ON THIS EPISODE OF CYCLE OF HEALTH, BLACK HEALTH.

THE PANDEMIC HAS SHINED A LIGHT ON THE HEALTH INEQUITY THAT EXISTS IN OUR SOCIETY.

STUDIES SHOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SOME RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY COVID-19.

JOIN US FOR A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION WITH DOCTORS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS AS WE EXPLORE VACCINES, MISCONCEPTIONS, COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND MORE.

COMING UP ON CYCLE OF HEALTH.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ HELLO AND WELCOME TO CYCLE OF HEALTH, I'M DR. RICH O'NEILL.

TONIGHT'S TOPIC, BLACK HEALTH.

IN LATE MARCH, WCNY, IN TANDEM WITH THE NATIONAL BLACK LEADERSHIP COMMISSION ON HEALTH, AIRED A BLACK HEALTH TOWN HALL VIRTUAL EVENT.

THE EVENT FEATURED A PANEL OF EXPERTS, SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE TODAY, ANSWERING COMMUNITY QUESTIONS AND ADDRESSING MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT VACCINES.

THIS PROGRAM IS ON WCNY'S WEBSITE, CHECK IT OUT.

A LOT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST MONTHS INCLUDING NEW VARIANTS AS WELL COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS.

TONIGHT, WE'RE FOLLOWING UP ON THAT CONVERSATION WITH NEW INFO NOW AVAILABLE.

BEFORE WE GET STARTED, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NATIONAL BLACK LEADERSHIP COMMISSION ON HEALTH WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT'S SHOW BUT LEFT US WITH A QUICK MESSAGE: BLACK HEALTH SYRACUSE, ALONG WITH THE SYRACUSE COVID COALITION, CONTINUES TO ADDRESS DISPARITIES IN OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND MORE SO SINCE THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO.

THERE CONTINUES TO BE STREET OUTREACH, EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS, THE PROVIDING OF ESSENTIAL PPE, AND THEY ARE SOON TO OFFER MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY AND COUNSELING SESSIONS AT THEIR NEW OFFICE SPACE ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF THE CITY OF SYRACUSE.

NOW, LET'S MEET OUR GUESTS, THEY ARE: DR. SHARON BRANGMAN, DEPARTMENT CHAIR OF GERIATRICS AT SUNY UPSTATE MEDICAL MS. SHARON OWENS, DEPUTY MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SYRACUSE AND DR. KENDRA DELOACH MCCUTCHEON, DR. D-M FROM HERE ON IN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE FALK SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

DEPUTY MAYOR OWENS, I UNDERSTAND YOU ACTUALLY HAD COVID.

WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?

>> LITERALLY A YEAR AGO IN THIS MONTH, FOUR MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY , MY DAUGHTER WOKE UP SAID I DON'T FEEL WELL.

I SAID LET'S GO GET YOU TESTED.

MY HUSBAND PUT HER IN THE CAR TO TAKE HER TO GET TESTED AND FOUND OUT THEY BOTH WERE POSITIVE.

WE, FORTUNATELY, HAD ENOUGH ROOMS IN OUR HOME TO SEPARATE THE TWO OF THEM FROM MYSELF AND MY SON, WHO WAS 21 AT THE TIME.

AND FOR ABOUT FOUR DAYS, I WAS WORKING FROM HOME AND CARING FOR THE HOUSE AND CARING FOR THEM AT THE SAME TIME.

AND THEN MY SON CAME IN ABOUT THREE DAYS LATER AND SAID SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.

I GO INTO MOM MODE IMMEDIATELY, AND CARED FOR HIM AND GIVING HIM SOME STUFF, OVER THE COUNTER STUFF.

HE BOUNCED BACK PROBABLY 24 HOURS LATER, 48 HOURS LATER.

THREE DAYS FROM THAT DAY, I SPIKED A TEMPERATURE AND HAD FOUR RAPID TESTS, ALL OF THEM NEGATIVE.

AND BY THE FIFTH DAY, MY GOOD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, FIRE CHIEF SAID YOU'VE HAD A TEMPERATURE FOR FIVE DAYS.

YOU NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.

HEADED-- WAS GOING TO HEAD TO SUNY UPSTATE.

