Health Headlines - 7-8-20

In today's health headlines we talk about a man who thinks that he may be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Hospitals in North Texas may be getting more help soon after a surge of COVID-19 cases.

A GRADUATE STUDENT IN BALTIMORETHINKS... HE COULD BE THE FIRSTPERSON SUCCESSFULLYIMMUNIZED AGAINST COVID-19.DAVID RACH IS PART OF A CLINICALTRIAL AT THE UNIVERSITY OFMARYLAND.RACH WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO BEINJECTED WITH A TRIAL COVID-19VACCINE IN EARLY MAY.EARLY INDICATIONS SHOW THEVACCINE IS WORKING -- BYSTIMULATING THE GROWTH OFANTIBODIES IN THOSEVACCINATED... AT RATES EQUAL TOOR HIGHER THAN IN THOSEWHO'VE HAD COVID-19."IT'S EXCITING.

IT'S EXCITINGFROM THE SIDE OF A PARTICIPANT,IT'S EXCITING FROM THE SIDE OF AGRADUATE STUDENT STUDYINGIMMUNOLOGY AND IT IS ALSOEXCITING IN HOPEFULLY THEPROMISE OFA VACCINE BY NEXT YEAR AND LIFERETURNING TO A SEMBLANCE OFNORMAL."RACH DOESN'T KNOW FOR SURE IF HEGOT THE ACTUAL VACCINE..

OR ASALINE SOLUTIONSINCE IT IS A "DOUBLE BLIND"TRIAL.BUT SINCE HE HAD A SLIGHTREACTION TO HIS SECOND DOSE --HE'S CONVINCED HE'S ONE OF THEVERY FEW PEOPLE IN THE WORLDVACCINATED AGAINST THECORONAVIRUS.HE'LL BE CHECKED AGAIN INOCTOBER... AND HOPES TESTS WILLSHOW HE HAS FULLIMMUNITY.PFIZER... THE MAKER OF THEVACCINE... HAS SAID..

IF ALLGOES WELL -- IT WILL PRODUCE100-MILLION DOSES BEFORE THE ENDOF THE YEAR.HOSPITALS IN NORTH TEXAS MAYSOON BE GETTING HELP FROM THEMILITARY... TO FIGHTA SPIKE OF CORONAVIRUS CASES INTHE AREA.MANY HOSPITALS ARE EXPANDING TOSURGE CAPACITY TO TREAT MOREPATIENTS... BUT ASFOX'S ALISON HARRIS TELLS US...THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH ASHORTAGE OF STAFF.HOSPITALS IN DFW ARE NOW USINGSURGE PLANS.AN AREA ER DOCTOR TELLS FOX 4THAT AT ONE HOSPITAL, ICU BEDSARE FULL...PATIENTS ARE UNABLE TO BEADMITTED, AND ARE WAITING IN THEER FOR A ROOM...AND THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH DOCTORSAND NURSES TO WORK INPATIENTROOMS.0:19 - 0:24CASANOVA SAYS: "OURRANK-AND-FILE PHYSICIANS ANDNURSES HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHESNOW, RELENTLESSLY, FOR THREE ANDA HALF MONTHS.

AND THERE ISDISCERNIBLE FATIGUE."THE DFW HOSPITAL COUNCIL ISPREPARING TO LEARN WEDNESDAYWHETHER MILITARY MEDICALPERSONNEL WILL COME TO NORTHTEXAS FOR SUPPORT.THE FEDERAL DISASTER MEDICALASSISTANCE TEAM IS COORDINATING.IT'S A SITUATION THAT'S ALREADYHAPPENING IN SAN ANTONIO.THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEDEPLOYED ABOUT 50 MEDICALPERSONNEL TO SUPPORT DOCTORSTHERE.CASANOVA SAYS: "THE SHEER NUMBEROF PATIENTS MAY OUTSTRETCH OURCAPACITY TO EFFECTIVELYAND SAFELY CARE FOR THEPATIENTS."DR. MARK CASANOVA IS PRESIDENTOF THE DALLAS COUNTY MEDICALSOCIETY.HE SAYS DFW HOSPITALS PROBABLYHAVE ENOUGH BED...BUT HAVING ENOUGH HEALTHYPHYSICIANS ABLE TO TREATPATIENTS IS ANOTHER CONCERN.CASANOVA SAYS: "A LOT OF THATJUST DEPENDS AGAIN ON THESTAFFING.

SOMETIMES YOU CAN HAVEAN EMPTY BED, BUT IF OURSTAFFING RATIOS ARE SUCH THAT WEDON'T HAVE THE NURSE OR THEPHYSICIANTO CARE FOR THAT PATIENT, WENEED TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE THATMEMBER READY TO SERVE THOSEPATIENTS ON THE FLOOR."HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN MOVINGPATIENTS AMONG HEALTH SYSTEMS TOTRY TO BALANCE CAPACITY.THE ER DOCTOR I'VE SPOKEN WITHSAYS THEY HAVE TRIEDTRANSFERRING PATIENTS TO OTHERHOSPITALS, BUT THERE'S STILL NOTENOUGH STAFF.CASANOVA SAYS HOSPITALS ARE ALSONOW BACKFILLING SUPPORT, MOVINGER DOCTORS INTO INTENSIVECARE.CASANOVA SAYS: "WE'RE GOING TOCARE FOR FOLKS AND WE'RE GOINGTO DO IT TO THE BEST OF OURABILITIES, BUT WE'RE DOING ITUNDER DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES."MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE WEARINGMASKS... BUT IT'S TOUGH TO DOWHEN YOU'REEATING OR DRINKING.THAT'S WHERE "SHUT YOUR MOUTH"COMES IN.THE TEXAS-BASED COMPANY HASCREATED A FACE MASK WITH AZIPPER OVER THEMOUTH.THAT MAKES IT EASY TO UNZIP...AND TAKE A GULP OF WATER OR ABITE OF FOOD.THESE ZIPPERED FACE MASKS COST34-99... AND COME IN A VARIETYOF FABRICS AND COLOR