[COVID-19: Press Q & A]
[00:00:06]
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 AND THREE TO START, DR.
DEZ MAR WALKS AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY WILL FIRST SAY A FEW WORDS FOLLOWED BY DR.
JESSICA ERICK, MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE, OBSTETRICS, CHIEF MATERNAL MEDICINE, AND MATERNAL TRANSPORT DIRECTOR, BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE MEDICAL CENTER, TEMPLE DR.
KIMBERLY DE STEPHANO MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF MEDIC MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE ST DAVID'S WOMEN'S CENTER OF TEXAS ST.
DAVID'S NORTH AUSTIN MEDICAL CENTER AND DR.
ALLISON CAHILL, MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST, PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN'S HEALTH, DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
AFTER THAT, WE WILL THEN OPEN IT UP TO OUR POOL REPORTER WHO ASK QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE MEDIA, DR.
UH, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON OUR WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW RAPIDLY THE DELTA VARIANT IS SPREADING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'VE JUST PASSED THE THRESHOLD OF STAGE FIVE, AND I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE MATERNAL FETAL INFANT SPECIALISTS WHO ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IN THEIR PRACTICES.
UM, THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT, UH, WE NEED TO KNOW WITH REGARDS TO VACCINE SAFETY AND, AND JUST GIVE US A REALLY GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN TO BE VACCINATED, AND THOSE WHO ARE BREASTFEEDING TO BE VACCINATED SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT HER CHILDREN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME THIS MORNING.
UM, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'VE ALL GOTTEN TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THIS TODAY.
I THINK ALL OF US WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, MUCH OF OUR, UM, ADMITTED, UM, PATIENTS WHO ARE VERY, VERY SICK AND PREGNANT ARE, UM, SICK WITH, UH, COVID PNEUMONIA AND COMPLICATIONS.
UM, SO WE'RE ALL FACING THAT NOW EVERY DAY.
UM, AND AS YOU SAID, UH, WE'VE LEARNED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THIS DELTA VARIANT, PARTICULARLY THIS WEEK.
SO WE KNOW THAT COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL STRAIN, UH, THAT WE, UM, CUT CAME TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WITH COVID.
THE DELTA VARIANCE IS AS CONTAGIOUS AS CHICKEN POX.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME MORE DIRECT GUIDANCE FROM A AND THE CDC, UH, FROM JUST THIS PAST WEEK.
UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT THEIR STATEMENT, UH, THAT PREGNANT AND LACTATING PEOPLE SHOULD RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
AND THAT'S REALLY BASED ON, UM, AN EMERGING AMOUNT OF SAFETY DATA FOR PREGNANT FOLKS AND THEIR UNBORN CHILDREN.
SO WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY TO PLEASE GET VACCINATED.
I THINK THE LAST POINT IS THAT, UH, PREGNANT PEOPLE, JUST LIKE ALL OTHER PEOPLE ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TO HAVE MASKS.
UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE EVEN FOR FOLKS THAT ARE VACCINATED, WE'VE LEARNED THAT, UM, COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE VIRUS, WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN VACCINATED OR NOT, YOU CAN SHED THE VIRUS OR GIVE IT TO OTHER PEOPLE WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT, UM, AT THE SAME RATE.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY TO STAY SAFE AND GET VACCINATED.
ERIC, UM, COULD YOU GIVE US SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT SORTS OF THINGS YOU'RE SEEING AS FAR AS VERITY OF ILLNESS AND PEOPLE THAT NEED LIFE SUPPORT, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, ONE THING THAT WE'RE SEEING AND IT'S, UM, AFFECTING ALL OF US IN CENTRAL TEXAS AS MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE SPECIALISTS, BUT ALSO OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE NATION IS THAT UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL COBRA THAT WE WERE SEEING 18 MONTHS AGO, THIS NEW DELTA VARIANT IS AFFECTING OUR PREGNANT MOMS MORE SEVERELY.
WE'RE SEEING THAT MOMS THAT ARE GETTING AFFECTED WITH COVID RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY THE DELTA, BECAUSE IT'S THE PREDOMINANT VARIANT ARE MORE LIKELY TO END UP HOSPITALIZED.
THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO END UP WITH SEVERE DISEASE AND ENDED UP IN THE ICU, MORE LIKELY TO NEED HIGHER GRADE RESPIRATORY SUPPORT, WHICH COULD INCLUDE INTUBATION OR REQUIRING AN ECMO, WHICH IS A MACHINE THAT OXYGEN, NATURE BLOOD FOR YOU.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE ALSO SEEING AN INCREASED RISK OF MATERNAL DEATH FROM THE PREGNANCY SIDE.
WE'RE ALSO SEEING INCREASED COMPLICATIONS.
THOSE COMPLICATIONS INCLUDE PRETERM BIRTH AND PREMATURITY INCREASED RISK OF PREECLAMPSIA FOR THESE MOMS, WHICH CAN REQUIRE PRETERM DELIVERY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY ALSO INCREASED RISK OF STILLBIRTH.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE COMING ON TO MAKE THIS PLEA IS BECAUSE WE'VE ALL
[00:05:01]
SEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, AN INCREASE OF OUR MATERNAL MOMS THAT ARE PREGNANT, ENDING UP HOSPITALIZED AND ENDING UP IN OUR ICU.DESTEFANO, COULD YOU, UH, GIVE US MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINE SAFETY, UM, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ALL OF US HERE.
THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR PREGNANT PEOPLE.
UM, AS MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED, WE ARE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ADMISSIONS AND SEVERITY OF DISEASE.
UH, OVER 95% OF THE WOMEN WHO ARE ADMITTED RIGHT NOW ARE UN-VACCINATED.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE, UM, STATEMENT FROM A COG AND SOCIETY FOR MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE IS THAT ALL PREGNANT AND LACTATING PEOPLES SHOULD BE VACCINATED.
UH, ALMOST 150,000 PREGNANT PATIENTS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED ALREADY, UM, WITH CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED SAFETY.
THUS, WE KNOW THAT THE EARLIER IN PREGNANCY, YOU WERE VACCINATED, THE MORE ANTIBODIES ARE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF BIRTH FOR THE INFANT.
WE KNOW THAT THE ANTIBODIES ARE PASSED IN THE BREAST MILK, JUST LIKE MANY OTHER, UM, DISEASES WHEN WE VACCINATE MOM.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, BOTH DURING THE PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM, WE REALLY RECOMMEND, UH, ANY OF THE VACCINES.
THEY'VE ALL HAD DEMONSTRATED SAFETY AND INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO PROTECT MOM AND BABY, UM, TO DIMINISH THE AMOUNT OF ADMISSIONS AND UNFORTUNATELY LOSS AND DEATHS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
SO IN SHORT, UM, WE'RE ASKING EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY TO WEAR A MASK, INCLUDING OUR PREGNANT MOMS AND THEIR KIDS AND FAMILIES.
WE'RE ASKING OUR PREGNANT MOMS AND WOMEN WHO ARE BREASTFEEDING TO GET THE VACCINE AND SAFE.
WE'RE ASKING OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO GO OUT AND BE VACCINATED TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES FROM DEVELOPING COVID-19.
AND IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE TRYING TO ALSO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE DELTA VARIANTS, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VIRUS.
IT'S MUCH MORE INFECTIOUS IT'S AS INFECTIOUS AS THE CHICKEN POX.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE THE VIRUS IN YOUR BODY AND YOU'RE VACCINATED, YOU CAN PASS IT ON TO SOMEBODY ELSE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF IT IN YOUR SYSTEM.
JUST AS MUCH AS SOMEONE WHO'S UN-VACCINATED AT TIMES, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT HAVE AS MANY SYMPTOMS AS SOMEONE WHO'S UN-VACCINATED, YOU STILL ARE RISKING THE WELL-BEING OF SOMEONE WHO'S UN-VACCINATED WHO IS IN YOUR FAMILY.
SO WE URGE EVERYONE TO WEAR A MASK AND GET VACCINATED, AND PARTICULARLY OUR PREGNANT MOMS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES IN THE UNBORN CHILD.
WACHS, AT THIS TIME, WE WILL NOW OPEN IT UP TO OUR POOL REPORTER, HEATHER OSBOURNE, REPRESENTING THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN, HEATHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS TODAY.