THE VOLUME WAS SO HIGH THEY HAD CLOSED THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT THE TIME AND I WENT TO CROUSE.

LET ME STOP THERE BY SAYING WHAT IS GOING ON AT ST. JOE'S AND SUNY UPSTATE AT CROUSE HOSPITAL JUST HUGE SHOUTOUT TO OUR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS FOR JUST EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

AND I ENDED UP STAYING IN THE HOSPITAL FOR FIVE DAYS, REGIMEN OF MEDICATIONS AND WENT IN ON A MONDAY AND LEFT ON A FRIDAY.

ONE THING THAT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL THAT REALLY BROUGHT HOME HOW SERIOUS THIS WAS AND MADE IT EVEN MORE PERSONAL WAS THE NURSING STAFF AND THE DOCTORS CAME INTO MY ROOM AROUND DAY 3, THREE HAD ME ON OXYGEN.

NO VENTILATOR OR LYING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

WANTED TO TURN DOWN MY OXYGEN TO SEE IF I COULD SUSTAIN MY OWN OXYGEN LEVELS IN THE 90s AT THAT POINT.

AND THEY WOULD COME IN ON THE THIRD AND THE FOURTH DAY TO SEE THAT I WAS MAINTAINING MY OWN ABILITY TO BREATHE.

AND IT WAS A CELEBRATION IN MY ROOM EVERY TIME THEY CAME IN AND SAID YOU ARE DOING-- THIS IS WONDERFUL.

YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.

WE ARE GOING TO TURN IT OWN DOWN A LITTLE MORE.

I WAS ABLE TO SUSTAIN MY OWN LEVEL OF OXYGEN INTAKE.

AND THAT IS WHEN IT HIT ME THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO CELEBRATE LIKE THAT IN TOO MANY OTHER ROOMS IN THAT HOSPITAL.

WHOLE WINGS OF THE HOSPITAL DEDICATED TO THE CARE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SURFING FROM COVID.

AFTER THAT FIFTH DAY, I WENT HOME AND IT WAS PROBABLY A MONTH BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO COME BACK TO CITY HALL.

I DID NOT COME BACK TO CITY HALL UNTIL FEBRUARY.

AND IT WAS PROBABLY UNTIL PROBABLY APRIL WHEN I REALLY BEGAN TO FEEL MORE LIKE THE SHARON BEFORE COVID.

COVID IS REAL.

YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM INDIVIDUALS ON THIS PANEL.

AND THINKING BACK, THIS WAS BEFORE WE HAD VACCINATIONS.

THIS IS BEFORE WE HAD BOOSTERS.

THIS IS WHEN EVERYONE WAS JUST TRYING TO-- REELING FROM UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH.

I'M THANKFUL TO ALL THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND I'M THANKFUL I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AROUND THIS COUNTRY AND WORLD ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SO.

>> HOW HAVE, IN OUR COMMUNITY, HOW HAVE DIFFERENT RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY COVID?

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR OFFICE?

>> WELL, COVID DIDN'T SHOW DISPARITIES IN HEALTH.

IT PUT A MAGNIFYING GLASS ON DISPARITIES IN HEALTH.

BLACK COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR CITY, OUR COUNTY, OUR STATE, OUR WORLD, ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY DISPARITIES OF HEALTH ON VARIOUS ISSUES.

COVID JUST BEING ONE OF THEM.

AND SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE BEGAN TO SEE THAT CLIMBED, WAS UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT A SURPRISE FOR ME AND FOR OTHERS THAT ARE WATCHING THESE NUMBERS.

AND SO AGAIN I THINK IT FOCUSES IN ON THE DISPARITIES IN HEALTH, WHETHER IT BE DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, WHETHER IT BE MENTAL HEALTH CARE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES NEED, AND ON TOP OF THAT, JUST A DISTRUST OF SO MANY MEDICAL SYSTEMS BASED ON HISTORY OR MISINFORMATION.

>> Dr.

D.M., WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL?

>> SURE.

I THINK WHAT MISS OWENS IS SAYING THAT THESE DISPARITIES WERE NOT ONLY HIGHLIGHTED, BUT FROM PEOPLE'S PAST EXPERIENCES BUT EVEN FROM THEIR CURRENT EXPERIENCES, WE SAW COMMUNITIES OF COLOR NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC, MOSTLY BECAUSE MANY TIMES THEY ARE SERVING IN AND WORKING IN ESSENTIAL WORKER ROLES.

