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I'LL SET.[Monkeypox Emergency Declaration News Conference]
ANDY BROWN.AND, UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO DECLARE A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATED TO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF CASES OF THE MONKEY POX VIRUS HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM ME FROM MAYOR ADLER, FROM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR.
WACHS, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY PLR SANCHEZ, WHO IS THE HEAD OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, SO BY THE END OF THIS, MY HOPE IS THAT EVERYBODY WILL KNOW WHAT MONKEYPOX IS, WHAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE AND WHAT TO DO.
IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, OUR HOPE IS THAT THIS DECLARATION WILL HELP DRIVE MORE RESOURCES TO TRAVIS COUNTY AND AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY VACCINES, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF RIGHT NOW.
AND ALSO MORE TESTING AND QUICKER TESTING FOR THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STARTS NEXT WEEK.
I'VE GOT TWO LITTLE KIDS THAT ARE ENROLLING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEXT WEEK FOR DEL VALLEY.
IT HAS ALREADY STARTED, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING CASES, NOT JUST IN LOCAL MEN, BUT ALSO IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
I'M GOING TO JUST QUOTE FROM, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES.
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT MONKEY PARKS IS A SERIOUS ILLNESS, WHICH CAN BE PAINFUL AND REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION.
IN RECENT YEARS, THE CASE FATALITY RATE HAS BEEN THREE TO 6%.
AND THE NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM MONKEY PARK'S DISEASE HAS BEEN HIGHER IN YOUNG CHILDREN.
THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE NEED TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY WITH LIMITED SUPPLIES OF VACCINE RESOURCES.
WE'RE CALLING ON OUR STATE AND OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS TO HELP US GET MORE VACCINES IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF VACCINE AVAILABLE, AND WE NEED THE TEXAS STATE GOVERNMENT TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS.
WHEN WE REQUEST MORE VACCINE LOCALLY, WE'RE READY TO DISTRIBUTE VACCINES, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH AND OTHER CLINICS ARE READY WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE JUST NEED ACCESS TO MORE VACCINES.
WE ALSO WANT THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF THE RISKS AND URGE EVERYONE TO TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AS WILL BE DESCRIBED BY DOCTOR WALKS WITH COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, SCHOOLS, AND FESTIVALS HAPPENING SOON HAPPENING THIS FALL.
IT'S IMPERATIVE FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF MONKEY PARKS AND TO DO OUR PART TO SLOW THE SPREAD.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED OR ARE SHOWING SYMPTOMS AS DR.
WACHS WILL DESCRIBE, MAKE SURE TO CALL YOUR HEALTH PROVIDER OR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
WACHS, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR HEALTH AUTHORITY.
MY NAME IS DOCTOR DOES MAR WALKS ON THE HEALTH AUTHORITY FOR US TO IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY RESPONDING TO A MONKEY POX AND IT'S SPREAD IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE SYMPTOMS OF MONKEY POX ARE FEVER, CHILLS, HEADACHE, ACHINESS, UM, AND THERE CAN BE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE THINGS PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RASH THAT LOOKS LIKE POCS, UH, BIG PIMPLES, UM, OR YOU CAN DEVELOP THAT RASH FIRST WITHOUT THOSE SYMPTOMS THAT WE'VE JUST, I'VE JUST DESCRIBED.
THIS PARTICULAR VIRUS, UH, HAS TWO FORMS AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN FORM IN THE WEST AFRICAN FORM.
AND THE ONE THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THE WEST AFRICAN FORM, WHICH IS NOT CAUSING A SEVERE DISEASE, BUT FOR THOSE WHO DEVELOP IT OR DEVELOP THIS RASH IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TISSUE, IT CAN CAUSE A LOT OF PAIN.
WE HAVE 68, UH, PROBABLE AND CONFIRMED CASES IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, WE STARTED WITH OUR FIRST CASE ON JUNE THE 23RD, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, VIRUS IS SPREAD BY CLOSE DIRECT SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT, UM, WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS THE RASH OR HAS SYMPTOMS OF THE FEVER, CHILLS, ET CETERA.
