FATIGUE, IT REALLY IS TRUE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE COVID FATIGUE BECAME SORT OF LIKE SAYING COVID HAS GONE AND WE SAW A TREMENDOUS DROP.
WE WERE LOOKING AT THE VACCINE RATES THAT HAVE REALLY GONE UP AND THEN COMPLETELY PLATEAUED AND STARTED GOING DOWN, EVEN THOUGH VACCINES ARE VERY EASY TO GET RIGHT NOW.
SO ONE THING TO UNDERSTAND IS COVID WILL BE HERE UNTIL WE, AND IT WILL BE CRITICAL AND WE'LL MAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE SICK UNTIL THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED WAY ABOVE THE RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK, AND COVID HAS NOT GONE.
UM, I WAS GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE END OF THIS WILL OCCUR AND CERTAINLY DON'T SEE IT INSIDE RIGHT NOW.
UM, UM, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS, UM, WHAT WILL GET US THERE MORE QUICKLY AND THAT'S THROUGH VACCINATION, WHICH THEN IN TURN CREATES A HERD IMMUNITY.
[01:05:06]
THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION IT'S FROM TELEMUNDO AUSTIN.UM, AND ONCE AGAIN, ASKING FOR DR.
DOUGLAS TO RESPOND SO SHE CAN RESPOND IN SPANISH, HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE CURRENT VACCINES AGAINST THE DELTA AND LAMBDA VARIANTS AND HOW SOON WILL INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERTS KNOW IF PEOPLE WILL NEED A BOOSTER SHOT IN THE FALL OR WINTER WHEN FLU SEASON BECOMES ANOTHER HEALTH CONCERN.
AND THEN I'M ALSO GOING TO ASK THAT THAT GETS ANSWERED IN ENGLISH AS WELL.
DOUGLAS, I'M GOING TO ANSWER THIS FIRST IN ENGLISH.
WE DO KNOW THAT THE VACCINES THEY HAVE BEEN STUDIED AGAINST THE VARIANTS AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THEY PROTECT FROM SEVERE DISEASE.
THEY'RE VERY GOOD, UM, WAY ABOVE 90% OF PREVENTING ICU ADMISSIONS AND VERY GOOD AT PREVENTING HOSPITALIZATION.
UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, THE, DEPENDING ON WHAT STUDY AND WHAT VARIANT, UM, YOU CAN STILL GET A, HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH AND COULD HAVE AN ASYMPTOMATIC OR MILD ILLNESS.
UM, BUT THEY'RE VERY EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING SEVERE DISEASE.
AND THE REASON THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS SHIFT TO, TO LEVEL FOUR, IT HAS TO DO WITH HOSPITALIZATIONS.
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST HOW MANY COVID CASES, BUT HOSPITALIZATION.
SO IF WE HAVE A TOOL THAT PREVENTS HOSPITALIZATIONS, WE, WE SHOULD ALL UTILIZE IT.
UM, REGARDING THE BOOSTER, THERE REALLY, THERE'S LOTS OF ONGOING STUDIES AND THAT IS, UM, THE FBI.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF CONVERSATION.
I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED I'M FEELING POSSIBLY IN THE FALL, BUT, UH, I'M NOT CERTAIN ABOUT THAT.
AND THOSE
IN FACT, UH
WALKS OVER TO YOU FOR YOUR CLOSING COMMENTS.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING WITH US TODAY AND SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND JOINING ME IN, UM, ASKING OUR NEIGHBORS AND BUSINESSES AND FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES TO PUT ON A MASK, UM, GO AND COMPLETE YOUR VACCINATIONS, WASH YOUR HANDS, SOCIAL DISTANCE, GET TESTED IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS AND, AND PLEASE LET'S GET THROUGH THIS.
WE'VE BEEN IN STAGE FOUR BEFORE WE KNOW HOW TO DO THIS.
AND I ASK YOU TO STAND WITH US AND STAND WITH THE NURSES AND DOCTORS AND DIETICIANS, AND, AND EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY TO GET US THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
AND, AND LET'S, LET'S, LET'S FOCUS ON THE END OF THE LET'S GET VACCINATED.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEDIA AVAILABILITY FOR TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.