AND SO IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, THESE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE EXPOSED MORE BECAUSE THEY ARE DELIVERING THOSE DIRECT SERVICES.

AND WE DIDN'T HAVE INFORMATION THAT ALLOWED US TO REALLY PLAN OUR LIVES IN A WAY THAT COULD KEEP US SAFE.

AND THERE WAS A CAMPAIGN OF MISINFORMATION BEING PEDDLED SO IT BECAME REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO DETERMINE WHAT IS TRUTHFUL AND ACCURATE INFORMATION AND WHAT IS MISINFORMATION.

AND SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT FIGHTS THAT WE WERE UP AGAINST IN TERMS OF TRYING TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION TO PEOPLE SO THAT THEY COULD MANAGE THEIR LIVES IN A WAY THAT COULD PROTECT THEMSELVES AS WELL AS THEIR COMMUNITY.

>> Dr. BRANGMAN, REGARDING DISPOSITION, WAS-- DISINFORMATION, WHAT DO YOU HEAR FROM YOUR PATIENTS ABOUT MYTHS ABOUT VACCINES.

>> ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I REALIZED THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO HEAR INFORMATION FROM SOMEONE THEY TRUSTED AND RESPECTED.

AND ONCE THAT INFORMATION WAS DELIVERED, I FOUND THAT PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION.

SO IN THE BEGINNING, PEOPLE WERE VERY AFRAID BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS TOO FAST.

I THINK THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN I HEARD WAS Dr. BRANGMAN, THEY MADE THIS TOO FAST.

HOW DO WE KNOW IT'S SAFE?

AND WHEN I TOLD THEM THIS WAS BASED ON TECHNIQUES THAT HAD BEEN WORKED ON FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES AND THAT BECAUSE OF THAT EXPERIENCE, THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THIS VACCINE QUICKER THAN USUAL AND A LOT OF COOPERATION FROM OUR GOVERNMENT, OUR TAX DOLLARS HELPED TO MAKE THAT AN EASE EASIER TASK, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THESE VACCINES IN RECORD TIME.

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT WAS RUSHED.

AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT WAS NOT BASED ON GOOD SCIENCE.

AND I FOUND THAT THE MORE PEOPLE I TALKED TO, AND TOLD THEM DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR AUNT IS TELLING YOU ON FACEBOOK AND DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOR DOWN THE STREET SAYS BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE, LET ME ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

AND I FOUND THAT PEOPLE WERE LIKE LITTLE SPONGES CHT THEY WANTED TO HEAR THE INFORMATION AND MAKE A GOOD DECISION FOR THEMSELVES.

>> AS SOMEBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS THE SCIENCE, HOW SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ARE THESE VACCINES?

ED.

>> THESE VEENS ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AND THEY WORK.

IF YOU ARE NOT VACCINATED, YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR LIFE AT RISK AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU AT RISK.

THESE VACCINES WORK.

THEY HAVE BEEN TESTED.

NOW WE HAVE HAD BILLIONS OF DOSES GEFN OUT ALL OVER THE WORLD AND WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE SAFE AND WE KNOW THAT THEY WORK.

IF THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH IT, THEY WOULD BE IN THE NATIONAL HEADLINES.

IT WOULD NOT BE ON FACEBOOK.

IT WOULD NOT BE ON SOMEONE'S POST THAT THINK HEARD FROM THEIR BABYSITTER.

SO WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING SICK, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON VENTILATORS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DYING ARE PRIMARILY THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED.

AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT A VACCINE IS THAT IT MAY NOT GIVE YOU 100% PROTECTION.

YOU COULD STILL GET THIS VIRUS IF YOU ARE VACCINATED.

BUT IF YOU GET THE VIRUS WHEN YOU ARE VACCINATED, THE CHANCES OF YOU DYING OR NEEDING TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND BEING PUT ON A VENTILATOR ARE VERY, VERY SMALL.

SO THE MAIN FUNCTION OF THESE VACCINES IS TO KEEP YOU FROM GETTING DEATHLY ILL AND THEY WORK VERY WELL AT THAT.

