Coronavirus Cases Rise in Wisconsin

Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, discusses why Wisconsin is seeing a surge in Coronavirus Cases.

ADRIENNE: WELCOME BACK TOUPFRONT.GOVERNOR EVERS’ MASK MANDATE WASORIGINALLY SET TO EXPIRETOMORROW.BUT THE GOVERNOR DECLARED A NEWPUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCYEXTENDING THE MASK MANDATE TNOVEMBER 21.HE CITED RISING CASES,SPECIFICALLY ON COLLEGECAMPUSES.REPUBLICANS RESPONDED RIGHTAWAY.SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SCOTTFITZGERALD SAYING THE NEW MASKMANDATE IS "NOT WORTH THE PAPERIT’S PRINTED ON, AND ALMOSTASSUREDLY HEADED FORLITIGATIONASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOSCALLED IT "OBVIOUSLY ILLEGAL."TO TALK ABOUT WISCONSIN’SCORONAVIRUS CASES, WE HAVE DR.JOHN RAYMOND WITH US NOW.HE’S THE PRESIDENT & CEO OF THEMEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN.WE ALWAYS REALLY APPRECIATE WHENYOU CAN COME ON THE SHOW.I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD STARTWITH IS THAT MASK MANDATE.WE HAVE A LOT OF POLITICIANS ONTHIS PROGRAM.WE HEAR THE POLITICAL SIDES OFTHE MASKS.I WANT TO HEAR THE MEDICAL SIDE.ARE WE SEEING ANY KIND OF PROOFTHAT MASKS ARE WORKING?DR. RAYMON THANK YOU SO MUCH.THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.I WILL TRY TO ANSWER IT FROMPUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.THERE ARE THREE RELEVANT FACTORSTHAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER.COVID-19 CASES ARE SURGINGTHROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE.IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE.THERE IS VERY OVERWHELMINGEVIDENCE THAT MASKS MITIGATE THETRANSFERENCE OF COVID-19.THEY PROTECT THE WEARER ANDTHOSE AROUND THEM.WE KNOW THAT MASK MANDATEINCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OFPEOPLE WHO WEAR MASKS.THE PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE,ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO INCREASEMASK USAGE SHOULD HELP SPREADCOVID-19 SHOULD HELP PREVENT THESPREAD OF COVID-19.ADRIENNE: WE STILL HAVE CASESGOING UP.WHY DID THINK THAT IS?-- WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?DR. RAYMOND: WE ARE SURGING, WEHAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A STATETHAT IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITHCOVID-19.WE ARE SURGING IN TERMS OF NEWCASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS.THIS HAS BEEN A TREND THAT HASOCCURRED OVER THE LAST TWO TOTHREE WEEKS.THOSE HAVE REACHED ALL-TIMEHIGHS.MOST OF THE NEW CASES ARE INYOUNG ADULTS, AGES 18-24.THIS BECAME APPARENT TO USAROUND LABOR DAY.THERE MIGHT BE AN ELEMENT OFRELAXED SOCIAL DISTANCING THEALWAYS HAPPENS AROUND HOLIDAY.STUDENTS RETURNING TO COLLEGEARE DRIVING MUCH OF THE SEARCH.IT IS NOT HAPPENING JUST INCOLLEGES -- IN COUNTIES THATHAVE COLLEGES.42 OF THE COUNTIES SHOWED ANACCELERATION TO THE PANDEMIC.IN ADDITION TO THE RETURN OFSTUDENTS, I BELIEVE THAT MASKAND LOCKDOWN FATIGUE ARECONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM.AS WELL AS PERSISTENT SKEPTICISMABOUT THE SPREAD OF MASKS TOMITIGATE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.ADRIENNE: WISCONSIN IS RANKEDFOURTH FOR OVERALL CASE NUMBERSIN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYSI KNOW WE KEEP GOING BACK TOTHIS CAMPUS QUESTION OF COLLEGESAND UNIVERSITIES.OTHER STATES HAVE COLLEGES ANDUNIVERSITIES, TOO.WHY ARE WE DOING SO POORLY RIGHTNOW?DR. RAYMOND: I DON’T THINK THATTHERE IS A GOOD ANSWER TO THAT.WE KNOW FROM A RECENT STUDY THATVOLUNTARY MASK WEARING ANDSOCIAL DISTANCING AND WISCONSIN,WE HAVE NOT BEEN PARTICULARLYGOOD AT THAT COMPARED TO OTHERSTATES.THEY EXAMINED PEOPLE IN MAY ANDJUNE AND ONLY 41% OF THE PEOPLEEVEN HAD MASKS ON.THERE MAY BE A HIGH LEVEL OFSKEPTICISM ABOUT THE UTILITY OFWEARING MASKS.ADRIENNE: THERE ARE SO MANYNUMBERS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATAHERE.YOU HAVE POSITIVE TESTS,NEGATIVE TESTS,HOSPITALIZATIONS, WHICH NUMBERDO YOU SPECIFICALLY THINK WESHOULD LOOK AT TO SEE IF WE AREDOING BETTER?DR. RAYMOND: THAT IS SUCH ANIMPORTANT QUESTION.THERE IS NO SINGLE INDICATORTHAT SAYS HOW WE ARE DOING WITHTHE PANDEMIC.WE NEED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENTMETRICS TO ASSESS THE OVERALLPICTURE.SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WESTAND WITH THE PANDEMIC.THE MOST IMPORTANT EARLYINDICATORS THAT YOU HAVE ALREADYMENTIONED ARE THE NUMBERS OF NEWCASES, THE POSITIVITY RATE.THE PERCENTAGE OF TESTSADMINISTERED THEY COME BACKPOSITIVE.AND THE REPRODUCTIVE NUMBER.THE MEASURE OF CONTAGIOUSNESS ATA GIVEN NUMBER OF TIME.A FEW WEEKS DOWN THE ROAD,OVERALL BED CAPACITY, ANDINTERMEDIATE LIGHTNINGINDICATORS -- LAGGINIGINDICATORS.THOSE HAVE BEEN RELATIVELYSTABLE FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHSAND WISCONSIN.WE NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AFE MONTHS, OUR HOSPITALIZATIONSHAVE GONE UP.IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TOMONITOR THE DEATHS OVER THE NEXTFEW WEEKS TO COME.ADRIENNE: THANK YOU FOR JOININGUS.SO HOW IMPORTANT DO PEOPLE THINK, A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE REALLYIS?MARQUETTE LAW SCHOOL HAS A NEWNATIONAL P