% >>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
% I'M MARISA WOJCIK ON "HERE &
% NOW" FROM PBS WISCONSIN, AND
% TODAY IS DECEMBER 8.
% AS WE CLOSE IN ON THE END OF
% 2021 AND THE SECOND YEAR OF THE
% PANDEMIC, WE'VE GONE FROM
% INTRODUCING WARP SPEED VACCINES%
AND THINKING WE WERE HEADING
% TOWARD REPRIEVE IN THE PANDEMIC
% TO AN EVEN WORSE SURGE FROM
% DELTA.
% THE FIRST BIG VARIANT TO TAKE
% HOLD, AND NOW IN THE LAST FEW
% WEEKS, WE LEARNED ABOUT THE NEXT
% VARIANT OF CONCERN, OMNICRON.
% HERE TO HELP US UNPACK HOW IT
% LOOKS IS PBS WISCONSIN REPORTER,
% WILL CUSHMAN, WHO WRITES THE
% WEEKLY COVID CONDITION, AND,
% WILL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
% JOINING.%>> HEY, MARISA.
% >> SO HOW MANY CASES OF DELTA IS
% WISCONSIN AVERAGING RIGHT NOW?
% >> YEAH.
% IT'S BEEN A LITTLE HARD TO TRACK
% DOWN IN RECENT DAYS, BUT STATE
% HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
% DEALING WITH SOME DATA ISSUES
% AFTER PERFORMING SOME SORT OF
% UPGRADE TO ITS DISEASE REPORTING
% SYSTEM OVER THE WEEKEND, AND SO
% WE DON'T REALLY HAVE DETAILED
% DATA SINCE LAST FRIDAY, BUT I
% DID GET SOME KIND OF HIGH LEVEL
% STATS FROM THE WISCONSIN
% DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
% THIS MORNING, AND RIGHT NOW, WE
% ARE AVERAGING ABOUT 3100 OR SO
% CONFIRMED CASES EVERY DAY.
% THAT'S DOWN A LITTLE BIT FROM
% THE END OF LAST WEEK WHEN THE
% AVERAGE WAS ABOUT 3500, AND
% WE'RE ALSO AVERAGING AROUND 500
% TO 600 PROBABLE CASES EVERY DAY
% AS WELL, AND I WANT TO NOTE THAT
% THE NUMBER OF PROBABLY CASES
% THAT WE'RE SEEING LATELY HAS
% BEEN REALLY HIGH.
% IN FACT, KIND OF AT ITS HIGHEST
% LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE
% PANDEMIC, AND WE THINK THAT'S
% BECAUSE PROBABLY CASES ARE
% DETERMINED USUALLY VIA RAPID
% AT-HOME ANTIGEN TESTS VERSUS
% CONFIRMED CASES WHICH ARE
% DETERMINED VIA A PCR TEST.
% SO IF YOU GO TO THE LOCAL HEALTH
% DEPARTMENT OR DOCTOR TO TEST, IT
% IS VIA PCR TEST AND TAKES A FEW
% DAYS TO GET THE RESULTS VERSUS
% RAPID AT-HOME TESTS.
% WE ARE SEEING -- IT SEEMS THERE
% ARE A FEWER PEOPLE GETTING THE
% PCR TESTS COMPARED TO THE BIG
% SURGE LAST FALL, BUT THERE ARE
% DEFINITELY, IT APPEARS, MORE
% PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE
% RAPID AT-HOME ANTIGEN TESTS, AND
% I SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT THE
% NUMBER OF PROBABLE CASES THAT WE
% ARE SEEING ON AVERAGE EVERY DAY
% RIGHT NOW, ABOUT 500 OR 600, IS
% VERY LIKELY SIGNIFICANT
% UNDERCOUNT BECAUSE THERE ARE
% LIKELY QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO%
ARE GETTING POSITIVE RESULTS
% FROM THEIR AT-HOME TESTS NOT
% REPORTING TO THE LOCAL HEALTH
% DEPARTMENT SO IT IS NOT FED INTO
% THE STATE DATA SYSTEM.
% >> VERY INTERESTING.
% SO LIKELY AN UNDERREPORTING ALL
% AROUND, AND TESTING OVERALL IS
% VERY DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR.
% SOMETHING THAT WE DO KNOW MORE
% CONCRETELY IS HOSPITAL CAPACITY.
% WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE
% STATEWIDE?%>> YEAH.
% SO AS OF YESTERDAY, THERE WERE
% MORE THAN 1600 PEOPLE
% HOSPITALIZED AROUND THE STATE
% FOR COVID, INCLUDING MORE THAN
% 400 PEOPLE WHO WERE IN INTENSIVE
% CARE UNITS, SO IN ICU BEDS.
% THAT IS UP SIGNIFICANTLY EVEN
% OVER A WEEK AGO, ABOUT 15%
% HIGHER THAN JUST ONE WEEK AGO,
% AND THE WISCONSIN HOSPITAL
% ASSOCIATION IS REPORTING THAT
% THERE ARE NOT VERY MANY BEDS
% LEFT IN THE STATE FOR ANYONE,
% WHETHER YOU ARE A COVID PATIENT
% OR THERE FOR TREATMENT FOR
% SOMETHING ELSE.
% THERE ARE, RIGHT NOW, ONLY A
% LITTLE OVER 30ICU BEDS AVAILABLE
% ACROSS THE STATE, AND MOST ARE
% LOCATED IN SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH
% CENTRAL WISCONSIN, SO AROUND THE
% MILWAUKEE AND MADISON METRO
% AREAS.
% THERE'S A HUGE SWATH OF
% WISCONSIN FROM -- ALONG THE
% WESTERN BORDER FROM RICHLAND
% COUNTY IN THE SOUTHWEST UP TO
% LAKE SUPERIOR INCLUDING LACROSS
% E, SUPERIOR, WARREN, WHERE
% THERE'S ZERO ICU BEDS AVAILABLE,
% AT LEAST YESTERDAY, AND THEN IN
% THE FOX VALLEY, THERE WAS ONE
% ICU BED AVAILABLE IN NORTHEAST%
WISCONSIN CENTERED AROUND GREEN
% BAY, ABOUT A HALF DOZEN, AND IN
% NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN, THERE'S
% ONLY A HANDFUL OF ICU BEDS
% AVAILABLE YESTERDAY.%>> WOW.
% SO VERY, VERY LIMITED CAPACITY,
% IT SOUNDS LIKE, ALL ACROSS THE
% STATE.
% HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT
% SOMETIMES CAPACITY NOT ONLY IS
% BEDS, BUT STAFF.
% COVID PATIENTS TAKE MORE STAFF
% IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF THEM,
% AND SO NOT ONLY IS CAPACITY
% TIGHT WITH PHYSICAL SPACE TO PUT
% THESE PATIENTS, BUT ACTUALLY
% STAFF TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, SO
% WHAT ARE THE MAJOR HOSPITALS OR
% JUST HOSPITALS IN GENERAL SAYING
% ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE
% EXPERIENCING?
% WHAT IS WORD ON THE GROUND?
% >> YEAH.
% THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT, THAT
% A BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM RIGHT
% NOW WITH HEALTHCARE CAPACITY IS
% IN STAFFING.
% YESTERDAY I LISTENED INTO A
% ROUND TABLE WITH HOSPITAL CEOs
% AROUND THE STATE HOSTED BY
% WISCONSIN HEALTH NEWS, INCLUDING
% THE CEOs FROM MARSHVILLE
% CLINIC AND FETA CARE IN
% NORTHEAST WISCONSIN, AND THEN
% THE MILWAUKEE AREA, AND THEY ALL
% SAID VERY SIMILAR THINGS.
% FREDERICK SAID THE FALL PERIOD
% AT THE MOMENT AND THAT THEIR ICU
% IS FILLED -- ABOUT A THIRD OF
% THE ICU IS COVID PATIENTS.
% THE HOSPITAL'S CEO OR PRESIDENT
% THERE, ERIC CUNNINGLY SAID 88%
% OF THE PATIENTS ARE UNVACCINATED
% AND STAFF HOLDS UP EVERYWHERE
% AROUND THE STATE ACCORDING TO
% THE CEOs WHO SPOKE YESTERDAY.
% MARSHVILLE CLINIC SAID 75% OF
% THE PATIENTS WERE UNVACCINATED,
% AND, YES, THEY ALL SAID THAT
% THIS IS A MAJOR STRAIN FOR THE
% STAFFS.