UM, AND WHEN SOMEBODY DEVELOPS SYMPTOMS, THEY ARE INFECTIOUS.
THEY ARE NOT RECOVERED UNTIL ALL OF THE SKIN'S CLEAR OF SCABS.
AND THERE'S A FRESH LAYER OF SKIN.
THE INFECTION IS SPREAD BY THE TOUCHING OF THE SKIN THAT HAS THE SCABS, THE FLUID FROM THOSE, UH, LESIONS AND FROM CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE, UM, AND THEIR SPREAD OF THAT VIRUS IN THEIR RESPIRATORY SECRETION.
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IS IMPORTANT.WE HAVE BEEN VACCINATING OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SINCE OUR RECEIPT OF VACCINES, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO, UH, VACCINATE INDIVIDUALS.
WHO'VE BEEN EXPOSED AND WE'VE BEEN TREATING PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TREATMENT, WHO REQUIRED THE TREATMENT PARTICULARLY TO ALLEVIATE PAIN.
UM, AND THOSE RESOURCES ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE SCARCE AS WE HAVE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE COME TO YOU TODAY TO DECLARE THIS AS AN EMERGENCY, AS HAS BEEN DONE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, TO ASK THE COMMUNITY AS OUR RESOURCES BECOME MORE TAPPED TO DO WHAT WE KNOW WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY TO STOP THE SPREAD WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT IS WASH HANDS, UM, AVOID DIRECT SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT BY COVERING YOUR SKIN WHEN YOU CAN, UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK OR HAVE A RASH STAY HOME AND ISOLATE UNTIL YOU RECOVER.
AND, AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE, UM, IN THAT SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT SENDING CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL, AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE GOING BACK TO UNIVERSITY, WE PROVIDE THE GUIDANCE TO, UM, TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT YOURSELF IN THOSE, IN THAT WAY AS WELL.
WE HAVE MADE REQUESTS TO THE STATE FOR VACCINE AND FOR MEDICATIONS, AND WE'VE RECEIVED SOME OF THOSE OF BOTH OF THOSE THINGS UP TODAY AS OF, AS OF TODAY.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE DISEASE IS SPREADING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE COME, WE'VE COME TO A PLACE WHERE THOSE THINGS ARE RUNNING OUT.
AND SO WE REALLY DO NEED OUR COMMUNITY TO STAND WITH US AS THEY HAVE IN MANY TIMES, MANY TIMES BEFORE AND PROTECT YOURSELVES, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN, UM, ENJOY THE FESTIVALS THAT ARE, UM, COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY AND SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO WORK, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILIES.
IF YOU BECOME ILL, UM, YOU WILL HAVE TO ISOLATE AT HOME UNTIL YOU RECOVER.
UM, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A FINANCIAL DRAIN ON YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
SO WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU TAKE THOSE MEASURES THAT WE'RE AT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY, SO THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS AND, AND BRING AN END TO THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MAYOR ADLER.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH US TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE ISSUING, UH, EMERGENCY ORDERS TODAY, PRIMARILY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE AWARE OF.
WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THAT, THAT AWARENESS.
THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE URGENCY, UH, IS, IS NOTED AND COMMUNICATED, UH, AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE DOING THAT, UH, WE'RE DOING THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ADJUST THEIR BEHAVIORS.
SO AS TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OR THE POTENTIAL FOR SPREAD IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THIS BEGAN, UH, UH, UH, IN, IN ISOLATED INCIDENTS GREW IN CERTAIN SOCIAL COMMUNITIES, BUT IT IS NOW CLEAR.
IT IS SPREADING ACROSS ALL COMMUNITIES.
I THINK THE LAST NUMBERS I HEARD THERE WERE, THERE WERE NINE WOMEN AND ONE CHILD, UH, IN TEXAS, UH, THAT, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, UH, CONFIRMED.
