Married Hello and welcome to PBS39.

WLVT community update on coronavirus.

It's brought to you with help from our community partner Lehigh Valley Health Network.

I'm Brittany Sweeney our guest today include an infectious disease doctor with Lehigh Valley Health Network who has helped us and guided us through this pandemic.

We also are joined by the President and CEO of Fellowship Community in Whitehall.

They'll be with us in a moment.

If you have a question, you give us a call.

The phone numbers 4 8 4 8 2 1 0 0 0 8.

Our guests will answer some of your questions live plus for daily coronavirus updates.

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You can do that at our websites coronavirus.

Lehigh Valley .org.

You can find helpful information there in both English and Spanish.

Now let's take a look at some of today's top headlines.

Shipments of both Pfizer and Maddern vaccines to Pennsylvania have been delayed because of snow storms affecting much of the country.

That means providers may have to cancel and reschedule vaccine appointments made well in advance.

It's the latest snafu in getting more than the 4 million people in PAs first phase of vaccine delivery protected earlier this week.

The state said thousands of appointments would have to be rescheduled because of a shortage of maddern a vaccine second dose.

Today, the State Department of Health reported 2778 new coronavirus cases and 67 new deaths numbers that have dipped considerably from their peaks earlier this year.

The number of people hospitalized from Covid-19 also continues to fall to right around 2100 today.

Overall, Pennsylvania has had nearly 9000 excuse me 910,000 total coronavirus cases and 23,400 80 deaths.

And in Bethlehem, the Hispanic center of the Lehigh Valley held the first of a two day vaccination clinic today.

It resumes tomorrow and is by appointment only.

All 200 appointments over the two days have been filled.

The Hispanic Center teamed up with St Luke's University Health Network St Luke's nurses and nursing students administer vaccines.

The Hispanic Center hopes to expand the pilot project with another free vaccine clinic down the road.

It's time now to meet our guests for the day.

Dr Luther Rhodes is an infectious disease doctor at Lehigh Valley Health Network who has joined us many times before.

We thank him for joining us once again.

Also here today is Mary Kay McMann, president and CEO of Fellowship Community, a senior living development in White Hazle Township.

Thank you both so much for joining us today.

You're welcome.

Mary Kay, we'll get to you in just a few minutes.

Dr Rhodes, as always, we'd like to start with you first.

Big story this week, a shortage of vaccines, a mix states.

Earlier this week.

And now that whether they're all affecting the supply, tens of thousands of appointments across Pennsylvania, LVHN told earlier this week that it had to cancel or Reshad.

Well, 1,500 appointments that folks were expected to get today for the second dose of them are mador vaccine.

And then this afternoon we heard that another 3200 appointments over the next three days for that second dose will also have to be rescheduled.

Let's talk about the logistics, not only the weather, but that shortage that the state was telling us about in second doses.

How is this impacting how you're getting shots into arms Gamma Thank you really for a long join your audience again.

Again, this is Covid.

It has been just full of twists and turns and disappointment.

This is Yedlin, another one.

But on the positive side, the vaccines or very good the fact are excellent.

Unusually good.

Worth the weight because they are so good.

And yet I can say I feel the disappointment of so many people who have been waiting only to get the call that they've actually delayed.

But if you look outside, it's not safe.

I mean, you might fall on a way to get your vaccine.

And so the vaccine will be there.

There is confusion over first and second dose.

Just let me reassure your audience that there's no difference between the two shots.

They have the exact same content and they're both against safe vaccines, very effective as each day passes, more and more folks are vaccinated.

I see the positive letters being sent in to media all the time from people who once they go through the process are very appreciative of the professionalism and the safety of the roll up.

So I think if we again written there what the weather's done, imagine trying to roll out to roll out or stand modern term stand up.

They vaccine campaign where everybody in a country gets two shots and do it over one of the worst winter weather seasons we've had in a long time.

You can see that a setup for for disappointment.

But if we had a subpar or second rate vaccine that would add problems, we don't we'd have an excellent vaccine that works very well, is safe.

And I don't think the folks who are oh, I mean, I know people are disappointed if you're called today and said you're going to get your vaccine one week from now, said it today that we could pass pretty fast and stay home, stay safe.

In the meantime, it's worth the wait and the wait will be over pretty soon.

Sure.

Dr Rhodes, this problem, the snow problem compounds another problem.

Like I said with that, we heard earlier this week where there was a shortage in second doses.

How do you get back on track with all of this?

How do you get people back and rescheduled and the people who were rescheduled this were scheduled this week and they need to be rescheduled.

When will they get their vaccines?

Well, the people who have appointments now are ratios.

They don't have to make another appointment.

Appointment is used is made for then.