SO NOW WE KNOW IF YOU ARE FIVE YEARS OR OLDER, IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING PREGNANT, IF YOU ARE OLDER LIKE THE PATIENTS I TAKE CARE OF WHO ARE IN THEIR 80s OR 90s, YOU SHOULD GET THE VACCINE.

THERE IS NO GOOD REASON TO PASS THIS UP.

>> WELL, THAT'S GREAT INFO.

WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK TO BOOSTERS IF WE HAVE TIME.

BUT DEPUTY MAYOR OWENS, TELL US ABOUT THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO GET VACCINATED, ET CETERA.

>> YEAH, SO I CO-CHAIRED THE COVID HEALTH EQUITY TASK FORCE WITH Dr. AMY TUCKER FROM SUNY UPSTATE AND LATOYA JONES FROM 1199 HEALTH EDUCATION FUND.

AND OUR JOB IS TO BE THE CONVENER OF STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY WHO WORK WITH AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY MISINFORMATION OR NO INFORMATION OR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.

AND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS GARNER THAT INFORMATION TO PROVIDE ON THE GROUND INFORMATION TO SUNY UPSTATE, TO ONONDAGA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, TO NEW YORK STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON ON THE GROUND AND HOW WE NEED TO INTERVENE.

MANY OF THE POPUP TESTING AND POPUP IMMUNIZATION CLINICS THAT YOU SAW GOING UP WITHIN THE CITY REALLY ORIGINATED FROM FEEDBACK FROM THAT TASK TO ONONDAGA COUNTY, TO HELP THE PEOPLE SIGN PEOPLE UP TO GET THEIR VACCINATIONS EARLY ON IT WAS MASSIVE TESTING EFFORTS TO REALLY JUST PUT UP A TENT OR GO INTO A CHURCH OR GO INTO A COMMUNITY CENTER TO GET THAT TESTING DONE.

NOW MUCH OF IT IS CENTRALIZED INTO NEW YORK STATE AND ONONDAGA COUNTY WEBSITES WHERE YOU WILL REGISTER TO GET VACCINATION OR GET A TEST.

THE TEST WAS STILL ADVOCATING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT GETTING ON WEBSITES WHO DON'T HAVE INTERNET CONNECTION THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS WITH SPOTTY INTERNET ACCESS, TO BE ABLE TO GET THE INFORMATION NECESSARY, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE WHERE A PROUD REFUGEE SETTLEMENT PEOPLE, WHO SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES OR DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AT ALL.

Dr. BRANGMAN PUT PATIENTS WHO ARE NOT AS SAVVY GETTING ON THE WEBSITES AND MANEUVERING THE PROCESS TO GET REGISTERED.

SO THERE ARE FUNNELS OF WAYS VIA THE COUNTY AND THE STATE MECHANISMS TO SIGN UP FOR TESTS, TO SIGN UP TO GET IMMUNIZATIONS.

THERE ARE LINES OF PEOPLE THAT GO OUT TO THE STATE FAIR, BUT AGAIN THAT'S THE STATE FAIR.

YOU GOT TO HAVE A CAR OR ABILITY TO GET OUT THERE.

SO OUR TASK FORCE WILL CONTINUE TO RATTLE THE CAGES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING POPUPS.

WE JUST ESTABLISHED A REGULAR IMMUNIZATION OPPORTUNITY AT THE SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER.

SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

THERE WAS RECENTLY ANOTHER ONE AT TUCKER MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.

SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PLAY THAT ROLE ON THE TASK FORCE.

>> THAT'S GREAT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE REALLY BRINGING THE RESOURCES TO THE PEOPLE AND CAN YOU ADDRESS HOW COVID IS IMPACTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY?

>> YES.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT STRESSORS THAT COME WITH DAILY LIFE, AND THEN YOU LAYER A PANDEMIC WHERE, IN THE BEGINNING WE NIOU VERY LITTLE ABOUT, WE SAW MASKED PEOPLE BECOMING ILL, PEOPLE WERE DYING.

OUR LOVED ONES WERE DYING.

WE WERE IN FEAR THAT PERHAPS WE MAY ALSO SUCCUMB TO THOSE THINGS, THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ECONOMY SLOWED DOWN AND SCHOOLS WENT REMOTE.