UH, WE KNOW THAT IT IS HERE IN OUR COUNTY, UH, IN, IN OUR STATE AS A 5:00 PM ON JULY 29TH.
I THINK THERE WERE 351 CONFIRMED CASES.
UH, AND, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN 48 CONFIRMED OR PROBABLE CASES HERE IN AUSTIN.
TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS RECEIVED THIRTY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR OF THE 56,000 DOSES OF VACCINE AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE DURING THE FIRST PHASE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SUBSEQUENT PHASES TO COME, BUT THAT MEANS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN A PRETTY LARGE PROPORTION OF THE VACCINE AVAILABLE NATIONALLY.
UH, WE NEED, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO, UH, UH, DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF MEDICINE AND VACCINE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO,
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AND TO, UH, OTHERS.YEAH, THE REASON THAT YOU ENTER AN EMERGENCY ORDER LIKE THIS IS SO THAT WE'RE IN LINE AND WE CAN RECOVER, UH, COST AND REIMBURSEMENT.
AND CERTAINLY OUR COMMUNITY HAS STARTED TO EXPAND GREATER FUNDS, UH, FOR OUTREACH, UH, AND FOR HELPING PEOPLE GET, UH, A TREATMENT THAT'S THAT'S AVAILABLE.
BUT I THINK THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE COMING OUT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY IS FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A DISEASE THAT DOES NOT PASS ABSENT SYMPTOMS, BUT WITH SYMPTOMS, UH, THIS IS, UH, A DISEASE THAT IS CONTAGIOUS AND CAN PASS.
UH, ONE OF THE, THE, THE RISKS ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH, UH, THIS, UH, UH, UH, ILLNESS, UH, ARE THINGS LIKE HAVING MULTIPLE SEXUAL PARTNERS, UH, AND PEOPLE SHOULD SEEK TO, TO, TO LIMIT, UH, CONDUCT THAT MIGHT MAKE THEM MORE, UH, VULNERABLE, UH, IN THIS, UM, MOMENT TAKING LESSONS FROM PAST EPIDEMICS.
UH, WE'RE ASKING RESIDENTS, UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE AT GREATEST RISK, UH, BECAUSE OF THEIR COMMUNITY OR SOCIAL NETWORKS OR THEIR PERSONAL DISPOSITION OR HEALTH, UH, TO BE AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND TO TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, UH, AND THOSE, UH, UH, AROUND THEM, UH, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS DOING EVERYTHING THAT, THAT IT CAN, UH, BUT AS WE GO BACK TO SCHOOL, AS WE MOVE FURTHER, FURTHER INTO THE FESTIVAL SEASON, UH, AS A COMMUNITY, WE JUST NEED TO BE AWARE, UH, AND WE NEED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AS BEST WE CAN.
UH, IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, UH, YOU NEED TO, TO ISOLATE AND, AND ACT IN A WAY THAT, UH, PROTECTS FOLKS, UH, AROUND YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE'S IS, UH, YOU KNOW, YET ANOTHER, UH, UH, TIME.
UH, AND WE'VE SEEN TOO MANY OF THEM HERE, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WHERE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO PULL TOGETHER, BUT THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED A REMARKABLE ABILITY TO DO THAT AND TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER.
UH, AND TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE IS JUST TO, UH, RAISE, UH, PRIMARILY TO RAISE AWARENESS, UH, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO YET AGAIN.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THEY WANT TO DRINK? WHAT EXACTLY WILL THIS STEP RELATION TO OTHER THAN KIND OF CREATE AWARENESS? AND YOU SAID, YOU'RE HOPING TO GET MORE VACCINES AVAILABLE AND RESOURCES FOR TESTING, BUT WHAT WE'LL ACTUALLY DO HERE IN AUSTIN, I THINK THAT THE ORDERS THAT ARE ENTERED HERE AS A, AS A LOGISTICAL MATTER ARE, ARE INTENDED TO RAISE AWARENESS.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE ORDERS THEMSELVES, THAT THAT ORDER ANY SPECIFIC, UH, CONDUCT OR, OR RULES.
