TURNING TO COVID-19 IN
WISCONSIN, OVER THE COURSE OF
THE PANDEMIC, MADISON AND DANE
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH IMPOSED
STRICT EMERGENCY ORDERS --
INCLUDING MANDATING MASKS IN
PUBLIC SPACES.
THAT MASK ORDER EXPIRES NEXT
WEEK.
SO IF ONE OF THE STRICTEST
PREVENTION EFFORTS IN WISCONSIN
IS NOW GOING AWAY, WHAT DOES
THAT SAY ABOUT WHERE WE STAND
WITH THIS DISEASE?
WE ASK AJAY SETHI ASSOCIATE
PROFESSOR, POPULATION HEALTH
SCIENCES AT THE UW SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE EVEN WHEN THE
STRAIGHT DANE COUNTY EASES UP ON
MASKS AND TODAY THE CDC IS DOING
THE SAME.
WE'RE IN A NEW PHASE.
EVEN AS HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE
STILL IN THE HUNDREDS.
>> YEAH.
INDEED.
WE'RE JUST GETTING PAST THE
SPIKE CASES DUE TO OMICRON THAT
LED TO HOSPITALIZATIONS AND
DEATHS.
AND IT'S TIME TO RETHINK THE
NEXT PHASE OF THE PANDEMIC AND
HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD LIVING
WITH COVID AND TAKING NECESSARY
PRECAUTIONS AS NEEDED.
>> SHOULD WE JUST BE KIND OF
COMFORTABLE WITH GETTING A BREAK
THROUGH CASE, FOR EXAMPLE, OF
OMICRON, IF THAT HAPPENS A THE
THIS POINT?
>> WELL, IF YOU ARE VACCINATED,
AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE
BOOSTED, YOU REALLY CAN FEEL
CONFIDENT THAT THE VACCINES WILL
PROTECT YOU AGAINST HAVING
SEVERE ILLNESS.
IF YOU HAVE A WEAKENED IMMUNE
SYSTEM, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK
TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TO
SEE WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR
YOU.
IN SOME CASES A FOURTH DOSE MAY
BE RECOMMENDED.
NO DOUBT THE VACCINES ARE AFFECT
EFFECTIVE AGAINST SEVERE
ILLNESS AND DEATH, AND IT'S A
TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE CAN
POTENTIALLY MOVE FORWARD AND
LIVE WITH COVID AND FEEL
COMFORTABLE.
>> WOULD MOST PEOPLE IN
WISCONSIN NOT VACCINATED ALREADY
BEEN INFECTED, THEREBY HELPING
US ALONG TO HERD IMMUNITY, TO
WHICH WE'VE SPOKEN?
>> DEFINITELY A LOT OF IMMUNITY.
FROM PAST INFECTION, AND A
COMBINATION OF BOTH.
ESTIMATES OF MAYBE 70% OR HIGHER
OF PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN HAVE SOME
FORM OF IMMUNITY AND THAT HELPS
A BIT OF A WALL TO PREVENT THE
VIRUS FROM BEING PASSED FROM ONE
PERSON TO ANOTHER.
THE WILD CARD, OF COURSE, IS THE
FUTURE VARIANT, AND THE ABILITY
OF FUTURE VARIANTS TO ESCAPE
SOME OF THE IMMUNITY WE HAVE IN
THE POPULATION.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE CAN FEEL
COMFORTABLE THAT THERE'S A LOT
OF PROTECTION THAT IS OUT THERE.
>> SO THE QUESTION IS, WHEN DOES
COVID-19 BECOME ENDEMIC, AND
WHAT EVEN IS THE DEFINITION OF
THAT?
>> YEAH.
THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY A ANSWER
THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE UPON.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A MATHEMATICAL
ANSWER.
IT'S REALLY WHEN SOCIETY FEELS
THAT WE CAN TOLERATE OR WE CAN
MANAGE THE CASES THAT ARE BEING
TRANSMITTED.
AND I WOULD SAY AS LONG AS OUR
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS CAN MANAGE
SURGES THAT OCCUR, MUCH LIKE
THEY PREPARE FOR FLU SEASON, IF
THERE IS A COVID SEASON THAT'S
IN THE WINTER MONTHS, OUR
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS CAN DELIVER
CARE TO EVERYBODY.
NO MATTER WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
THAT'S A SIGN THAT AS A SOCIETY
WE CAN LIVE WITH COVID.
BUT, OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO GET
THERE.
I THINK THERE'S A DESIRE FOR
THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE NEED TIME
TO SORT OF PROVE AS A SOCIETY
THAT WE CAN INDEED LIVE WITH
COVID, BUT I THINK WE CAN GET
THERE.
>> OKAY.
ONE OTHER QUESTION.
IS LONG COVID NO LONGER A
CONCERN FOR FOLKS OR PEOPLE IN
HAVE HAD THE OMICRON?
>> IT'S STILL A CONCERN.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE
UNVACCINATED.
IT'S A RISK.
IT CAN OCCUR.
AND IT'S NOT AS RARE AS SOME
PEOPLE MAY THINK.
VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS,
ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WERE
BOOSTED DON'T HAVE THE SAME RISK
FOR LONG COVID.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THE
RESEARCH IS SHOWING RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK WITH THAT
IMPORTANT TOOL IT'S IMPORTANT TO
CONTINUE TO REMIND THOSE OVER
2 MILLION WISCONSIN AYE -- WILL
LITES NOT -- THOSE WISCONSINITES
NOT VACCINATED YET.
>> WHO SHOULD STILL AGAIN BE
TAKING PRECAUTIONS?
>> IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA FOR
ANYBODY TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS.
ESPECIALLY IF THEY PERCEIVE
THEIR RISK TO BE HIGH.
BUT THOUGH WITH CO-MORBIDITY,
OLDER INDIVIDUALS AND OF COURSE,
ANYBODY UNVACCINATED, JUST TO
REMEMBER THEY ARE THE MOST
VULNERABLE FOR GETTING COVID.
EVEN WITH PAST INFECTION, THAT
IMMUNITY MAY NOT LAST AS LONG AS
YOU MIGHT THINK, AND IF YOU HAVE
HAD A PAST INFECTION WITH A
VARIANT THAT DOESN'T CIRCULATE
ANYMORE, YOU HAVE RISK FOR MORE
SEVERE DISEASE.