Doctor expects another COVID variant ‘at some point soon’
Updated: 6:09 PM EST Mar 11, 2022
N:BE WELL, IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO TODAY — IT WAS AN AWFUL WEEK HAPPENING THAT WEEK — THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION OFFICIALLY DECLARED THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK A PANDEC.MI WE ARE JUST NOW HOPING TO MOVE BEYOND THAT EMERGENCY STAGE OF THE NDPAEMIC. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. ALI RAJA, EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT MGH. GOOD TO SEE YOU. ERIKA AT THE TIME, MANY THOUGHT : THE WHDIO DN’T MOVE QUICKLY ENOUGH. NOW THE HEALTH ORGANIZATION YSSA WE ARE MOVING TOO QUICKLY DROPPING COVID RESTRICTIONS. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? >> I THINK WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND IT ISUE D TO SO MANY OF US WORKING IN BOTH BIG WAYS AND SMALL WAYS TO STOP THE SPREAD OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. WE ARE STILL IN A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. YESTERDAY, WHAE D OVER THOUSAND PEOPLE DIE OF COVID IN THE U.S.. IT IS TOTALLY REASONABLE TO MAKE MASKS OPTIONAL, BUT THERE ARE STILL HOTSPOTS. THEN: EVEN AS — BEN: EVENS A RESTRICTIONS ARE DROPPED, FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE EXTENDING THE MASK MANDATE ON PLANES AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THROUGH MID PA ORTF THAT IS TO BUY TIME APRIL. TO COME UP WITH NEW GUIDELINES. WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY’RE WEIGHING HERE? >> I THINK THEY ARE WEIGHING A FEW THINGS. ONCE WEEKEND MASK MANDATES, IT IS REALLY HARD TO BRING THEM BACK. WE’VE GOT PASSENGERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ARRIVGIN AT AND PICKING UP FROM LOGAN EVERY DAY, SO IT CREATE A LOT OF CONFUSION WHEN WE HAVE TO WEAR MASKS TO ONE DESTINATION BUT NOT OTHERS, AND I THINK THEY ARE WEIGHING ALL OF THAT. ERIKA: WE DO WANT TO GET TSOO ME QUESTIONS FROM OUR VIEWERS. KERRY WRITES, MY DAUGHTER DAN HER COLLEGE HOUSEMATE FELT UNWELL. AND HAVE HAD MULTIPLE POSITIVE RAPID TESTS BUT THEIR PCR TESTS WERE NEGATIVE. HAVE YOU HEARD OF OTHER STINCES OF THIS? >> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. YES, THIS TOTALLY HAPPENS. FIRST OF ALL, NEGATIVE RAPID TESST CANNOT RULE OUT COVID. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT. THEY ARE NOT AS EXTENSIVE, BUT THESE RADPI TESTS ARE VERY EXTENSIVE. IF YOU ARE POSITIVE, ESPECIALLY MORE THAN ONE, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE COVID. MAYBE BY THE TIME THEY OKTO THE PCR TESTS, YOUR DAUGHTER AND HER HOUSEMATE WERE NO LONRGE CONTAGIOUS. BUT THEY DEFINITELY HAD COVID. THEN: — BEN FINALLY, WE WANTED : TO ASK ABOUT THE FLU. THE CDC RECENTLY REVLEEAD THAT THIS YEAR’S SHOT WAS ONLY 16% EFFECTIVE, YET, WE REALLY DIDN’T SEE A SPIKE IN FLU CASES THIS SEASON, RIT?GH WHAT’S THE STORY THERE? >>HI TS YEAR, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, LIKE YOU SAID, WE WERE ALL STILL WEARING MASKS, STAYING HOME WHEN WE HAD THE SNIFFLES. OUR KIDS WERE STANGYI HOME. THE BENEFIT OF THAT WAS THE FLU D NOT SURGE, BUT YOU’RE RIGHT, WE HAVE SOME MORE TIME
Advertisement
Doctor expects another COVID variant ‘at some point soon’
Updated: 6:09 PM EST Mar 11, 2022
“In many parts of the country, like in Massachusetts it’s totally reasonable to make masks optional but there’s still a few hotspots and we’re going to see another variant at some point soon,” said Dr. Ali Raja.
“In many parts of the country, like in Massachusetts it’s totally reasonable to make masks optional but there’s still a few hotspots and we’re going to see another variant at some point soon,” said Dr. Ali Raja.
Advertisement