UM, I MODIFIED MY FIRST QUESTION FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ANSWERED A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS SAID, UM, THAT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASED RISK AS A RESULT OF THE DELTA AREA FOR PREGNANT WOMEN.
WOULD YOU GUYS BE ABLE TO TELL US HOW MANY PREGNANT PEOPLE WERE SEEING IN THE ICU OR ON VENTILATORS, OR MAY HAVE EVEN DIED, UM, IN RECENT WEEKS OR MONTHS AS A RESULT OF THE DISEASE, UH, DR.
DESTEFANO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THAT ONE? SO I, UM, ABSOLUTELY.
SO I CAN'T, I CAN'T GIVE YOU ABSOLUTE NUMBERS, UM, BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SEEING IT ALL THE TIME, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT COMPARED TO 18 MONTHS AGO, COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS SURGE EARLIER THIS YEAR, UM, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT, UM, INCREASE, UH, THAN BEFORE BOTH IN WOMEN WHO ARE REQUIRING, UM, OXYGEN WHO ARE REQUIRING ICU SUPPORT AND INTUBATION, AND MANY MORE PATIENTS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO REFER FOR ECMO, UM, WHICH IS A MARKER FOR VERY, VERY SEVERE DISEASE.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT, IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT CHILDREN ARE MORE AT RISK FROM THE DELTA VARIANT THAN THE ORIGINAL STRAIN OF COVID-19? WE ARE SEEING THAT WE'RE, UM, HAVING MORE CHILDREN PRESENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOMS FOR TREATMENT AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, UM, BOTH RSV RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS, AND COVID,
[00:10:01]
AND THIS IS NEW, UM, WITH THIS VARIANT.AND, UM, I'LL PASS THIS ON TO DR.
KAY HILL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN YOUR OBSTETRIC TUBES PRACTICE.
UM, AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT, UM, AS WELL.
UM, WE CERTAINLY ARE SEEING, UH, CHILDREN GETTING SICK.
UM, THEY ALSO ARE IN CATEGORIES THAT ARE NOT YET, UM, CANDIDATES TO BE SAFELY VACCINATED.
SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY.
I THINK THAT WE CAN RESPONSIBLY SAY BASED ON THE DATA IS THAT THE DELTA VARIANT, UM, AS DR WACHS SAID IS, UM, MUCH MORE VIRULENT.
SO, UM, EASIER TO CATCH AND EASIER TO GET SUPER SICK FROM, UM, THAN THE ORIGINAL STRAIN OF COVID THAT WE KNEW.
UM, AND AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES, UM, WE HAVE JUST, WE ARE SEEING SO MANY, UM, PREGNANT PEOPLE, EXTREMELY ILL IN OUR HOSPITALS RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WHILE NO, UM, NO ONE THING IS, UH, IS, UH, IS A MAGIC BULLET.
UH, WE HAVE COME TO KNOW THAT THE VACCINES ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, UM, AND NOW SAFE AND PREGNANT PEOPLE.
SO, UH, WE, WE CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF TRYING TO PROTECT YOURSELF THE BEST YOU CAN.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CBS AUSTIN, I KNOW A PREGNANT WOMAN WHO SAYS HER DOCTOR ADVISED HER TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER CHILDBIRTH TO GET THE VACCINE BECAUSE SHE PREVIOUSLY HAD A BAD CASE OF COVID AND MIGHT HAVE A STRONG REACTION TO THE VACCINE.
DO YOU AGREE WITH AGREE WITH THAT ADVICE, DR.
ERIC, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THAT QUESTION? YOU'RE NATIVE? WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS IN ALIGN WITH A ACOG SMFM AND THE CDC, WHICH IS EVEN IF YOU'VE BEEN PREVIOUSLY INFECTED WITH COVID, THAT YOU STILL SHOULD CONSIDER REQ, WE STILL RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET THE COVID VACCINE.
WE'RE STILL SEEING WHEN WE LOOK AT HOSPITALIZED DATA, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT COMPARED TO VACCINATED VERSUS UNVACCINATED.
