The next is a transcript of an interview with former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb that aired Sunday, January 9, 2022, on "Face the Nation." MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who sits on the board of Pfizer. Good morning to you, physician. DOCTOR SCOTT GOTTLIEB: Good morning. MARGARET BRENNAN: You mentioned we'll be working previous the Omicron wave by Feb. Do you stand by that trajectory? And will we get to breathe a sigh of aid at that time? DR. GOTTLIEB: Hopefully we do, I imply, many individuals, together with myself, have predicted that Delta can be the final main wave of an infection then Omicron and got here alongside, which was- represented type of divergent evolution, I believe stunned us that the virus was capable of mutate so closely and evade the immunity that we have now acquired. However in the event you look what's taking place throughout the East Coast proper now in New York Metropolis, Washington, D.C., Maryland, in all probability Florida as nicely have already peaked, perhaps Delaware and Rhode Island. You are going to begin to see that within the statistics this week. You are going to begin to see these curves as epidemic curves bend down. You already seeing that in New York Metropolis and Washington, D.C. The danger proper now could be to the Midwest, the place you might have rising an infection, the place they don't seem to be within the thick of their Omicron wave but. And you've got states that had excessive hospitalization charges going into this. That they had numerous Delta an infection. That they had been popping out of their Delta wave, so their hospital census was already excessive. And now they're seeing Omicron infections decide up. On the nice aspect, hospitalizations are down relative to instances, however instances are up considerably, so it is urgent hospitals. Lots of the hospitals on the East Coast are going to achieve or surpass their earlier hospitalization totals. New York Metropolis might be town that is finest outfitted to deal with it, they're about 55% of the hospitalizations that they noticed throughout that devastating first wave. However in different states, they're extra pressed. They're near 100% of the hospitalizations they noticed in earlier waves. Lastly, on the nice aspect, size of keep is down considerably, so size of keep has gone from 4 days to 1.6 days within the survey by Kaiser, for instance. In order that's permitting hospitals to show over beds, however the sheer velocity of the unfold proper now and the variety of hospitalizations is urgent them. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, the velocity of that is simply unimaginable. What ought to dad and mom do over the following two to 3 weeks as a result of the unprotected are these ages 4 and below? We all know it is simply not lifelike for fogeys to not drop their children off at daycare tomorrow or not ship their children to preschool. DR. GOTTLIEB: Look, there's numerous threat proper now, I believe you need to look in on what the precautions are within the settings through which you are placing your youngsters and attempt to encourage those that are caring for your youngsters in these settings to place in place measures to attempt to shield them. The danger is to younger youngsters proper now. In case you have a look at New York Metropolis, for instance, totally 55% of the hospitalizations of pediatric hospitalizations are youngsters ages zero to 4, they usually solely signify 26% of the inhabitants. So, we're seeing numerous hospitalizations in these youthful age teams the place the kids are largely unvaccinated- 5 to 11 as nicely, the place vaccination charges are very low; solely 16% of 5 to 11 12 months olds have been totally vaccinated. I believe the outdated guidelines apply. Attempt to encourage social pods in these settings. Hand hygiene, I believe masks could be useful the place they are often worn, It is onerous with the very younger children; attempting to maintain children distanced. The most effective factor that faculties might be doing proper now could be serial testing. Once more, onerous to do with the very younger children, though you are able to do pooled samples like saliva assessments and likewise retaining them in social pods. So, in case you have a category of 10 attempting to interrupt it down, so all the youngsters aren't intermingling. So, in case you have a single introduction, it isn't going to take down an entire class. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, the CDC tips, we have talked about this for years now. They proceed to be altering. They proceed to be murky. Are you able to help- if I tick by means of a few of these fundamentals, are you able to assist give us some readability right here? The UK says 10 to 13% of individuals will nonetheless be infectious from COVID on day six. On day six in the USA, the CDC says you'll be able to return to work, you'll be able to return to highschool, however they inform you do not go to a restaurant and do not journey. What do you do on day six physician? DR. GOTTLIEB: Proper. And look, the CDC has steerage advisable that you simply put on a masks for 5 days after your isolation interval, recognizing that a sure cohort of individuals are nonetheless going to be displaying the virus. I believe what underlies the CDC suggestion there's a recognition that that is an epidemic that is not being instigated, unfold if you'll, by individuals who get identified, isolate for 5 days and return into public circulation on day six, whereas a sure proportion of them will nonetheless be infectious. They don't seem to be driving the pandemic. What's driving the pandemic proper now could be the truth that we're in all probability solely diagnosing someplace between one and 5 and one in 10 precise infections. And as lots of people strolling round with gentle sickness or asymptomatic an infection who do not know it, who're spreading it. So, in the event you begin from that premise and if CDC was type of upfront about that premise, what it actually tells you is that in the event you're- in the event you're somebody who's remoted for 5 days and on day six, you are going to return to work. It's good to be conscious of what the setting is that you simply're reintroducing your self into. Are you caring for people who find themselves weak at residence? Are you going right into a well being care setting or one other setting the place there's weak folks? And in case you are, you could be extra vigilant, perhaps use a diagnostic take a look at to be sure to're now not shedding virus. You actually put on a masks in that circumstance. However I believe if CDC was extra granular, extra descriptive in what they have been really doing and why. And the truth that they acknowledge that there is going to be a sure variety of people who find themselves infectious folks might take extra actions on their very own. MARGARET BRENNAN: If folks can discover a take a look at, the Biden administration will start distributing them to households. The reporting is by Jan. 15 they may begin delivery out 500 million of them. That is not likely going to assist folks on the east coast proper now who're looking for within the midst of this surge a solution to take a look at such as you're describing. DR. GOTTLIEB: Yeah, look, it is unlucky we began this late, we must always have performed this earlier. You are proper, these assessments are going to be distributed as this epidemic is declining in lots of elements of the nation, not all elements of the nation. So, for sure elements of the nation, the assessments are going to get there in time or in time for the height an infection. I believe they might have been higher served by straight subsidising the assessments and having them delivered by means of regular retail channels like pharmacies, relatively than delivery these by means of the mail. We have to begin to normalize the availability chain for the instruments that folks want to guard themselves from this pandemic. It isn't simply the diagnostic take a look at, but additionally the vaccines and therapeutics. We have to begin excited about how we distribute these by means of regular retail channels the place individuals are used to accessing well being care providers and never these authorities directed channels, that are going to make it more difficult for folks to get these in a well timed style. MARGARET BRENNAN: You have been very clear final Sunday that you'll not be protected in the event you're sporting a fabric masks as a result of that is an airborne virus. Given how transmissible that is, what counts as an publicity lately. Does the quarter-hour at six toes of distance imply something, or is- does you strolling down the road and passing somebody by going to reveal you simply the identical? DR. GOTTLIEB: You recognize, look, I actually do not assume an outside setting represents the identical stage of threat, and that is been constant all through, however the actuality is that your threat is binary. You possibly can have an off-the-cuff encounter and contract the sickness. You possibly can have a chronic encounter and never. CDC with these sorts of suggestions, about quarter-hour of cumulative publicity or issues like that, six toes of distance they're attempting to gauge on common the place the very best threat of publicity happens, and it happens with extended exposures in confined settings with people who find themselves contaminated. We all know that. However the actuality is, with an airborne sickness like this, in the event you're in a setting, a confined saying that poor air circulation does not matter in the event you're six toes or 10 toes, you are going to be liable to contracting it. And this is not like radiation the place you might have a cumulative threat. MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper. Which is why the mathematics issues a lot. Dr. Gottlieb, thanks to your time at this time. We'll be proper again with extra. FACE THE NATION. Stick with us. Thanks loads.
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