THE NEWEST VARIANT OF CONCERN,
WISCONSIN IS DEALING WITH
DELTA.
THE STATE HAS BEEN AVERAGING
MORE THAN 3,000 NEW CASES OF
COVID-19 EVERYDAY, AND THE
NUMBER OF COVID RELATED
HOSPITALIZATION HAS INCREASED BY
MORE THAN 200 IN THE LAST WEEK.
FOR THE LATEST ON HOW THE STATE
IS MANAGING THE GROWING CRISIS
WE TURN TO STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST
FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES, DR. RYAN
WESTERGAARD.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE
AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME
BACK.
>> HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE
SITUATION WITH THE AVAILABILITY
OF ICU AND OTHER HOSPITAL BEDS
IN WISCONSIN RIGHT NOW?
>> WE'RE IN A DANGEROUS
SITUATION.
IT'S NOT STRICTLY ICU BEDS, IT
IS ALL HOSPITAL BEDS, IT'S
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AND IT IS
THE MOST GENERAL AVAILABILITY
FOR BANDWIDTH OF HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS AROUND THE STATE
THAT IS VERY STRAINED.
WE HA VER HAVE VERY FULL
HOSPITALS THAT MAKES IT VERY
HARD TO GIVE PEOPLE THE HIGHEST
CARE THEY NEED WHEN THEY NEED
IT.
>>> WOULD IT BE TRUE THAT THE
HOSPITAL CRISIS OR NEARING
CRISIS AS PRESCRIBED IS
PREDOMINANTLY A STAFFING
SHORTAGE BECAUSE OF COVID
PATIENTS TAKING EXTRA CARE?
>> COVID PATIENTS CAN BE QUITE
SICK AS EVERYONE KNOWS IT CAN
TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES AND THE
PHYSICAL SPACE ISN'T GENERALLY
THE LIMITING STEP.
WE NEED TO HAVE HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS WHO CAN ADMINISTER
THE CARE, MANAGE VENTILATORS,
PROVIDE MEDICATIONS AND MONITOR
PEOPLE CLOSELY.
SO YES, GENERALLY IT'S NOT
PHYSICAL SPACE IT'S ITS CAPACITY
FOR OUR PROVIDERS, OUR NURSES,
PHYSICIANS AND THERAPISTS TO DO
THE WORK THAT THEY NEED TO DO.
>> GOVERNOR EVERS SEEKS 100
HOSPITAL WORKERS FROM FEMA AND
NATIONAL GUARD MEDICS ARE
ALREADY HELPING STAFF STATE
MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITALS, IS THIS
ENOUGH?
>> WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO.
YOU KNOW, WE -- WE WILL NEVER
STOP IF WE DON'T TURN PEOPLE
AWAY WHO NEED CARE.
WE WILL ALWAYS DO WHAT WE CAN TO
PROVIDE THE BEST LIFE-SAVING
CARE THAT WE CAN.
THE ADDITIONAL HELP THAT IS
NEEDED OF COURSE IS FOR
WISCONSIN RESIDENTS.
THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO TO
RELIEVE THIS STRAIN THAT IS TO
PREVENT DISEASE AND DO THE
THINGS WE KNOW PREVENT COVID-19
PREDOMINANTLY VACCINATION,
MASKS, GETTING TESTED, SOCIAL
DISTANCING STAYING HOME WHEN YOU
ARE SICK.
I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT
GOALING INFLUENZA VACCINE.
WE'RE LAGGING A BIT.
OUR GOAL IS FOR 70% TO GET A FLU
VACCINE WE'RE ONLY AT A THIRD
RIGHT NOW.
THESE ARE THINGS EVERYONE CAN DO
TO PREVENT OUR HOSPITALS FROM
BEING FULL TO PREVENT YOURSELF
FROM GETTING SIX AND NEEDING
MORE CARE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE
FACT THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT
TAKING THOSE STEPS?
>> WOMAN IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE
BECAUSE EVERYONE IS TIRED OF
LIVE THROUGH A PANDEMIC,
EVERYONE IS TIRED OF HAVING
THEIR LIFE BE DIFFERENT THAN IT
WAS IN THE PAST.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF COMPASSION
FOR PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT I'M
REALLY SICK OF THIS AND I WANT
LIFE TO BE BACK TO NORMAL.
BUT WHAT I WANT PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE HAVE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE IMPORTANT
THING WHICH IS TO SAVE LIVES.
OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IT'S
GOING TO BE REALLY STRESSFU
STRESS IN OFUL IN OUR
HOSPITALS AND WE HAVE THE
ABILITY BY TAKING SMALL STEPS TO
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION WHICH IS
TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF
DISEASE, AND SAVE LIVES OF
PEOPLE EXAMINE IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
>> IN TERMS OF THE HOSPITAL
CAPACITY, WAS IT EVER THIS BAD
IN THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID?
>> IT'S GETTING CLOSE.
THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE
HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID IS ON
PAR WITH WHERE WE WERE IN
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER OF 2020.
WHAT WE HEAR IS THAT PEOPLE ARE
GENERALLY YOUNGER AND STAYING IN
THE HOSPITAL FOR LONGER.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON
VENTILATORS, MECHANICAL
VENTILATION BECAUSE OF
RESPIRATORY FAILURE IS HIGHER
THAN ITS EVER BEEN SINCE WE'VE
BEEN COLLECTING DATA.
SO THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY THE
VIRUS HASN'T LET UP AND WE NEED
TO CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS TO
TRY TO MITIGATE THE CASES FROM
NUMBERS FROM GETTING WORSE.
>> MEANWHILE, IF DELTA IS WHAT
IS CRUSHING WISCONSIN RIGHT NOW,
WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING ABOUT THE
OMICRON IN THE STATE?
>> THERE IS STILL A LOT TO
LEARN.
WE'VE DETECTED A FEW CASES
THROUGH SEQUENCING, FEWER THAN
TEN AT THIS POINT.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT WITH GREATER
THAN 99% VIRUS POPULATING IS THE
DELTA VARIANT.
WE'RE IN A PERIOD WHERE WE'RE
GOING TO LEARN A LOT OVER THE
NEXT FEW WEEKS.
THE EARLY EVIDENCE IS THAT IT
SPREADS EVEN EASIER SO STANDING
ACROSS THE ROOM A PERSON CAN BE
INFECTED IF SOMEONE IS INFECTED
IN THE ROOM.
THE ENCOURAGING NEWS IS THAT WE
HAVEN'T SEEN EVIDENCE THAT IT
CAUSES MORE SEVERE DISEASE.
IN MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN DETECTED OF HAVING THE
OMICRON VARIANT, WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED HAVE MILD SYMPTOMS
AND HAVE NOT REQUIRED
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
SO STILL A LOT TO LEARN, BUT
ANYTIME WE HAVE A VARIANT THAT
IS MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN WHAT
IS ALREADY AROUND IT'S ANOTHER
REASON FOR CONCERN AND WE REALLY
CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE A LOT MORE
CASES THAN WE ALREADY HAVE.
>> INDEED.
DR. RYAN WESTERGAARD, THANKS
VERY MUCH AND THANKS FOR YOUR