AND WE CLEARLY KNOW THAT OUR BACKS DONATED PATIENTS ARE LESS LIKELY TO END UP IN THE HOSPITALIZED, END UP IN THE ICU AND ENDED UP INTUBATED.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T SAY OF THE UN-VACCINATED.
HOW MANY OF THEM HAD THE DISEASE PREVIOUSLY? SO WE'RE STILL STANDING BY THAT EVEN IF YOU'VE PREVIOUSLY BEEN AFFECTED WITH COVID, THAT YOU STILL SHOULD GET THE VACCINE IN PREGNANCY TO PROTECT YOURSELF IN THIS PREGNANCY.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM UNIVISION.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DELTA VARIANT CONSIDERING THEY AREN'T TESTING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE VARIANT DR.
STEFAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THAT QUESTION? SURE.
UM, SO WE KNOW THAT THE DELTA VARIANT IS, UM, MORE INFECTIOUS AND MORE VIRULENT, BUT ANY STRAIN OF COVID STILL CARRIES THE SAME RISK FOR MOM AND BABY, AS FAR AS, UM, IF YOU'RE, UN-VACCINATED NEEDING TO BE HOSPITALIZED.
UM, NOW WHETHER YOU HAVE MORE SEVERE DISEASE, AS FAR AS BEING IN THE ICU OR BEING INTUBATED, THAT MAY BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER WITH A DELTA VARIANT, BUT THE SYMPTOMS REMAIN THE SAME.
IF YOU'RE HAVING SHORTNESS OF BREATH, IF YOU'RE HAVING FEVER, IF YOU'RE HAVING MYALGIAS, ALL OF THAT SHOULD BE EVALUATED.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TREAT YOU BASED ON WHAT SYMPTOMS YOU'RE HAVING AND, AND CLINICALLY HOW YOU'RE APPEARING, NOT NECESSARILY WHICH VARIANT YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO AND INFECTED WITH.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K X A N.
IF AUSTIN MOVES TO STAGE FIVE IN THE COVID RISK GUIDELINES, WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM, OH, I'M SORRY, THIS QUESTION.
IS IT PREGNANCY RELATED? SO I'M GOING TO GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM COOP RADIO, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY SIDE EFFECTS NOTED IN PREGNANT WOMEN FROM THE VACCINE? OKAY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT ONE? UM, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THE SIDE EFFECTS HAVE BEEN THE SAME IN PREGNANCY AND NON-PREGNANT WOMEN, BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO COMMENT AS WELL.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING.
SO, UM, WE'VE SEEN THE SAME TYPE OF SIDE EFFECTS, WHICH I THINK HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED AND, UH, SPREAD ACROSS THE NEWS, WHICH IS THAT, UM, FOLKS CAN
[00:15:01]
HAVE, UM, HEADACHES OR MYALGIAS OR FEVERS AND SO FORTH.UM, AND TYPICALLY AT RATES THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN OTHER VACCINES, THAT WE ARE KIND OF A LITTLE BIT MORE USED TO LIKE FLU AND OTHER, UM, AND THE RATES OF HAVING THAT SEEM TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, THOSE SIDE EFFECTS, UM, AFTER THE SECOND DOSE COMPARED TO THE FIRST, UM, BUT REASSURINGLY FOR PREGNANT PEOPLE, UM, TYLENOL, WHICH WE KNOW IS SAFE TO TAKE IN PREGNANCY CAN ALLEVIATE THOSE SYMPTOMS, BUT DON'T DECREASE THE EFFICACY OF THE VACCINE.
UH, SO PREGNANT PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL FREE TO, UM, USE TYLENOL AS NEEDED, UM, TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THEIR, UM, SYMPTOMS, UH, BUT BE ABLE TO SAFELY RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM SPECTRUM NEWS, ARE THERE WOMEN IN ALL STAGES OF PREGNANCY HOSPITALIZED OR IS THERE A PARTICULAR TRIMESTER, WERE UN-VACCINATED PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEIR BABIES ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO SEVERE ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION FROM THE DELTA VARIANT.
ERIC, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THAT QUESTION? NO, I THINK UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE SEEING IT IN ALL TRIMESTERS OF PREGNANCY.