% IT CAN TAKE UP TO THREE TIMES AS
% MANY RESOURCES, INCLUDING HUMAN
% RESOURCES TO CARE FOR A COVID
% PATIENT OPPOSED TO PATIENTS
% COMING IN IF OTHER TYPICAL
% AILMENTS, WHETHER THEY ARE IN
% ICU OR NOT.
% SO IT IS DEFINITELY OF CONCERN,
% AND I THINK IT WAS -- THE
% CONSENSUS WAS THAT THE CURRENT
% SITUATION IS NOT SUSTAINABLE
% FROM A STAFFING STANDPOINT, AND
% SO HOSPITALS ARE REALLY LOOKING
% FOR SOME RELIEF IN THE NEAR
% FUTURE, AND WE'LL SEE IF THAT
% HAPPENS.%>> VERY, VERY ALARMI
NG.
% SO HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO LAST
% WINTER WHEN WE SAW A SURGE, BUT
% WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE VACCINES AT
% THAT POINT?
% I RECALL WE KIND OF HIT PEAKS
% TOWARDS THE END OF DECEMBER,
% EARLY JANUARY.
% HOW DOES THIS YEAR AND WHAT
% WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW
% COMPARE TO WHERE WE WERE AT THIS
% TIME LAST YEAR?
% >> YEAH.
% THE -- AT LEAST IN TERMS OF
% HOSPITALIZATIONS, THE CURRENT
% NUMBER OF PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED, A
% LITTLE OVER 1600, ABOUT 70% OF
% THE PEAK NUMBER OF
% HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT WE SAW
% DURING OUR WORST SURGE LAST LATE
% FALL AND EARLY WINTER, AND THAT
% TRACKS WITH WHAT HOSPITALS ARE
% SEEING ON THE GROUND AS WELL.
% MARSHVILLE CLINIC'S CEO SAID
% THEY, RIGHT NOW, ARE SEEING
% ABOUT 75% OF THE NUMBER OF COVID
% PATIENTS THEY WERE SEEING A YEAR
% AGO DURING THE WORST PHASE OF
% THE PANDEMIC FOR THEM, SO IT'S
% APPROACHING THOSE -- IT'S
% CLEARLY AT CRISIS LEVELS AND
% APPROACHING THE BASICALLY
% UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS.
% IT IS APPROACHING WHAT WE SAW IN
% THE WORST PEAK LAST WINTER.
% >> AND YOU TOUCHED ON HOW MANY
% PEOPLE WERE VACCINATED AND
% PERCENTAGES IN SOME OF THESE
% AREAS ACROSS THE STATE WHERE WE
% ARE REACHING CAPACITY LEVELS.
% NPR RECENTLY LOOKED AT COUNTIES'
% POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS AGAINST
% THE IMPACTS OF COVID AND FOUND
% THAT AREAS THAT WENT FOR TRUMP
% ARE EXPERIENCING MORE DEATHS
% CAUSED BY COVID-19.
% DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH
% VACCINATION RATES AND TAKING
% PRECAUTIONS LIKE DISTANCING AND
% MASKING, AND IS THIS WHAT IS
% HAPPENING IN WISCONSIN?
% >> YEAH, THAT DOES SEEM TO BE
% THE CASE.
% THE NPR REPORT YOU ARE
% REFERENCING, I BELIEVE IT WAS
% LOOKING AT DEATH RATES SINCE
% MAY, SO, BASICALLY, SINCE
% VACCINES HAVE BEEN PRETTY WIDELY
% AVAILABLE, AND, YEAH, THERE
% DOES, INDEED, SEEM -- OR THERE
% IS A PATTERN THAT WE'RE SEEING,
% INCLUDING IN WISCONSIN THAT WAS
% WITH NPR THAT HAS A LITTLE
% INFOGRAPHIC THAT YOU CAN ENTER
% IN COUNTY NAMES AND LOOK AT
% DEATH RATES SINCE MAY ALONG WITH
% THE VOTE TALLIES FROM THE 2020
% ELECTION, AND YOU CAN SEE A
% PRETTY CLEAR PATTERN THAT PLACES
% THAT, YES, WENT FOR TRUMP HAVE
% HAD HIGHER DEATH RATES SINCE
% MAY, INCLUDING IN WISCONSIN, AND
% WE KNOW THERE'S DEFINITELY
% POLITICAL COMPONENT TO THE
% WILLINGNESS TO GET VACCINATED.
