WISCONSIN CONTINUE AN ALARMING
SURGE.
DAILY POSITIVE CASES THIS WEEK
NEARLY 78 # 0 ON 0 WITH
HOSPITALS AND DEATHS STEAMING IN
BEHIND.
MANY HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ARE NEAR
CAPACITY WITH SOME IN NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN 100% FULL UP.
STATE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS
DECLARE WE ARE NEARING THE
TIPPING POINT AT WHICH MEDICAL
PROVIDERS CANNOT SAVE EVERYONE
WHO GETS SEVERELY ILL.
WE CHECK IN NOW WITH DR. NASIA
SAFDAR, THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF
INFECTION CONTROL AT UW
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO AS WE SAID, THE STATE
EPIDEMIOLOGIST SAYS WISCONSIN
HOSPITALS ARE NEAR THE TIPPING
POINT WHERE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE
TO SAVE SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS.
HOW TRUE IS THAT AT UW?
>> I THINK IT'S TRUE EVERYWHERE.
WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE INCREASING
NUMBER OF PATIENTS.
WE HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED THIS KIND
OF IN PATIENT HOSPITALIZATION
RATE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE
PANDEMIC.
IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY
CHALLENGING GIVEN THE SURGE.
>> HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT FOR
PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF WHO ARE
PROVIDERS?
>> WELL, I THINK THESE DECISIONS
ARE NEVER EASY TO MAKE.
WE'RE ALL HUMANS.
SO WE WORRY ABOUT ARE OUR
DECISIONS GOING TO HAVE SOME
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
YOU NEVER WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY
TO A PATIENT I HAVE TO POSTPONE
A PROCEDURE THEY NEED BECAUSE OF
WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
BUT ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT
REALITY LOOKS LIKE AT THE
MOMENT.
>> TODAY U.S. SENATORS INCLUDING
TAMMY BALDWIN ARE CALLING ON
THELE FEDERAL THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP WITH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
>> I THINK CAPACITY IN TERMS OF
STAFFING IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE HOSPITALS ARE FACING
RIGHT NOW.
AS WE'RE SEEING RATES RISE IN
THE COMMUNITY ON, THE HEALTH
CARE WORKFORCE IS PART OF THAT
COMMUNITY.
WHILE IT'S RELATIVELY EASY TO
HAVE A NEW BED COME FROM
SOMEWHERE, YOU REALLY CAN'T
BRING A FULLY TRAINED HEALTH
CARE WORKER WITHOUT A LOT OF
CHALLENGES.
>> HAVE YOU SEEN ANY OF THAT
KIND OF INFUSION OF MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS AS YET?
>> AT THIS POINT WE HAVE NOT
NEEDED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THAT.
>> AS ALL OF WISCONSIN IS
FEARFUL WITH THESE EXPLODING
NUMBERS OF COVID, WHAT IS IT
LIKE DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR
THOSE HEALTH CARE WORKERS ON THE
FRONT LINES?
>> WELL, THERE'S A GREAT DEAL I
THINK OF EXHAUSTION, OF FEAR, OF
BURN-OUT.
I THINK THE HEALTH CARE WORKERS
AS A GROUP ARE VERY RESILIENT,
BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND JUST LIKE
EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY,
SUSTAINING THIS KIND OF
CHALLENGE IS VERY DIFFICULT.
SO WE'RE STARTING TO FEEL IT.
>> ARE NEW TREATMENTS AND
METHODS OF CARE LEARNED OVER
THESE MONTHS INCREASINGLY
HELPING PATIENTS SERIOUSLY ILL
WITH COVID?
>> I THINK THEY HAVE.
I THINK SOME OF THE ADVANCES IN
SOME OF THE THERAPEUTICS, THE
SUPPORTIVE CARE IS MUCH BETTER,
THE PPE COMFORT, ALL OF THOSE
THINGS HAVE GREATLY IMPROVED
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE
PANDEMIC AND WE'RE SEEING THAT
IN PATIENT OUTCOMES.
>> HOW HOPEFUL SHOULD WE BE NOW
THAT A VACCINE IS ON THE WAY?
>> I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS
POSSIBILITY.
WE WANT TO REVIEW THE DATA AS
SCIENTISTS WOULD WANT TO DO
THAT.
BUT I THINK IN TERMS OF HOPE AND
THE FACT THAT WE MAY BE TURNING
AN IMPORTANT CORNER IN THIS
PANDEMIC, IT'S PRETTY EXCITING
NEWS.
>> ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT'S TASK FORCE
SAYS WE SHOULD CONSIDER A
NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN TO GET THIS
UNDER CONTROL.
WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE?
>> I THINK THAT WE KNOW THAT THE
VIRUS TRAVELS WITH PEOPLE.
AND SO WHEN WE REMOVE -- WHEN
PEOPLE MOVE LESS, INTERACT WITH
FEWER PEOPLE, YOU WILL SEE A
DECLINE IN INFECTIONS.
I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF CAN WE
DO IT AT THIS POINT, CAN WE
SUSTAIN IT, BECAUSE IT REQUIRES
PRETTY DRASTIC BEHAVIOR CHANGE
AND EVERYONE IS TIRED.
I THINK IT IS LIKELY TO BE
EFFECTIVE AS AN INTERVENTION.
>> WHAT ARE YOU STEELING FOR AS
WE APPROACH THE HOLIDAY SEASON
AND FAMILY GATHERINGS?
>> I THINK IF THINGS GO AS THEY
CURRENTLY ARE, I THINK WE WILL
EXPECT TO SEE A BUMP IN
INFECTIONS AS A RESULT OF THIS
HOLIDAY WEEKEND COMING UP OVER
THANKSGIVING.
I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL LIMIT
THEIR INTERACTIONS AND I THINK
THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT EVERYONE
IS TRYING TO SEND OUT.
THIS IS ONE THANKSGIVING WHERE
YOU DON'T WANT TO INTERACT IN
PERSON WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF
YOUR IMMEDIATE HOUSEHOLD.
IT'S A HARD MESSAGE TO HEAR AND
FOLLOW.
BUT THERE WILL BE THANKSGIVING
NEXT YEAR BUT SOME OF THE LIVES
WE HAVE LOST DURING THIS
PANDEMIC WILL NOT BE HERE.
>> WE ARE NOW COLLIDING WITH THE
FLU SEASON.
HAVE YOU SEEN AN UPTICK IN FLU
CASES?
>> WE HAVE NOT AT THIS POINT.
THERE ARE ALWAYS SPORADIC
INFLUENZA INFECTIONS THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR.
FORTUNATELY, WE HAVEN'T SEEN
THAT YET.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
PEOPLE AS WE ENTER INTO WHAT ONE
EPIDEMIOLOGIST CALLED COVID
HELL?
>> I THINK IF WE CAN REACH A
POINT WHERE WE CAN DO ENOUGH
BEHAVIOR CHANGE TO MAKE THIS
TEMPORARY, WE CAN BEND THE CURVE
A LITTLE BIT UNTIL THERE'S AN
EFFECTIVE VACCINE THAT CAN BE
WIDELY DEPLOYED.
THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF
THIS TUNNEL.
WE JUST HAVE TO GET THROUGH IT
IN A WAY THAT'S MANAGEABLE.
>> DOCTOR NASIA SAFDAR,