Video: Boston infectious disease specialist discusses potential discrepancy in COVID-19 death toll
Updated: 11:06 AM EST Mar 12, 2022
RHONDELLA: A STUDY OUT THIS WEEK FOUND THE COVID- P19ANDEMIC MAY HAVE BEEN THREE TIMES DEADLIER THAN THE CURRENT DEATH TOLL SUGGESTS. JOININUSG TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. SANDRA NELSON, AN INFECTIOUS DISEESAS SPECIALIST AT MGH. DR. NELSON, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. WE’RE TWO YEARS INTO THIS PANDEMIC NOW, AND HOPEFULLY ON OUR WAY OUT. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET THIS FIGURE RIGHT? DR. NELSON: THIS IS BNEE A WEEK OF REFLECTION AS WE PAUSE TO THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT THE PANDEMIC HAS HAD ON THE COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE. IT COLLECTED THA18T MILLION WORLDWIDE HAVE DIED OR THAT IS A STAGGERING NUMBER. I THKIN GETTING THE NUMBER RIGHT IS MORE ABOUTOR ME THAN ANNOYING ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED BUT WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS MOST ACTED BY THIS BECAUSE THAT HELPS US TO TOTE — TARGET PUBCLI HEALTH. RHONDELLA: HEALTH EQUITY IS VERY IMPORTANT. STARTING MONDAY, BROWN UNIVERSITY WILL NOT REQUIRE STUDENTS TO BE REGULARLY TESTED FOR COVID, SOMETHING THAT’S BEEN A STAPLE OF THE LAST YEAR OR MORE. ARE WE GOING TO SEE MORE TESTING REQUIREMENTSRO D IS IT A GOOD IDEA? DR. NELSON: NOW THAT W HAVE EFFECTIVE VACCINES AND TREATMENTS THAT PREVENT DISEASE WE ARE MOVING AWAY FROA GOAL OF IDENTIFYING AND ISOLATING ALL INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED TO LEARNING THAT WE CAN LIVE THIS VIRUS. AS LONG AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HEALTHY AND HIGHLY VACCINATE DPOPULATIONS, ABANDONING THE SCREENING TESTING PROGRAMS MAKES SENSE. THERE MAY BE TIMES IN THE FUTURE WHERE RATES GO UP WHERE WE ARE DEALING WITH MORE SEVE VARIANTS SO IT IS NOT TIME TO COMPLETELY DISMANTLE T THEESTING STCTRUURE. RHONDEA:LL BIG EVENTS ARE REALLY STARTING TO RETURN. NEXT WEEKEND, SOUTH BOSTON WILL HOST ITS ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS. WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE BE THINKING ABOUT AS THEY GO BACK TO GATHERING IN LARGE NUMBERS? .DR NELSON: RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THE METRICS ARE LOOKING GREAT. WE HAVE VERY FEW CASES AND FEW HOSPITALIZATIONS. THE WASTEWATER DATA LOOKS GOOD. AS A SOCIETY WE NEED TO LEARN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE TIMES BECAUSE THERE MAY BE TIMES IN THE FUTURE WHERE THE DISEASE RATES GO UP AND WE ARE DEALING WITH MORE SEVE VARNTIAS. I THINK LARGE GATHERINGS ARE REALLY SAFE AND WE SHOULD GET OUT AND ENJOY THEM. THERE WILL BSOE INDIVIDUALS WHO FOR THEIR OWN RISK OR THE RISK OF THOSEN I THEIR FAMILY MAY CHOOSE NOT TO ATTEND OR AT LEAST MASS QUALITY ATTEND GATHERINGS. RHONDELLA: JUST 2% OF AMERICANS NOW LIVE IN A COUNTY WHERE THE CDC WOULD RECOMMEND UNIVERSAL INDOOR MASKING. BUT, EVEN TOP SCIENTISTS ARE CAREFUL TO SAY WE’RE NOT OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC JUST Y.ET WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING FOR WHEN IT COM TESO DECLARING THIS OR?VE .DR NELSON: IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE E CDC CHANGED THE DEFINITION OF RISK. THEY ARE NOW ACCEPTING SOME LEVEL OF DISEASE BEING ACCEPTABLE AS LONG AS WE HAVE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS AND THE HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT UPPER DICED BY THIS. THIS I — IS NOT JEOPARDIZED BY THIS. THIS IS NOT OVER AS LONG AS THERERE A PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE THERE AREN’T VACCINATIONS THAT CAN SPREAD THIS. WE WILL SEE OUTBREAKS ON OUR OWN SOIL. UNTIL WE SEE THE EXCESS DEATHS IN THE NEGLIGIBLE RANGE, WE CANNOT CLEAR VICTORY OVER THIS VIRUS. RHONDELLA: THANK YOUO S MUCH, DR. SANDRA NELSON, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASES SPECIALIST AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL THANKS FOR JOING US
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Video: Boston infectious disease specialist discusses potential discrepancy in COVID-19 death toll
Updated: 11:06 AM EST Mar 12, 2022
A study at the University of Washington found that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been three times deadlier than the current global death toll suggests.
A study at the University of Washington found that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been three times deadlier than the current global death toll suggests.
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