>>> 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 ALARMING.
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 LOT 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 THERE'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
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