If they change, if there's a reason they can't meet that second date, then they need to contact the information they have already to contact phone number they have already for the first vaccine appointment.

Can't say I can't make that the network the hospital LVHN will accommodate, but they want as many people vaccinated as fast as possible.

So I don't think you'll have will you won't be disappointed if you have to accommodate or ask for a different date.

But I think keep the keeping in sight what you're trying to do and that's get everybody immunized.

I remember a conversation a few months ago was hesitancy.

People are not sure they wanted the vaccine.

Which I understand.

But I think it's changed.

The conversation now has changed quite a bit, too.

It seems most people want to get vaccinated and they want to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

And as safely as possible.

Absolutely.

I don't want to talk a little bit about that window from the first dose to the second dose.

At first it said about I believe it was about 28 days that you had to get that second dose.

Now, with this mix up, the CDC is saying that it can be up to 48 days.

Does that really impact how this vaccine impacts you and your body?

Is it different for people or is it OK to wait a little bit longer to get that second dose?

Well, is scientifically, if you will.

Perfect answer is just the two vaccines are different products, slightly different products, but there are different products.

The Pfizer says get the second shot.

Three weeks after the first Moderna said second shot, four weeks.

That sounds just great until you have a disruption of the schedule.

Well, it turns out that there is wiggle room.

You are able to delay.

But the problem with the indefinite or vague about any delays is it leads to confusion.

It's hard to make a maybe a point that you need to make keep the appointment.

It's best to try to stick as close to the schedule possible.

The thing that has changed the conversation with the CDC, if you will, this country is as time goes by, enough people have been vaccinated to know that there is safety in allowing some wiggle room up to six weeks, if you will.

There's a little bit of wiggle room there.

The problem with that is if you get a wobbly and careless that second those might get missed.

People forget appointments that are that are too far out.

So important to try, if at all possible to stick with the schedule.

As you know, the United Kingdom made a decision about a month ago, December 30, first actually to sort of soft pedal the second dose.

Just give everybody one dose.

You'll get more people down if you.

That's very controversial.

And there was a survey of doctors in this country just completed asking that very question.

Is it better to give everybody one shot or as many people as possible to vaccines Gamma Two shots.

The doctor split right down 49 to 51%.

that.

But I would say my personal feeling stick with that with the operating structures because that's how the products were made.

Anything beyond that when you start to something as important as the vaccine, you don't want to be told a couple of months about because of the later vaccine, it isn't working as well as they thought or you thought it's too important.

Sure.

I read something that said that you weren't as protected until you got that second shot.

You were something like 30% of impacted are protected, I should say until you get that second dose.

Is that what you're seeing with people Gamma Well, the data there is used by the two sides of the argument.

The people who will she say the number responses when you say how many people are protected after one vaccine, the answer comes back 30%.

The 80%.

But whatever the real number is, it doesn't last as long.

The reason for shot number two is if you slingshot effect, it makes the vaccine.

We don't want to keep going through this every couple of months.

We want a vaccine that stays with us once we take the two shots that Johnson and Johnson product one shot kind of thing.

It looks like it's going to be delayed.

So it's really going to be up to Pfizer and turn out for the foreseeable few months as I can see.

And they have those vaccines have operating instructions.

I would follow.

You'll feel better.

You'll feel safer with your father directions.

Sure.

We want to fight off that kind of virus as long as possible.

Let's get back to vaccines and the logistics, the vaccines.

It seems like the providers are flying by the seat of their pants from day to day or week to week abouts when they.

How many doses they get?

How many people they can vaccinate?

How has this been challenging for you?

I can imagine it has been challenging getting people scheduled when you don't know how many vaccines you're getting week to week.

Well, the only thing we're disappointed from the provider doctor and Orefield point of view is the disappoint in the population, our patients and citizens.

It's very disappointing to have something this important seemed so chaotic.

But I think we're getting over that.

I mean, this has been a painful January, February so far for all of us.

But I do look at the end of the day and look at the numbers of people vaccinated that it continues to cross the country, including two vaccines by now.

There's a fair number of people now fully vaccinated and talk to the they'll tell you they feel better.

They feel safer around family and so on.

Health co workers, we have at least two thirds if not more now of our colleagues or are vaccinated, then, you know, you'll see it.

You feel better.

You simply feel better or feel safer.

Dr Roberts, a lot of doom and gloom that we're talking about.

Let's talk about a little bright spot.

It seems like hospitalizations are down and the case count is down.

Is that what you're seeing Gamma Lehigh Valley Health Network as well.

The case comes down, but the complexity of cases still remains pretty high because the folks with Covid who are ill enough to come into the hospital often have associated or one conditions and so on.

So the folks who are in the hospital are still quite ill.

