Hello and welcome PBS39 and WLVT as community update on coronavirus.

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

Coming to you live from the PPE Public Media Center in Bethlehem I'm Brittany Sweeney.

Our guests today include a pediatric doctor from Lehigh Valley Ryley Children's Hospital.

Senator Mario Covello.

They'll be with us in just a few moments.

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

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

Our guest will answer some of your questions live.

Plus, our daily coronavirus updates.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

Now you can do that at our website coronavirus Lehigh Valley.

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You can find information there in both English and Spanish.

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

The department of Health reports through yesterday more than 2 million doses of vaccine have been administered in Pennsylvania.

The state was allocated 200 26,000 first doses this week.

The largest number yet.

It comes as nearly 2800 new coronavirus cases and 76 more deaths were reported today.

In total, Pennsylvania has had over 920,000 cases and nearly 24,000 deaths thanks to an additional shipment of the Pfizer vaccine.

The Bethlehem Health Bureau is adding appointment's to its win.

Creek clinic Friday.

Now those appointments are expected to go quickly, but they will be released tomorrow morning on the Bethlehem City website.

You can try to book an appointment online at Bethlehem dash PA .gov.

A small number of appointments will also be taken by phone starting at 8am That's for people who are 65 or older and live in Northampton County.

The phone number is 6 108 6 5 7 0 8 3.

Again, that's 6 108 6 5 7 0 8 3.

They're known as the Long hauler Covid-19 patient suffering long term breathing problems, fatigue and even brain fog.

This week, the National Institutes of Health launching research to understand the causes and consequences.

Government, Scientia will enlist doctors and research institutions nationwide hoping to learn more about Long hauler Covid-19.

And finally, another Covid-19 vaccine could be on the market soon.

Regulators today saying the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine provides strong protection against severe cases.

An FDA panel will consider the evidence Friday.

A final decision on emergency youth use authorization likely within days.

Approval would put millions more doses into the US supply chain.

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

Dr Nathan Hagstrom is chairman of pediatrics at Lehigh Valley Health Network and Lehigh Valley Riley Children's Hospital.

Also here, a state senator Marios Cabello, who represents parts of Monroe and Northampton counties.

Thank you both so much for joining us.

Senator Covello, we'll be with you in just a few moments.

We're going to start today with Dr Hagstrom.

Thanks again for joining.

All right.

Doing OK, Dr throughout this pandemic, older folks have been at greater risk of coronavirus infection and complications.

We've heard that time and time again.

What have we learned in the last several months about how Covid-19 affects children get two forms.

They can spread.

It's just less frequently for the younger children.

Well, we have learned in the last six months that the older children, the adolescent certainly do get the disease as often as adults and can spread it very easily as well.

The good news, though, is that adolescents are less likely to get severe Covid illness much like younger children.

So they can get the disease, they can spread it.

But unfortunately, we have not been seeing a lot of adolescents in the hospital with sure, we know about a half million people have died from Covid-19.

Most of them being adults.

We also hear of adults with what they call long hauler symptoms.

People who the symptoms are just lingering in them.

Are we seeing that at all in children and are any of those deaths children when it comes to Covid-19 deaths Gamma So we know that across the country children.

Covid, they usually have other chronic illnesses that predispose to complications in the Lehigh Valley.

We've really not seen deaths in children with Covid.

When it comes to chronic symptoms, we have seen that.

So the more in the adolescence than in the young children.

But even even elementary school children can seem to get chronic problems from Covid infection that can take months to resolve.

Sure, Are you seeing some of the long hauler symptoms like they say in adults and children as well?

Yes.

So one of the more common symptoms is your loss of smell seems to persist.

You patients who or people at Covid chronic fatigue also something we're seeing in children as well as as the adults unexplained pain especially in the joints.

we've also seen.ot common, but- Sure.

Dr Hagstrom, it seemed like there was a surge in cases just before the new year and heading into the new year as well.

Are we past that surge?

Are we still seeing it?

What are we seeing in terms of children and Covid-19 cases right now?

Right.

And so this latest surge which started falling around early to mid-November is starting to decline.

We've seen a decline essentially for the whole month of February.

We're still not down to levels we'd like to see.

Of course, but hopefully in the next month or two.

Well, children have followed the same path.

A number of cases diagnosed, but obviously not not the same number of hospitalizations, very few hospitalizations.