% WE KNOW, ACTUALLY, THAT NPR
% REPORT INCLUDED AN INTERESTING
% STAT THAT REPUBLICAN AND
% REPUBLICAN LEANING VOTERS NOW%
MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF THOSE
% WHO ARE UNVACCINATED IN THE
% U.S., AND SO THAT'S A PATTERN
% WE'RE SEEING ALL ACROSS THE
% U.S., INCLUDING IN WISCONSIN.
% >> AND SO NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER
% CONCERNING VARIANT CIRCULATING.
% HOW MANY CASES ARE OMNICRON ARE
% IN WISCONSIN THAT WE KNOW OF?
% >> YEAH.
% SO I HEARD FROM THE STATE HEALTH
% DEPARTMENT JUST THIS MORNING
% THAT THEY ARE STILL ONLY AWARE
% OF THE ONE CASE OF OMNICRON
% DETECTED IN AN INDIVIDUAL IN
% MILWAUKEE COUNTY LAST WEEK,%
ACTUALLY, OVER LAST WEEKEND.
% THAT INDIVIDUAL HAD RECENTLY
% TRAVELED TO SOUTH AFRICA WHERE
% THE VARIANT WAS FIST DETECTED
% AND WHERE IT REALLY IS BLOWING
% UP FIRST.
% AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE
% ALSO AWARE OF SEVERAL PIECES OF
% ASSOCIATED WITH OMNICRON AND
% PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA WHO HAD
% ATTENDED A WEDDING IN MILWAUKEE
% JUST AFTER THANKSGIVING AND ARE
% BELIEVED TO HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN
% INFECTED THERE, BUT SO FAR,
% THERE'S JUST THAT ONE CASE THAT
% THE DHS IS AWARE OF IN
% WISCONSIN, BUT EVEN LAST WEEK
% BEFORE THE FIRST CASE OF
% OMNICRON WAS CONFIRMED IN
% WISCONSIN, DR. RYAN WESTERGUARD,
% THE STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST FOR
% COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, TOLD
% REPORTERS IT IS PROBABLY SAFE TO
% ASSUME THAT OMNICRON IS
% SPREADING AROUND WISCONSIN AS IT
% IS LIKELY SPREADING AROUND MOST
% OF THE WORLD AT THIS POINT.
% >> SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT
% OMNICRON?
% WHAT ARE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS
% SAYING ABOUT IT?
% SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED AT THIS
% POINT AS WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF
% A HUGE SURGE OF DELTA?
% >> YEAH.
% THAT'S -- LAST WEEK, THERE WAS
% DEFINITELY QUITE A BIT OF
% EMPHASIS ON THE FACT THAT, YES,
% OMNICRON IS CONCERNING, BUT
% BEING IN WISCONSIN AND UPPER
% MIDWEST GENERALLY ARE IN THE
% MIDST OF A REALLY BAD SURGE
% CAUSED BY ANOTHER VARIANT,
% DELTA, AND SO HEALTH OFFICIALS
% WERE VERY CLEAR WE SHOULD NOT
% LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE
% PRESENT SITUATION IS NOT GOOD AS
% IT IS EVEN WITHOUT THIS OTHER
% CONCERNING VARIANT, AND STATE%
HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THAT
% THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
% POTENTIAL INCREASED
% TRANSMISSABILITY OF THE OMNICRON%
VARIANT, BUT IT IS STILL EARLY,
% IN TERMS OF THE SCIENTIFIC
% UNDERSTANDING OF THE VARIANT,
% AND SCIENTISTS STILL HAVE TO PIN
% DOWN EXACTLY HOW TRANSMISSIBLE
% IT IS, POSSIBLY MORE
% TRANSMISSIBLE THAN DELTA, BUT
% THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF
% ITS ABILITY TO EVADE PRIOR
% IMMUNITY WHETHER THROUGH NATURAL
% INFECTION, VACCINATION, OR A
% COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
% WE KNOW THAT WHAT MADE OMNICRON
% SO CONCERNING IN THE OUTSET WAS
% THE LARGE NUMBER OF MUTATIONS,
% ESPECIALLY MUTATIONS THAT AFFECT
% THE SPIKE PROTEIN WHICH IS HOW