If you can speak with them, some family you talk to each day because they're there, they're scared then they're by themselves.

They don't have visitors.

And so, Dr Rhodes, we have a caller question here.

They're asking if you get that first dose and then you go past the 42 day or you know how many that window is.

How many days?

That is if you go past that window to start all over again to get the first dose again and the second dose.

The current CDC Gordon Sondland that is known just what will happen is enough people will go through that.

So that four and five months now I don't have a perfect answer to that question right now.

The evidence would suggest you're just fine.

Thank you.

If you get your second shot maybe a little after the six weeks mark.

But the biggest problem with DeLay is not getting it at all.

That's what often happens.

DeLay health care is often forgotten.

Health care, that's anybody's experience.

And that not practicing in the medical field.

It's human nature put things off in some respects and we put them off enough.

You can sort of forget about them in Nepal.

That's right.

I never did get that vaccine.

I would be.

I think we'll find that the second shot doesn't particularly the current vaccine.

If a new strain comes out, they have to redo it or something that may be a different matter that the current vaccine really seemed to be that very good that now that it seems to last.

I mean, again, they've only had the vaccine since March, April of last year.

So there's been there's not enough time yet to know how long somebody's going to really stay protected.

But at one year, the people who are volunteers last March and April are still doing very well.

They have antibodies doing just fine.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much.

That was Sharon asking that question.

And Dr Rhodes, as always, thank you so much for joining us from Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Thank you.

And we continue this community update on coronavirus on PBS39.

And you can hear the rebroadcast on the radio tonight, 9:30 on WLVT News.

91 three FM Now let's bring in our next guest.

Mary Kay McMann is president and CEO Fellowship Community in Whitehall.

It's a community of about 500 residents in different settings, including independent living, personal care and skilled nursing seniors and those in skilled nursing facilities or communal living obviously are at the highest risk groups.

Mary Kay, I know that your residents and staffers have been getting back, been getting vaccinated.

Talk about that process if you could.

What's it been like for you?

Sure.

So certainly we're caring for the most vulnerable population and the population that really needed to get the vaccines first and as quickly as we possibly could get them for them.

So we were fortunate to be in the federal partnership.

The pharmacy partnership with CBS and Walgreens and we chose CBS says our pharmacy partner, which has been really wonderful for.

They were able to we started doing vaccine clinics at the beginning of January.

So it's like a little touch and go there in December.

And we were really nervous about what was really going to work.

And with these vaccine clinics really happen and they did they did exactly the way it was planned to go.

So we started vaccinating.

We started with our skilled nursing residents because they are again the most vulnerable people on our population.

And that was the first clinic it was for health care staff and for our long term care residents.

And then the next thing that happened was we were not sure how we were going to get the rest of our residents on the campus and personal care and an independent living vaccinated because the thrust of the whole program was really for long term care, skilled nursing residents.

And then we got lucky again because CVS added on more vaccine clinics for us to pick up the personal care residents.

So we have had five so far and we have one more scheduled at the beginning of March.

We had one this past Tuesday, this this week and the one on March 4th are really second dose clinics because we're finishing that kind of the whole vaccine sequence right now and we have had a fabulous response from our residents and from our family members, many of whom make care decisions for our residents in participating.

Sure.

I was just going to ask what's the reaction been like where people hesitant to get the shots are they excited?

Are they eager to get it or they signing up, you know, left and right?

What's the response from the folks over there?

Eager is an understatement.

They were incredibly excited to get it.

They were they consider themselves very lucky and very fortunate to have been able to get them here on campus, you know, to not have to go somewhere, to not have, you know, figure out how to schedule and where to go to get transportation that the vaccine literally came to them.

And we held the vaccine clinics in our community center.

So and for the care in our care areas, the pharmacists went directly to the residents.

We did not have to transport them at all.

They went room to room right to where the residents live and vaccinated them there, which was a huge help for us as well.

So it from there on the residents side, and from our family members side.

Just tremendous response to getting the vaccine participation over our 3 areas independent living, personal care and skilled nursing.

We have 90.

A little 95% average participation.

That have already been vaccinated.

All of our residents have been vaccinated twice.

So they have had both doses now.

So to be here at the end of February when we had nothing at the end of December to to have made that much progress and that's toward a period of time.

We all feel blessed literally here.

Absolutely.

Talk to me about what it was like for community fellowship in the beginning.

As we mentioned, one of the hardest hit age groups is the older population.

What was it like for you in the beginning?

And as we've gone through this pandemic, the beginning with scary is probably the word that I would use.

And there was so much uncertainty because we had very little information with which to go on.

Yet we were getting multiple cases of Covid.