But in terms of prevalence, teenagers actually at one point had a higher prevalence of positive tests than the adults for about a day or two.

But for the most part it near the adults, whereas children less than well, there still a testing and a lower rate, meaning they just don't seem to get it easily.

Chart Do we have any idea any more knowledge as this pandemic has gone on about why children are not as affected by Covid-19?

They seem to not come down with it as frequently as adults to we know why at all yet.

Yeah, that's three reasons.

The first is that both your lungs, the basket of disease that seems to predispose adults to severe disease is not really present in children.

You have problems with hypertension until their adult years and then bustard sees, you know, sort of evolves over years years.

The third reason is because they don't have as many receptors for the Saras virus that causes Covid on their risk free cells.

The risk for I have a feeling cells that line the risk trap.

And so they're not going to see as much damage from the Covid.

Sure.

So what should parents be looking out for if there is little to no symptoms often.

What should they be looking out for?

Checking for their kids Gamma Yeah.

So they're concerned that their child may have Covid and either they want the child tested or would just need to quarantine the child.

It can be simple as a fever, but fever all are the two most common symptoms.

We've seen some children.

As I said, I do have the sort of prodromal losing their smell.

First then developing Sputnik cough thinking that very mild symptoms sore throat is another common one.

That we've seen.

Sure, of course this time of year kids are always coming down with something, especially when they're all in a group together.

So when do you know when to consult a doctor and when it's just maybe a common cold Gamma That's a great question too, because it can affect your risk for.

It's really a much difficulty.

Yardley having your breathing.

How they feel are you?

How's their energy level Gamma So anything that that's either making them short of breath or not active.

You should call your pediatrician, your primary care physician and check.

There's also a condition that kids can develop from Covid-19 called Mesi or multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

It can be very, very serious for kids.

How often are you seeing this at Lehigh Valley Health Network and what's the likelihood that cildren are going to come down with this?

It still remains very rare.

I know that in some states where significant surges, the children and adolescents they've seen increased number here.

We have not seen an increase in the number of Wyomissing cases.

So it remains rare.

And in most cases, it's mild to moderate.

It requires just, you know, basic treatment and treatment either Ivyland or steroids seems to work effectively and quickly.

We've talked about Missie on community.

They don't coronavirus in the past.

But for those who don't know those symptoms look a little bit different than your traditional Covid-19 symptoms.

What should parents be on the lookout for when it comes to that Gamma So it's a persistent fever.

So not just the last day or two.

And then there's some kind of evidence and some information, whether it's a rash or even even Mount's worse or even conjunctivitis, redness around the Hymes can occur.

Now, of course, this year one of them Iasi typically results lowering your blood pressure and feeling pretty, pretty awful.

You can have a pain and vomiting as it is common symptoms, even diarrhea and that can be from what I understand, a few weeks after Covid-19 positive.

Is that correct?

Correct.

It usually averages about and if people suspect if parents suspect that their child have has developed masc, should they come to the emergency room, how should they treat that Gamma They can call the child's primary care physician or pediatrician.

And I checked first and then the next.

That would either be emergency or seeing them in the office and doing some some lab work.

Children with MASC definitely have abnormalities in their bloodwork that you see and that really does help diagnose that.

That's sort of the next step after you're seeing the child and examining Dr Hagstrom.

Well, let's switch gears and talk about school.

Many health experts saying we're at a point now that we can resume in-person classes.

Are you on board with that?

What are your feelings about kids going back to school and learning in person Gamma These were missing remained the problems children and families are facing because they're out of school.

You can't be overstated.

We really do need to have as a priority of getting children back into the schools.

But we need to do it safely.

Of course, not every school system is the same or the same layout of their buildings, ventilation resources.

And so, you know, every school district needs to have their own tailored approach using the guidelines CDC has set out.

But I think we need to be working towards getting back into.

Sure.

And a step in that directin.

the vaccine.

When do you think we'll see a vaccine for kids if ever?

That's a great question.

So to the Pfizer, no vaccine is being tested currently in children 12 to 16.

No, it's already been proved that the vaccine.

67 groats, interestingly, not this week.

AstraZeneca started the UK testing their virus in six to 12 year olds and the Moderna vaccine is also starting trials in children who are 12 to team and we hope to see the data presented to the FDA by Q Pfizer and quickly thereafter for the Madani de AstraZeneca rib-eye see in the United States until probably mid and late summer.

Any data at all?