IT DEMONSTRATES TO THE COMMUNITY, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE MOMENT AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, UH, ASSUMING THAT, UH, FUNDING AND REIMBURSEMENT IS EVENTUALLY AVAILABLE FOR THIS, UH, DISASTER AS WITH PAST ONES, UH, IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A DECLARATION SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BEST ABLE TO, TO, TO GET THAT REIMBURSEMENT.
AND WHY WAS NOW THE TIME TO PUT THIS SEPARATION AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF OUR RESOURCES? SURE, SURE.
AS WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF A VACCINE AND MEDICATIONS, WE WANT TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND ASK THEM TO HELP US, UH, STEM THE TIDE OF A SPREAD OF THE DISEASE AND ALLOW US THE TIME TO RETOOL AND REFUEL AS IT WERE AND GET WHAT WE NEED TO TREAT PEOPLE AND TO VACCINATE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THE NUMBERS? YOU SAID 68, MARY, YOU SAID 48 CASES LOCALLY IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, THERE ARE ACTUALLY 68 CASES.
UM, AND THE, THERE ARE NINE, UM, WOMEN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, TODAY AND TWO CHILDREN, THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT, UM, JUST CONFINED TO ONE SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS POSSIBLE AS, AS THE DISEASE SPREADS, IT CAN SPREAD ACROSS THE POPULATION.
SO WE NEED TO TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
UH, WHY HAS THE ROLLOUT OF THE
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VACCINE BEEN SO SLOW? IS IT THE STATE, THE FEDERAL LEVEL? AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE WITH VACCINES.UM, IT'S JUST TAKING A WHILE TO GET DOWN HERE.
THE VACCINE ITSELF IS ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED IN DENMARK, AND WE HAD LIMITED SUPPLY HERE AT THE OUTSET OF THIS OUTBREAK, AND WE'RE WAITING FOR MORE TO BE PRODUCED.
AND WHEN IT ARRIVES, IT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED ACCORDINGLY BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT CONSIDERING THE LIMITED SUPPLY WHO, WHO CAN GET TO THAT, UM, THE VACCINE IS BEING GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A KNOWN POSITIVE CASE OF MONKEYPOX.
AND, UM, TO THOSE WHO HAVE, UM, BEEN IN A CITY AS A PRIORITY ONE.
AND THEN, UM, THE SECOND PRIORITY IS FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN IN A VENUE OR AN AT AN EVENT WHERE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED AND THAT'S WHERE OUR EPIDEMIOLOGY TEAM AND OUR DISEASE SURVEILLANCE TEAM COMES IN BECAUSE THEY CALL EACH AND EVERY CASE AND IDENTIFY THOSE WHO'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO THEM.
WHO'VE HAD CLOSE, PROLONGED CONTACT SO THAT WE CAN DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE TO THE MOST AT RISK INDIVIDUALS IN THAT SCENARIO FOR ANY AGE GROUP, AND ALSO PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD A SMALL CRACK IN, WOULD THEY BE PROTECTED? UM, THERE IS PROTECTION FROM THE SMALLPOX VACCINE.
IN FACT, THIS IS A SMALL PACK POX VACCINE THAT'S BEEN GIVEN AN EXTENDED USE, UM, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS OUTBREAK.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW THE DURATION OF THE, UM, PROTECTION THAT'S GIVEN BY THE SMALLPOX VACCINE THAT MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE HAD, UH, EARLIER AGE, LONG TIME AGO.
UM, SO IT'S STILL IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE PROTECT, YOU KNOW, THE PROTECTIVE STEPS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY WITH THE CURRENT VACCINE THAT'S GIVEN WHICH ONE IS IT AND WHAT AGE GROUPS CAN GET IT AT THE IT'S A CAN BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN.
UM, AND IT IS WHAT WAS THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION WHERE WE'RE USING THE JENNY-O VACCINE, WHICH IS A VIRAL, NON REPLICATING VACCINE.