So we spent almost all of our energy and trying to reduce the transmission and trying to stop it in its tracks so that if we got a group of residents that had it, we didn't want it to go further down the hallway and infect more residents.

And then it was a lot of education as information was slowly trickling out about how the virus was transmitted and what the mitigating factors were that we could put into place.

And when we started doing all of those things, there was this continuous repetition of information with our staff to make sure that they were doing all of the infection control procedures correctly, like, you know, just religiously and obsessively, you know, the hand-washing and the mask wearing and everything else.

And in the beginning we had very little resources.

So it was hitting skilled nursing facilities, particularly nursing facilities and we're congregate settings.

So our residents live in very close contact to each other.

And the care that we provide is in very close contact.

You cannot provide care to somebody six feet apart from them.

So all of the things about physically and socially distancing were very, very difficult to do in in care facilities such as ours.

So it was really about getting enough PPE, which was difficult to do, very difficult to source.

PPE in the beginning and we had staff dedicate just sourcing PPE so that we could protect our staff who can then protect the residents.

So it was very, very challenging.

And the bigger and of course the coronavirus pandemic has taken toll.

What kind of toll has it taken on community fellowship Gamma Have you lost anyone to the coronavirus during the course of the last year?

Yes.

And that's very unfortunate because we went into the pandemic with the goal of saving lives.

Right.

And doing no harm.

So it's been incredibly difficult, to be honest for this for everybody here because they're like our family.

So but we have lost presidents over the course pandemic.

Absolutely.

So where do you stand now?

What's the case count now at community Fellowship?

As of today, actually as of last week, we have no active resident cases.

So we do believe that our second search that started after Thanksgiving and went through the holidays is now over on the residents side.

So we're really, really happy about that.

There is a great sense of relief, but because we've been through two rounds kind of of, you know, of the coronavirus already from the spring and then, you know, the hall I call it the holiday surge.

We do we you know, you can't be certain that it's not going to happen again, you know?

So, you know, we're trying to keep everything in place so that nothing.

So all these variants are coming out.

We don't know how that's going to affect our population.

And we're really putting all of our eggs in the vaccine basket that that's going to give us the protection that we need going forward.

Sure.

As fellowship community continues to move forward, continues to vaccinate not only staff but residents.

What are some of the protocols that are in place now that will continue to be in place as we continue to fight this pandemic Gamma Yes, actually, all of the protocols that were in place before we started vaccinating remain in place and really not none of that is going to go away.

So the mask wearing, you know, the hand-washing.

We have a lot of environmental controls in place as well.

That we use to help sanitized are our rooms and our comments spaces.

We have UV see like towers that we use.

We have missing machines.

We have all kinds of different environmental protections for infection control in place now as well.

None of that is going to stop until where absolutely sure of you know, that we're kind of past that we're well protected.

Maybe we won't be passed a virus, but well-protected from the virus kind of coming back in again.

So that's what that's really what we're looking for.

The only other thing really is this family visitaion.

So we stopped family visitation right before Thanksgiving when the second search was starting up.

And that is the one thing that we wanted to get back to.

So we are currently meeting to discuss how we can restart family visitation in a safe way, obviously, because, you know, everybody is getting vaccinated or star population is it does give them a sense of confidence, you know, as Dr Rhodes was sort of mentioning, to kind of be able to go out or meet people and, you know, not quite be so isolated.

But for our population, we have to still take every protection.

So family visitation is still going to be socially distanced.

But it would be really lovely to start opening that up again and I really hope to do so in the beginning March.

Sure.

We don't have a ton of time, but if you could quickly talk to us about how you kind of give these residents a sense of normalcy when they can't see family members in that kind of thing.

How do you get that sense of normalcy?

Sure.

So all of the activities that we normally would do, we just do them in a different way.

So we bring activities to the residents.

We tried to socially engage them in any possible way that we can.

And then obviously we do virtual visits.

You know, we have Skype visits and we have lots of residents that have devices that families brought in.

So it's really connecting them virtually.

Wonderful.

Mary Kay McMann, the president and CEO of Fellowship Community, thank you so much for joining us today.

Thank you for having me.

Absolutely.

We want to thank our guests for being here with us today.

We want to thank you for watching community update on coronavirus.

We'll be here at 4pm each Monday, Wednesday and Friday on PBS39.

And on the radio at 9:30 those same nights, WLVT News.

We'll be back Monday for with guests from LVHN and PA career link to talk about the pandemics - effects and impact on jobs and people seeking jobs at this time.

If you have a question, you can leave it at our website, PBS39.org.

Our social media or you can give us a call.

The phone numbers 4 8 4 8 2 1 0 0 0 8 4 PBS39 and WLVT news.

I'm Brittany Sweeney.

Stay safe.