THERE WERE A LOT OF STRESSORS THAT AFFECTED ALL OF US.

AND FOR PARENTS IN PARTICULAR, SPECIFICALLY THOSE OF SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, WHO WERE STILL EMPLOYED, THEY WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO DO ALL OF THEIR WORK-- BECAUSE THEY STILL HAD THAT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THE STABILITY OF THEIR HOMES, WHILE ALSO NEEDING TO BE EDUCATORS TO THEIR CHILDREN OR AT LEAST MONITORING AND SUPERVISING THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION PURSUITS, PLUS THE FEAR AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THAT WENT ON WITHIN THE HOUSEHOLDS TO HELP IT FUNCTION.

WHEN I TALK TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, THE NUMBER ONE BIGGEST COMPLAINT IN THE VERY BEGINNING WAS HOW MUCH COOKING HAD TO TAKE PLACE.

AND THE TIME IT TAKES TO COOK, YOU KNOW, BREAKFAST OR PREPARE BREAKFAST, PLUS ALL THE DISHES AND PREPARING LUNCH WHILE ALSO TRYING TO WORK AND WHEN EVERYONE IS IN THE HOME, EVEN JUST TRYING TO FIND SPACE TO WORK AND TO WORK UNINTERRUPTED AND DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF JOB YOU HAVE, REQUIRES CERTAIN LEVELS OF QUIET OR CERTAIN LEVELS OF CONCENTRATION SO YOU CAN DO DEEP FOCUS WORK VERSES LIGHT FOCUS WORK.

AND SO ALL OF THAT IS HIGHLY STRESSFUL AND THEN YOU ADD ON THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE SOCIAL CREATURES.

SO A PART OF OUR LIVED EXPERIENCES IS SOCIALIZING AND THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO DO WAS TO SOCIALIZE OUTI'D OF OUR HOMES OR OUTSIDE OF OUR PROTECTIVE BUBBLE.

WE KNOW THAT LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION HAVE INCREASED.

I WOULD PERCEIVE THAT FOR SOME WHO ARE STILL NEEDING TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND REMAIN OUT OF SCHOOL BECAUSE OF HEALTH REASONS, THAT THIS HAS GONE ON NOW FOR CLOSE TO TWO YEARS.

THAT IS A LONG TIME NOT TO HAVE A SENSE OF NORMALCY THAT WAS OUT AND ABOUT WHERE YOU COULD SOCIALIZE AND RECREATE AND HAVE EXPERIENCES OF JOY.

PART OF LIFE AND PART OF WELL-BEING IS TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE JOYFUL.

AND WHEN YOU ARE LIVING IN A CONSTANT STATE OF FEAR, THEN JOY GETS DIMINISHED AND QOR OVERYOUR OVERALL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH MAY BEGIN TO DECREASE AS WELL.

SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT NOW FOR SOME WHO ARE TRYING TO CREATE A SENSE OF NORMALCY WITHIN THE PANDEMIC, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN AND THERE IS A CERTAIN LEVEL OF FEAR AND PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING IT AND YES THEY MAY CONTRACT COVID BUT THEY MAY NOT DIE FROM IT BECAUSE OF VACCINES.

VACCINATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE FIVE YEARS AND OLDER, I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE, WE ARE FEELING A LOT BETTER.

BUT THERE IS STILL THAT SENSE OF NOT EVERYONE IS SURVIVING THIS, EVEN IF THEY ARE VACCINATED AND BOOSTED.

WE KNOW THAT FOR MENTAL HEALTH PURPOSES, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT AND IT AFFECTS CHILDREN JUST AS MUCH AS ADULTS AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T NECESSARILY RECOGNIZE HOW THIS PANDEMIC MAY BE AFFECTING CHILDREN AND THEIR BEHAVIOR AND THEIR COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AND PROCESSING AS WELL.

>> Dr. BRANGMAN, LET'S TALK ABOUT BOOSTERS AND THE BENEFIT.

HOW MUCH OF AN ADDED BENEFIT IS THERE TO GETTING A BOOSTER IN TERMS OF SURVIVAL AND ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF PROTECTION AGAINST NEW VARIANTS THAT MIGHT EMERGE.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT?