ARE THERE ANY WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN TRAVIS COUNTY? I'M NOT AT THIS POINT, HE DESCRIBED SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS. UH, SOME OF THE ACCOUNTS THAT I'VE BEEN READING SOUNDED PRETTY AWFUL, AWFUL PAIN.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT AND WHAT WHAT'S SEVERITY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? THE PAIN CAN BE QUITE EXCRUCIATING, UM, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S IN THE MOUTH OR ON THE GENITALIA OR ANAL AREAS, UM, BECAUSE THOSE ARE REALLY SENSITIVE MUCOSAL, SURFACES, LININGS.
UM, SO ANYBODY THAT'S HAVING THOSE, UM, SYMPTOMS OR HAS LESIONS IN THOSE AREAS IS THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE PAIN.
THAT'S ALSO, UM, PROBLEMATIC IF YOU GET THIS PARTICULAR VIRUS IN YOUR EYE.
UM, SO THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THOSE PARTICULAR ANATOMICAL AREAS THAT ARE INVOLVED ARE PRIORITIZED FOR RECEIPT OF THE ORAL PILL FORM OF THE TICK OF ARAMAIC THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE STATE.
LAST QUESTION, YOU GUYS MENTIONED FESTIVALS.
WE DO HAVE AUSTIN PRIDE FAMILY UP NEXT WEEKEND.
UM, DURING PRIDE MONTH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT THE VIRUS WAS FUELED BY THOSE TYPES OF CELEBRATIONS.
IS THERE ANY CONCERN ABOUT THAT NEXT WEEKEND OR ANY UPCOMING FESTIVALS WE MIGHT HAVE WITH CLOTHES? SKIN IS GETTING PUNCHED? SO I, I, I POSE IT A DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, THE VIRUS SPREADS WHEN WE DON'T TAKE THE ACTION THAT WE NEED TO, TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
SO IF WE DO WHAT WE NEED TO AND STAY HOME, IF WE'RE SICK, WASH OUR HANDS, WEAR A MASK.
IF WE'RE GOING TO BE IN REALLY CLOSE FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT FOR PROLONGED PERIODS OF TIME, UM, WE'RE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO CONDUCT OUR LIVES IN A SAFE MANNER, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO US.
SO WE GOT TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
AND I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT FOR MOST PEOPLE, THIS IS A SELF-LIMITING DISEASE.
YOU HAVE IT FOR ALL THE, A LOT OF TIME.
IT'S 21 TO 28 DAYS, BUT IT, IT'S NOT LIKE COVID WHERE PEOPLE INITIALLY WERE GETTING SO SICK AND IN THE HOSPITAL AND DYING.
UM, THIS, THIS IS USUALLY SELF-LIMITED, IT'S MORE PROBLEMATIC FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING IT IN THE MOUTH AND AN AREAS WHERE IT'S PAINFUL AND IT'S MORE PROBLEMATIC FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE PREGNANT BECAUSE THEY CAN PASS IT TO THEIR FETUS.
UM, FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHT, FOR PEOPLE WHOSE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS NOT, UM, ABLE TO PROTECT THEM AS WELL.
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SO THOSE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PRIORITIZED FOR TREATMENT WITH OUR ORAL ANTIVIRALS.UM, BUT OVERALL, WE JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF COMMISSION FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN THIS, YOU KNOW, SMALLPOX WAS IN OUR COMMUNITY A LONG TIME AGO AND WE ERADICATED IT WITH VACCINE.
AND WHEN WE, IF WE CAN JUST HUNKER DOWN FOR NOW UNTIL WE GET THE VACCINE AND PROTECT OURSELVES RIGHT NOW, UM, WHEN WE GET VACCINE, WE'LL START VACCINATING PEOPLE AND WE'LL WEATHER THIS, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE THE STEPS WE NEED TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
WE'VE HAD ONE PERSON WHO WAS IN HOSPITAL OVERNIGHT DUE TO, UM, UNCONTROLLED PAIN AND MILD SKIN INFECTION.
THAT WASN'T MY BRAIN, BUT THE STATE