% WE KNOW THE CORONAVIRUS,
% SARS-COV-2, WHICH IS COVID,
% AFFECTS PEOPLE, AND SO THERE IS
% WORRY ALL MUTATIONS MAKE THE
% OMNICRON VARIANT BETTER AT
% INFECTING PEOPLE, AND THERE DOES
% SEEM TO BE SOME PRETTY LIMITED
% LAB-BASED DATA SO FAR THAT THE
% OMNICRON VARIANT IS POTENTIALLY
% BETTER AT EVADING BOTH PRIOR
% INFECTION AND TWO-DOSE REGIMEN
% OF PFIZER, AT LEAST, AT LEAST
% SOME FORM OF VACCINATION THAN
% PREVIOUS MUTATIONS WERE, BUT
% THAT'S LAB
% BASED EVIDENCE, NOT
% REAL WORLD EVIDENCE WE CAN
% ASSESS YET, BUT IT IS OF CONCERN
% AND THERE'S A RAPID RISE OF
% CASES IN SOUTH AFRICA WHERE THE
% VARIANT WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED
% ALONG WITH NOW A RISE IN
% HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND WHETHER OR%
NOT OMNICRON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
% MILDER DISEASE THAN DELTA OR
% OTHER VARIANTS IS AN OPEN
% QUESTION.%THERE'S STILL A LO
T OF OPEN
% QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE
% VARIANT, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE
% FINDING OUT A LOT MORE IN THE
% NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
% >> AND I BELIEVE EVEN JUST THIS
% MORNING PFIZER SAID THREE DOSES
% OF THEIR VACCINE IS A MUCH
% BETTER 25-FOLD BETTER PROTECTENT
% OVER THE OMNICRON VARIANT SO
% VERY MUCH EVOLVING INFORMATION
% AS WE LEARN MORE AND MORE.
% GIVEN THAT, WE HAVE A MAJOR
% HOLIDAY THAT TYPICALLY INVOLVES
% A LOT OF TRAVEL COMING UP.
% CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE
% CORNERMENT T.
% TYPICALLY, THIS IS A TIME PEOPLE
% TAKE OFF, COLLEGE STUDENTS GO
% BACK HOME, AND PEOPLE TRAVEL
% VERY FAR TO BE WITH FAMILY.
% SHOULD PEOPLE BE MODIFYING THEIR
% PLANS?
% HAVE THERE BEEN ANY MANDATES PUT
% IN PLACE?
% WHAT CAN WE EXPECT, AND WHAT IS
% THE SAFEST THING TO DO?
% >> YEAH.
% THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
% HERE IN THE U.S., THERE HAVEN'T
% BEEN A TON OF NEW MANDATES OR
% RESTRICTIONS PUT IN PLACE YET TO
% RESPOND TO OMNICRON.
% ASIDE FROM MORE STRINGENT
% TESTING RULES FOR PEOPLE
% ENTERING THE U.S. FROM ABROAD,
% INCLUDING U.S. CITIZENS, BUT,
% YEAH, I SAT IN ON A Q&A FOR
% REPORTERS THAT THE MAYO CLINIC
% HELD WITH A DOCTOR LATE LAST
% WEEK, AND SO IT WAS BEFORE EVEN
% UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE DO NOW
% ABOUT OMNICRON, SO VERY EARLY
% OMNICRON, BUT THAT DOCTOR, WITH
% MAYO WAS EXPRESSING THAT PEOPLE
% SHOULD REALLY BE CAUTIOUS OVER%
THE HOLIDAYS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU
% ARE IMMUNE COMPROMISED OR
% ELDERLY OR YOU HAVE IMMUNE
% COMPROMISED PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE
% WHO YOU PLAN TO SPEND THE
% HOLIDAYS WITH.
% HE SUGGESTED TAKING PRECAUTIONS,
% OF COURSE, FIRST AND FOREMOST,
% FULLY VACCINATED.
% NOW, IF YOU'RE AN ADULT, GETTING
% A BOOSTER SHOT, AS YOU SAID,
% THERE'S EARLY EVIDENCE THAT AT
% LEAST A BOOSTER OF THE PFIZER
% VACCINE MAY HELP PROTECT AGAINST
% INFECTION FROM THE OMNICRON
% VARIANT, BUT HE ALSO MENTIONED
% ALL OF THOSE KIND OF MITIGATION
% STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE REALLY
% WELL-FAMILIAR WITH AT THIS
% POINT, LAYERS OF PROTECTIONMENT
% MASKS UP IN PUBLIC PLACES,
% INDOOR SETTINGS, TRAVELING IN
% THE AIRPORT.