UM, BUT PARTICULARLY WE'RE ALSO SEEING IT IN OUR SECOND AND THIRD TRIMESTERS AND THAT'S WHERE IT MAKES US CONCERNED.
AND BECAUSE THAT'S, WHEN WE'RE REALLY HAVING TO DECIDE HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACT IN THE INCREASED RISK OF PRETERM BIRTH IN THESE MOMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M GOING TO MODIFY THIS QUESTION FROM FOX SEVEN, JUST TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE PREGNANCY RELATED.
I THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE FIXED IT.
SO AS FAR AS ICU CAPACITY GOES FOR PREGNANT WOMEN, DO WE HAVE ANY SOLID NUMBERS ON HOW MANY WOMEN ARE CURRENTLY HOSPITALIZED, UM, WHO ARE PREGNANT OR IN THE ICU WHO ARE PREGNANT? WE DO NOT HAVE, UM, DATA SOLID NUMBERS ON THAT DATA AND THAT'S ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT QUESTION? SO I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT ALSO.
YES, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S CHANGING SO RAPIDLY, THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS AND, UM, WE, WE DO HAVE A GROUP OF ADMINISTRATORS FROM ALL THREE OF OUR HEALTH SYSTEMS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE PATIENTS AND TAKE CARE OF THEM.
UM, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE ABSOLUTE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK WHAT'S MOST ALARMING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE'RE SEEING WOMEN, MORE WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT IN ICU.
SO THAT'S THE TAKE HOME MESSAGE HERE AND THAT WE'RE SEEING WOMEN REQUIRING ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT MEASURES LIKE ECMO.
WELL, WE'LL GO TO OUR SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS AND THIS IS THE ONE FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN.
IF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY MOVES INTO STAGE FIVE THIS WEEK, WHAT SHOULD UNVACCINATED OR PARTIALLY VACCINATED PREGNANT WOMEN DO TO FURTHER PROTECT THEMSELVES FOR THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED? SHOULD THEY ALSO TAKE ADDED PRECAUTIONS APART FROM WHAT'S RECOMMENDED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THEY ARE WORKING ON FINALIZING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS BASED UPON BEING IN STAGE FIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ADULT EVARIANT.
UM, BUT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE CDC GUIDELINES AND A COGS RECOMMENDATIONS IN ASKING PREGNANT WOMEN AND LACTATING WOMEN TO BE VACCINATED AND TO PROTECT THEMSELVES BY WEARING A MASK.
KALE ADD TO THAT, IF YOU'D LIKE, THANK YOU.
YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT STAGE WE'RE IN, WE'RE REALLY STRONGLY RECOMMENDING ARE PREGNANT PEOPLE AND THOSE THAT ARE CLOSE TO THEM TO PLEASE PLEASE GET VACCINATED, UM, AND AVAIL YOURSELF TO THIS REALLY INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE.
WE'VE LEARNED SO MUCH SO RAPIDLY ABOUT THIS VIRUS.
THAT'S MAKING PEOPLE VERY, VERY SICK AND ACTUALLY EVEN DIE.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY TO PLEASE GET VACCINATED.
I THINK THE POINT ABOUT MASKING IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.
WE ALSO KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS VIRUS AND HOW IT'S SPREAD, AND WE KNOW THAT WEARING A MASK AND HAVING THOSE AROUND YOU WEAR A MASK AND CONTINUING TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE WILL REDUCE THE CHANCE THAT YOU'LL CONTRACT THIS VARIANT.
[00:20:03]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CBS AUSTIN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE STILL TYPING.
SO WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO CBS.
AUSTIN, LET'S GO OVER TO UNIVISION.
ARE WE SEEING MORE HISPANIC OR MINORITY PREGNANT WOMEN? I'M ASSUMING HOSPITALIZED DR.
UM, IN, UH, SMFM, UH, WHICH IS THE SOCIETY FOR MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE, MOST RECENT STATEMENT, UH, THEY MENTIONED IN ADDITION TO THINGS LIKE DIABETES OR HEART DISEASE, UH, WE ARE SEEING MORE PREGNANT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN MINORITIES BEING ADMITTED AND HAVING MORE SEVERE DISEASE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE KNOW WHETHER THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE LESS OF THEM THAT ARE VACCINATED OR NOT, BUT WE DEFINITELY KNOW THAT THERE IS A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF THE MINORITIES BEING ADMITTED AND HAVING TO HAVE LIFE SUPPORT AND ICU SUPPORT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT, DR.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS WELL.
