A Tufts doctor reacts to a White House COVID-19 briefing which says Massachusetts has the 49th best rate in the country when it comes to infection.
EMILY: THERE ARE NOW 200,000DEATHS IN THE U.S. TIED TOCOVID-19, THE THIRD-LEADINGCAUSE OF DEATH IN THE U.S. WHENCOMPARED TO CANCER, CRASHES ANDOTHER DISEASES.WE’RE JOINED NOW BY DR. HELENBOUCHER, CHIEF OF THE DIVISIONOF GEOGRAPHIC MEDICINE ANDINFECTIOUS DISEASE AT TUFTSMEDICAL CENTER.GOOD TO SEE YOU.DR. BOUCHER: GOOD TO SEE YOU,EMILY.EMILY: THE INITIAL ESTIMATES FORDEATH WERE ABOUT HALF OF THATNUMBER.THE U.S. IS KNOWN FOR ITSMEDICAL EXPERTISE, HOW DID WEGET HERE?DR. BOUCHER: IT IS SUCH A SADDAY, AND I THINK WE GOT HEREFROM A LACK OF PREPAREDNESS.PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS ISREALLY IMPORTANT, AS IS PANDEMICPREPAREDNESS.WE WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD,WITHOUT TESTING CAPACITY ANDREALLY SIMPLE MEASURES WE NEEDEDTO CONTROL THESE VIRUS.-- CONTROL THIS VIRUS.MANY OF THESE DEATHS WEREPREVENTABLE.EMILY: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE RESTOF THE WORLD.PARTS OF EUROPE ARE SHUTTINGDOWN AGAIN AND RE-INSTATINGRESTRICTIONS AS CASE NUMBERSSPIKE.THAT REGION SAW OUTBREAKSEARLIER THIS YEAR BEFORE WE DID., SHOULD THESE NEW SHUT DOWNS BEA WARNING, OR ARE WE IN BETTERSHAPE OVERALL?DR. BOUCHER: WE HAVE TO PAYATTENTION TO WHAT IS GOING ON.ALL OF US ARE FEELING PANDEMICFATIGUE HERE, AND THIS ISNOT THE TIME TO GET LESS FOCUSEDON MAINTAINING PHYSICALDISTANCE, COVERING OUR FACEOUTSIDE, AVOIDING CROWDS ANDWASHING HANDS FREQUENTLY,ESPECIALLY AS WE GET INTO WINTERCOLD AND FLU SEASON AND SPENDMORE TIME INDOORS.WE NEED TO LEARN AS MUCH AS WECAN AND AVOID THAT HAPPENINGHERE.EMILY: THOSE ARE THINGSMASSACHUSETTS HAS DONE WELL.ABC NEWS OBTAINED A WHITE HOUSECOVID-19 BRIEFING THAT COVERSALL OF THE STATES.SO IT SAYS MASSACHUSETTS HAS THE49TH-BEST RATE IN THE COUNTRYWHEN IT COMES TO INFECTION.WHY ARE WE DOING BETTER THANPRETTY MUCH EVERYONE ELSE, ANDHOW DO WE KEEP IT THAT WAY?DR. BOUCHER: THIS IS THE GOODNEWS, AND WE OWE GOVERNOR BAKERAND HIS TASK FORCE A HUGE DEBTOF GRATITUDE, AND ALL THECITIZENS DOING THE HARD WORK TOKEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING AND KEEPINFECTIONS DOWN.THIS IS TIME FOR US TO DOUBLEDOWN, KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL ANDBUSINESSES OPEN-END DO OUR BESTTO KEEP IT THAT WAY THROUGHOUTTHE WINTER.EMILY: T
The Tufts doctor speaks about a realistic timeline for a COVID-19 vaccine, and who should get tested for coronavirus.
The World Health Organization said Friday that widespread vaccination for COVID-19 is not likely until the middle of next year.