% YOU HAVE TO MASK UP IN THE
% AIRPORT AND FLYING ANYWAY, BUT
% MAKING SURE YOU ARE VIGILANT
% ABOUT THAT.
% WASHING YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY.
% DISTANCING WHEN YOU CAN.
% AND THEN, YEAH, WITH YOUR
% HOLIDAY GATHERINGS, THINK ABOUT
% KEEPING IT ON THE SMALLER SIDE,
% MAYBE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE
% CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR HEALTH
% STATUS OR THAT OF A LOVED ONE OR
% ANYONE IN YOUR LIFE, AVOID LARGE
% CROWDS AND SUCH.%I THINK THER
E'S ALSO -- AND THE
% DOCTOR FROM MAYO ACKNOWLEDGED
% THIS AS WELL.
% THERE'S DEFINITELY A HUNGER
% PEOPLE HAVE TO SPEND THE
% HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR WITH THEIR
% LOVED ONES, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE
% LAST YEAR WHEN IT WAS EVEN LESS
% SAFE TO DO SO BECAUSE MOST
% PEOPLE WERE NOT VACCINATED, SO
% HE WAS DEFINITELY NOT OF THE
% OPINION THAT YOU SHOULD CANCEL
% YOUR HOLIDAY PLANS NECESSARILY,
% BUT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY THINK
% ABOUT LAYERS OF PROTECTION AND
% TRY TO BE AS VIGILANT AS YOU CAN
% ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS.
% >> IT SEEMS A LOT OF THINGS HAVE
% RELAXED A BIT SINCE LAST YEAR,
% AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BRING
% THOSE REGULATIONS BACK OR TO
% RAIN THINGS BACK IN SO PEOPLE
% ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO STILL BE
% SEEING FAMILY AND FRIENDS OVER
% THE HOLIDAYS.
% AS THIS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND
% WE GO INTO 2022, WHAT ARE YOU
% GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON MOST IN
% YOUR REPORTING?
% WHAT ARE YOU KIND OF LOOKING AT
% CLOSELY AS THIS CONTINUES TO
% DRAG ON?
% >> YEAH.
% FIRST AND FOREMOST, I AM GOING
% TO BE FOLLOWING CLOSELY, LIKE A
% LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, HOW THE
% OMNICRON VARIANT ACTUALLY PANS
% OUT, WHAT ITS ACTUAL REAL WORLD
% IMPACT IS GOING TO BE IN
% WISCONSIN AND THE U.S.
% I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY WHAT
% I'M GOING TO BE FOLLOWING
% CLOSELY IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT
% NOW I'M ALSO GOING TO BE
% FOLLOWING KIND OF RAPID -- WE
% ARE APPROACHING, BELIEVE IT OR
% NOT, TWO YEARS WITH THIS VIRUS,
% AND AS YOU SAID, THINGS HAVE, IN
% TERMS OF RESTRICTIONS, RELAXED
% QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST SIX TO
% NINE MONTHS SINCE WE HAD
% WIDESPREAD AVAILABILITY OF THE
% VACCINES, SO I'M INTERESTED IN
% REPORTING ON HOW HEALTHCARE, IN
% GENERAL, IS GOING TO BE JUST
% SHIFTING, MAYBE ON, LIKE, A
% PERMANENT BASIS IN RESPONSE TO
% THE ONGOING THREAT OF COVID.
% THIS ROUND TABLE WITH HOSPITAL
% CEOs YESTERDAY THAT I ATTENDED
% WAS SOME OF THE TOPICS THEY
% TOUCHED ON WERE PRETTY
% INTERESTING.
% JUST THE UNSTAINABILITY OF THE
% SITUATION OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS
% AND FOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS IN
% GENERAL, I THINK, IS GOING TO BE
% SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO PAY
% REALLY CLOSE ATTENTION TO OVER
% THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO TWO
% YEARS FOR SURE.
% >> ALL RIGHT.
% WILL CUSHMAN, THANK YOU VERY
% MUCH.
% >> THANKS, MARISA.
% >> FOR MORE FROM "HERE & NOW"
% AND PBS WISCONSIN, VISIT
% PBSWISCONSIN.ORG/NEWS, AND THANK%
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON
% "NOON WEDNESDAY."