AND IT'S WHAT, NOT ONLY WE'RE SEEING HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, BUT THAT'S A CENTRAL THEME ACROSS THE U S BUT REALLY PARTICULARLY HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, I THINK ALL OF US AT OUR OWN HOSPITALS ARE SEEING THAT.
SO AGAIN, JUST REALLY STRESSING TO THE, TO ALL GROUPS, BUT PARTICULARLY THE MINORITIES TO TRY TO INCREASE THE VACCINATION RATES, NOT ONLY FOR PREGNANT MOMS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE PUSHING, BUT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AS WELL, UM, THAT THE FAMILY MEMBERS ALSO GET VACCINATED IN ADDITION TO WEARING MASKS.
THAT THAT'S HOW YOU CAN PROTECT NOT ONLY YOUR PREGNANT PATIENT, BUT ALSO THE FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL.
AND
UM, AND AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, UM, IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF WAY FOR THIS TO BE A FURTHER TRAGEDY IS THAT OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE OVERREPRESENTED BY OUR PATIENTS THAT WE'RE CARING FOR IN THE HOSPITAL FOR VERY, FOR BEING VERY, VERY SICK.
AND FOR THOSE THAT NEED ICU AND ECMO.
UM, SO WE REALLY ARE HOPEFUL, UM, TO CONTINUE TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO PLEASE PLEASE, UH, GO AND GET VACCINATED.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING BACK TO CBS AUSTIN NOW.
AND THEY'RE ASKING, DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON THE CHILD? WHEN A WOMAN HAS HAD A SEVERE CASE OF COVID-19.
WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT DIABETES IS SOMETHING THAT CAN DEVELOP IN CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD COVID-19, BUT I'LL DEFER THE QUESTION ALSO TO MY COLLEAGUES AND HAVE THEM EACH, UM, TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING IN THEIR PRACTICES.
ERIC, NO, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON CHILDHOOD THAT WE KNOW IS PRETERM BIRTH.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST RISKS WITH A MOM WHO GETS COVID IS THE RISK OF PRETERM BIRTH.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THAT CAN HAVE LONG-TERM EFFECTS DEPENDING ON HOW EARLY A BABY'S BORN INCREASES THE RISK FOR LONG-TERM RESPIRATORY ISSUES FOR, UM, BLINDNESS SOMETIMES FOR NEUROLOGIC DEVELOPMENT DELAYS.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE BIGGEST RISK TO THESE MOMS COMING OUT OF COVID IS PRETERM BIRTH, AND THAT CAN AFFECT BABIES LONGTERM.
WE ALSO UNFORTUNATELY KNOW THAT THERE'S INCREASED RISK OF STILLBIRTH.
AND SO THAT ALSO IS IMPACTING OF COURSE, THE PREGNANCY ITSELF AS WELL.
I WOULD ABSOLUTELY AGREE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA.
UM, IT HASN'T BEEN LONG ENOUGH, UM, TO EVALUATE THESE CHILDREN FOR ISSUES WHEN MOM HAS HAD COVID, BUT WE KNOW IN THE SHORT TERM THAT MANY OF THEM ARE NEEDING TO DELIVER EARLY EITHER BECAUSE IT'S IMPACTED THE FETUS OR IT'S IMPACTED THE MOM TO THE POINT THAT SHE NEEDS TO BE DELIVERED.
AND PREMATURITY DOES HAVE LONG-TERM EFFECTS, AS WELL AS YOU WERE MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP DIABETES OR OBESITY OR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR OTHER COMPLICATIONS LATER IN LIFE.
UM, SO I'M SURE THAT WE WILL SEE THAT DATA COME FORTH LATER ON.
WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME, UM, TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT LONGITUDINALLY AND DR.
YEAH, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WHAT WE, WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW ARE REALLY THINGS RELATED TO PREMATURITY.
UH, BUT I'LL ALSO MENTION THAT, UH, AND, AND THERE ARE, THERE'S A LIST OF THINGS THAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT AND STUDYING TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND.