>> SO THE NEWEST VARIANT THAT WE KNOW OF IS OMICRON.

AND WE HAVE SCIENCE THAT SHOWS US THAT THESE VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AGAINST OMICRON, BUT THEY'RE ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IF YOU HAVE HAD THAT THIRD DOSE OF EITHER PFIZER OR MODERNA OR THE SECOND DOSE OF A JOHNSON & JOHNSON.

SO THE BOOSTERS GIVE YOU EXTRA PROTECTION AGAINST THIS OMICRON VARIANT.

SO BY GETTING THIS THIRD SHOT OF A PFIZER OR MODERN, YOU BRING THOSE LEVELS UP SO THAT YOUR BODY HAS WHAT IT NEEDS TO PROTECT YOU FROM THAT VIRUS EXPOSURE.

AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LEARNING AS YOU GO.

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A NEW VIRUS.

AND PEOPLE P AREN'T USED TO SEEING SCIENCE BEING WORKED ON AS IT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE.

WE ARE USED TO THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT YEARS AND YEARS AGO.

>> BEHIND THE SCENES.

THE SCIENCE HAPPENS.

>> RIGHT.

SO THAT MAKES SOME PEOPLE A LITTLE JITTERY, BUT THE TRUTH IS SCIENCE IS RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS AS THEY UNFOLD.

AND THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU FEEL VERY GOOD BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROTECTED.

>> IN TERMS OF THE BEST PRACTICES TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I GET-- I HAVE ALREADY HAD ALL OF THEM, OF COURSE.

BUT IF I GET IT, I HELP TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.

WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR ALL OF US TO BE PARTICIPATING IN AT THIS POINT?

Dr. BRANGMAN, WHY DON'T WE START WITH YOU?

>> THE BEST PRACTICE IS TO GET FULLY VACCINATED.

THAT MEANS TO GET ALL THREE SHOTS OF EITHER PFIZER OR MODERNA OR TWO SHOTS OF JOHN SOUTHERN & JOHNSON.

IT'S OKAY TO MIX AND MATCH.

JUST GET THE EXTRA BOOST.

>> ANY ONE THAT IS AVAILABLE.

>> ANY ONE THAT IS AVAILABLE.

IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THEY WORK ACROSS THE BOARD.

RIGHT?

SO YOU GET VACCINATED AND YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE VACCINATED.

ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO.

AND THEY BE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO WEAR A MASK AND I KNOW EVERYBODY IS TIRED OF MASKS.

I AM, TOO, BUT THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT TOOL TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS HAVE THESE VIRUS LEVELS COME DOWN SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO LAND AND SINK INTO YOUR BODY.

AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ON A MASK, YOU ARE HELPING TO KEEP THAT VIRUS LEVEL SPREADING.

SO I THINK THE MASKS FOR OUR PROTECTION FOR OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITY AND I KNOW THAT'S A CONTROVERSY.

I KNOW EVERYBODY IS TIRED OF IT.

BUT IT IS TOO SOON TO LET UP.

THIS IS NOT OVER YET.

>> UNFORTUNATELY ALL THAT GREAT INFORMATION, BUT THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE.

I WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS AGAIN FOR JOINING US.

DR. SHARON BRANGMAN, DEPARTMENT CHAIR OF GERIATRICS AT SUNY UPSTATE MEDICAL MS. SHARON OWENS, DEPUTY MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SYRACUSE AND DR. KENDRA DELOACH MCCUTCHEON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE FALK SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BE SURE TO VISIT WCNY.ORG/CYCLEOFHEALTH FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND OTHER EPISODES.

FOR CYCLE OF HEALTH, I'M DR. RICH O'NEILL.

THANKS FOR CHECKING IN.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ON THE NEXT CYCLE OF HEALTH, COVID-19 VARIANTS.

UNCOVER THE SCIENCE BEHIND THESE VIRUS MUTATIONS THROUGH THE EYES OF THE EXPERTS ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE PANDEMIC.

THEN, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VARIANTS AND THE STATE OF COVID-19 IN OUR REGION AS WE SIT DOWN WITH TWO PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS TO ASK THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

THIS IS A CONVERSATION YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS, ALL ON THE NEXT CYCLE OF HEALTH.