COVID case rates trending down, but transmission rates remain high
Updated: 7:06 PM EST Feb 4, 2022
>> YOU’RE WATCHING WCVB NEWSCENTERE FIV AT 5:30. >> COVID-19 CASES ARE DECLINING THIS WEEK IN ALL BUT ONE OF THE 50 STATES. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESONS ISTI DR. ALI RAJA, THE EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR FOR EMERGENCY MEDICI ANET MASS GENERAL HOSPIL. >> THAT’S OBVIOUSLY ENCOURAGING NEWS FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT MAYBE RESIDENTS OF ALABAMA, WHICH IS THE ONLY STATE SEEING NUMBERS INCREASE. SO AT LEAST AROUND HERE, WHEN WILL YOU BE READY TO SAY, THE CRISIS IS OVER? AND IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON?. >> THAT’S GREATA QUESTION. I LOVE THAT CASES AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE GNGOI DOWN RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CAN’T JUST LOOK AT CASE COUNTS. WE’VE ALSO GOT TO LOOK AT TRANSMSIISON AND HOSPITALIZATION RATES AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE CDC ILSTL YSSA THAT 99% OF THE COUNTRY STILL HAS HIGH RATES OF TRANSMISSI AONND OUR HOSPITALIZATION RATES WHILE THEY’RE COMING DOWN, THEY’RE STILL JUST AS HHIG AS THEY WERE DUNG THERI PEAK IN 2021. SO WE’VE STILL GOT A WSAY TO GO, BUT WE’RE DEFINITELY HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE VACCINATION RATES. ONE GROUP THAT’S LAGGING BEHIND IS KIDS AGE FIVE TO 11 WHY DO I THINK THEY’RE HESITATING? >> WE’VE GOT TWO SONS IN THAT AGE GROUP AND ONLY HALF OF KIDS BETWEEN 5-11 ARE VACCINATED IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS. THAT’S BETTER THAN THE 30% NATIONALLY, BUT IT’S STILL NOT HIGH. I THINK IT’S BECAUSE OF A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT’S OUT THERE ON THE INTERNET, A LOT OF MISINFORMATION SOMETIMES. AND A LOT OF VALID CONCERNS BY PARENTS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY PUT INTO THEIR KIDS, BUT I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU, WE VACCINATED OUR KIDS THE FIRST DAY WE COULD AND WHAT I ALSO TELL PARENTS AND FRIENDS IS THAT LOOK, YOU’VE TRUSTED YOUR PEDIATRICIAN TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDS THEY’RE ENRETI LIVES. TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT AND I BET YOU THEY’RE GOING TO TELL YOU YOUHOULD S VACCINATE YOUR KIDS. >> I WANT GTOET TO THESE QUESTIONS FROM VIEWERS. THE FIRST ONE IS FR SOMUE. WHY DO KIDS GET COVID SHOTS BASED ON THEIR AGE INSTEAD OF THEIR WEIGHT? IT MAKES NO SENSE. BUT THERE’S MORE AT PYLA HERE RIGHT? >> I TOTALLYET G IT. WE BASE A LOT OF MEDICATIONS FOR KIDS ON THEIR WEIGHT. WHEN YOUET G PRESCRIBED ANTIBIOTICS FOR YOUR KID’SAR E INFECTION, IT’S BASEDN O THEIR WEIGHT BUT WITH VACCINES, WE’RE NOT GIVING ARU DG THAT YOUR BODY DOESN’MAT KE MORE OF. WITH VACCINES WE’RE PROMPTING YOUR BODY’S OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM TO MAKE THE RIGHT AMOTUN OF ANTIBODIES FOR YOUR SIZE AND THAT’S DEPENDENT ONOW H ADVANCED YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS WHICH DEPENDS ON AGE, NOT ON SE.IZ >> THAT’S A GREAT DISTINCTION. THIS IS ANOTHER QUESTION FROM LUCAS. DO COVID TESTS STILLOR WK IF THEY’VE BEEN LEFT IN THE COLD? >> I CAN’TMA IGINE WHY LUCAS MIGHT ASK THAT ISTH WEEKEND. BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, THE TESTS SHOULD WORK JUST FINE. THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE TESTED THEM AMONG ALL STSOR OF SHIPPGIN CONDITIONS, BUT WHAT THEY ALSO TELL US IS THAT WE HAVE IT TO LET THEM WARM UP TO ROOM TEMPERATURE ON THEIR OWN BEFORE USING THEM. DON’T TRY TO WARM THEM UP. LET THEM WARM UP ON THEIR OWN AND THEN YOU CAN USE THEM. >> GREAT ADVICE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. >> IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR ONE OF OUR INFTIOUECS DIASESE EXPERTS, SEND IT IN TO ASK@WCVB.COM. DAN WE’LL GET TO AS MANAS W
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COVID case rates trending down, but transmission rates remain high
Updated: 7:06 PM EST Feb 4, 2022
“I love that cases around the country are going down right now, but we can’t just look at case counts. We’ve also got to look at transmission and hospitalization rates,” said Dr. Ali Raja, Executive Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at MGH.
“I love that cases around the country are going down right now, but we can’t just look at case counts. We’ve also got to look at transmission and hospitalization rates,” said Dr. Ali Raja, Executive Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at MGH.
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