UH, BUT WHAT I'LL ALSO SAY IS THAT, UM, NOT ALL MOMS HAVE SHOWN US THAT THEY CAN
[00:25:01]
RECOVER COMPLETELY.AND SO MANY OF THEM HAVE CONTINUED ON TO HAVE, UM, CHRONIC DISABILITIES, LIKE CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE AND GONE HOME HOME ON OXYGEN AND OTHER TYPES OF THINGS THAT AFFECT THEIR ABILITY, EVEN CARE FOR THEIR BABY AND BONDING AND BREASTFEEDING AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT DEVELOPING BABIES.
SO I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT JUST SEEING THAT, UH, PATIENTS ARE ADMITTED OR HAVE THESE, UH, VERY, UM, DIFFICULT HOSPITAL COURSES.
BUT IN FACT, WE HAVE PATIENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN GET COMPLETELY BETTER YET.
UM, AND SO THAT OF COURSE IMPACTS, UM, MOM AND BABY AND THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K X, A N I'LL HAVE FIRST DOSE VACCINATION RATES CHANGED AS WE'VE SEEN MORE COVID 19 CASES LOCALLY.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING VACCINATED.
IT'S BEEN A SLOW, INCREMENTAL INCREASE, BUT, UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL, BUT WE NEED PEOPLE TO REALLY START GETTING THIS, UM, VACCINE IN A MUCH MORE RAPID PHASE.
UM, WE'RE BASING A VERY, VERY INTO THIS COVID 19 THAT IS VERY AGGRESSIVE.
UM, IT'S CAUSING SEVERE DISEASE AND ILLNESS AND VACCINATIONS ARE THE WAY TO PREVENT SEVERE DISEASE AND HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATH.
AND WE PARTICULARLY ARE REALLY IMMENSELY IN THIS MOMENT REALLY ASKING PREGNANT WOMEN AND PEOPLE THAT ARE BREASTFEEDING TO GO AND GET BAGS, UNAIDED AND SAFE.
AND WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE NOT GETTING THAT, UM, POPULATION FOLKS TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE OF SAFETY, THE VACCINE.
SO TODAY WE'RE, WE'RE ASSEMBLED ONE AND ALL TO SAY, WEAR A MASK AND PLEASE GET VACCINATED.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K O O P RADIO.
HAVE WE SEEN COVID TRANSMISSION FROM MOTHER TO THE WOMB? AND WHAT CAN WE KNOW OF THE LONG-TERM IMPACT ON CHILDREN WHO CAN TRACT IT? OKAY.
WE DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT DATA AND EVALUATION THE DATA THAT WE DO HAVE TO MAKE ANY DETERMINATIONS ABOUT THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF COVID-19.
SO, UM, AS WE WERE MENTIONING EARLIER, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO COVID.
UM, SO IT, IT HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE PLACENTA, UM, AND WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT THERE IS MATERNAL TO NEWBORN TRANSMISSION.
UM, BUT THE, THE IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IS THAT EVEN IF A FETUS IS NOT DIRECTLY INFECTED THE INFECTION OF THAT PLACENTA OR THE INFLAMMATION, OR THE CLOTTING THAT OCCURS FROM THIS DISORDER RESULTS IN SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE OUTCOMES FOR THAT FETUS, UM, WITH THE MOST SEVERE VEINS STILL BIRTH.
AND SO I'M SURE AS WE START TO STUDY EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW THESE CHILDREN, WE WILL GET MORE DATA AS FAR AS THE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES.
AND NOW WE'RE ON OUR LAST QUESTION FROM SPECTRUM NEWS.
HAVE WE SEEN ANY BREAKTHROUGH CASES WITH VACCINATED PREGNANT WOMEN? IF SO, HOW SEVERE HAS THE ILLNESS, BEN, HAS IT BEEN SEVERE ENOUGH TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE BABY'S HEALTH? WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT DR.
UM, SO WHILE NOT COMMON, UH, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, PATIENTS, UH, GET SICK, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S UNCOMMON, UM, AND THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WOULD GET SEVERELY SICK IS ALSO UNCOMMON.
UH, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT ALL OF US ARE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT VACCINATION, BUT THE OTHER TYPES OF HABITS WE CAN, UM, RECOMMEND TO OUR, UH, PREGNANT FOLKS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO TRY AND PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM GETTING ONE DR.
ERIC, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS? I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BREAKTHROUGH CASES, THE VAST MAJORITY
[00:30:01]
OF OUR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS AND THOSE IN THE ICU THAT ARE PREGNANT WITH COVID ARE UNVACCINATED.SO JUST TO EMPHASIZE WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN SAYING IS THAT REALLY THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF IS TO GET VACCINATED AND TO PRACTICE EXACTLY THE CDC PROTECTION GUIDELINES, WHICH IS ALSO TO MASK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS THAT WE'RE SEEING HOSPITALIZED IN THE ICU ARE UNVACCINATED.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD COMPLETELY AGREE.
UM, JUST LIKE IN THE NON-PREGNANT POPULATION, UM, VACCINATION, UH, IS VERY CLEARLY, UH, HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AS FAR AS RISK FOR SEVERE DISEASE AND, UM, ICU ADMISSION.
AND WE ARE SEEING THE SAME WITH OUR, WITH OUR PREGNANT POPULATION.
WE HAVE HAD SOME BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
UM, PERSONALLY, I HAVE NOT HAD ANY BREAKTHROUGH CASES THAT HAVE NEEDED HOSPITALIZATION, ALTHOUGH I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, SO THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO IS, IS TO BE VACCINATED.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL GO INTO OUR CLOSING REMARKS, DR.
WACHS, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING ME THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WHAT WE'RE FACING.
AS WE RESPOND TO THE COVID 19 DELTA VARIANT, UM, WE ARE HERE TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY THE FACTS TO, UH, DISPEL THE MISINFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE.
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF, UM, OBSTETRICS AND COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY ON THURSDAY RELEASED A STATEMENT STATING THAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING VACCINATIONS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE BREASTFEEDING.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE THAT'S LISTENING TODAY.
VACCINES WILL PROTECT YOU FROM BECOMING INFECTED BY COVID-19.
THEY PROTECT, UH, AGAINST SEVERE ILLNESS AND THEY PROTECT, UH, PR HELP TO PREVENT HOSPITALIZATIONS.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, WHICH IS MUCH, MUCH MORE ALARMING IS THAT WE ARE SEEING PREGNANT WOMEN WHO REQUIRE LIFE SUPPORT MEASURES, UM, TO THE EXTENT OF NOT ONLY BEING ON A VENTILATOR, BUT BEING ON ECMO, WHICH IS A MACHINE THAT'S USED TO HELP REST YOUR LUNG AND YOUR HEART LUNGS IN YOUR HEART SO THAT YOUR BLOOD CAN GET OXYGEN.
THAT'S THAT'S PUTTING A LOT OF STRESS ON NOT ONLY THE WOMAN WHO IS PREGNANT, BUT ALSO ON THE FETUS AND ON THAT CHILD THEN HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR HAVING TO BE BORN TOO EARLY, THAT CAN AFFECT ITS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, OR SADLY SOME, IN SOME CASES, THERE CAN BE STILLBORN BIRTHS.
SO OUR COMMUNITY, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO WEAR A MASK, UM, PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND YOURSELVES BY BEING VACCINATED.
AND LET'S GET TO THE END OF THIS.
LET'S, LET'S BE THE DELTA VARIANT.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SO INFECTIOUS.
IT'S LIKE IT SPREADS LIKE CHICKENPOX, AND WE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY NEED TO TAKE THESE MEASURES AND THAT SERIOUSLY, SO THAT WE CAN PREVENT ILLNESS AND DISEASE IN OUR PREGNANT POPULATION AND PARTICULARLY IN OUR UNBORN CHILDREN.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING ME THIS MORNING AND, UM, WE'LL WORK AT THIS TOGETHER AND GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
WACHS, THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEDIA AVAILABILITY FOR TODAY.
WE'D LIKE TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO DR.
KIMBERLY'S THE FANO AND TO OUR POOL REPORTER FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN, HEATHER OSBOURNE.
THANK YOU, AND HAVE A SAFE WEEK.