We could be vaccinate 12 to 18-year-olds.

So the alisson population by mid to late summer.

So before school starts, but we probably won't be able to vaccinate children less than well until early 2020 to do you think we can reach herd immunity without children who are under 16 getting vaccinated Gamma That is a great question.

And my professional vision is that it would be very hard to achieve herd immunity especially or a pandemic such as this without vaccine.

Our youngest in our population.

OK. What about the variants?

Are they impacting children at the same rate that the original Covid-19 strain was?

What do we know about variance in children?

So it seems to be behaving the same as it would in adults.

So the children, the younger children are not any more susceptible to new variances.

They are the original and not causing in a more severe disease.

So that's good news.

However, it is transmittable the infection rates, the fire.

And that's probably true for the adolescents.

I don't honestly have data on the younger children saying if it's if it's increased for them.

But I think our biggest worry about burying the PR operation is severe.

It's going to be the ease of infection transmission.

Dr Nathan Hagstrom, chair of pediatrics at Lehigh Valley Riley Children's Hospital from Lehigh Valley Health Network, thank you so much for joining us today.

Thank.

We continue this community update coronavirus on PBS39.

You can hear the rebirth broadcast on the radio tonight at 9:30 on W mvr News.

91 three FM.

Now let's bring in our next guest, Marios Covello.

A Republican representing Pennsylvania's 40th Senate district.

The past seven years before that, he served 12 years in the state House.

Senator, Pennsylvania has struggled with the vaccine rollout, leading to confusion and frustration.

Why has the state performed so poorly compared to others when it comes to vaccines?

Let's start there.

If you could.

You know, part of it, I'd be I believe that there was no input from us, the legislature and we would just you know, it would just pop out there like you and I have to tell you, I think that the act in second Gary Day just taken over is going to make things so much better.

Last week, the Department of Health held a press conference Covid-19 vaccine distribution while another in the vaccine distribution of subpoint is appreciated.

The acting secretary Beame was far more transparent about the challenges that we had and that we haven't seen before since the following.

I want to give you a little recap last week.

The department identified a problem that some vaccine providers were using.

Second to first doses.

While we have heard this and expected that this was happening, it has been quantified in the vaccine distribution data.

What does that mean?

That means some trace of the Madama vaccine administered to additional patients for their first doses instead of being used for second doses to patients.

And it created a shortage murdering by vaccine within Pennsylvania.

And that's basically why the Lehigh we had to pull back the valley Network and also from St Luke's and many of the others because we didn't have the supplies now like you stated earlier.

We are getting the supplies now.

And if you did get your first dose, you will get your second dose might be a little bit later.

But the second dose of that vaccine is coming.

And with the Moderna, we have up to 42 days to to do it.

And you know, it's it's a problem that until we know the numbers, we like you stated earlier, over 2 million people, I think we can do better.

And now we have legislative input.

The governor has put two senators on.

On the on a group, a task force.

And I think it's important because the Senate is out there on the front line.

We're getting the complaints when something is going wrong, at least now we can do is we can funnel that information and somebody listening to it.

And so Democrats and Republicans are both on on the front lines.

You know, you're on the test.

And we're going to have a tremendou amount input because we'll you know, we hear of something that there's a problem.

It's immediate.

We had a problem.

And Wind Gap Pharmacy get pharmacy two weeks ago.

They were told we will get no more.

And just to say you're not going to get more vaccines or everybody's had their first vaccine there and they get it overnight, it was an overnight decision and then, of course, it worried tremendous amount.

People, especially the people that we expected the second dose.

And so we got that straightened and straightened out pretty quickly.

And I think those two senators have been on that point.

Help me, Senator.

There's a bill that was unanimously approved in both the House and the Senate that's calling on the National Guard to assist with distributing those vaccines.

How do you think that will help get shots into arms Gamma Well, you know, any help we can gets let's do it.

spikes in DC if we the more we can get from DC, the quicker we can put it out there.

Now in Philadelphia gets their own numbers.

Don't even.

I'm not too familiar with that.

But they get their own allotment because the first class city.

But I think we need we need more vaccines and Wind Gap and hopefully Johnson and Johnson coming on and another supply MacDermott coming.

I think we should be we should be in good shape in the street through some weeks because they're saying if they get approved that they get approved tomorrow, something that they're ready to go and put into it three weeks.

We'll have a good amount vaccines available.

Fingers crossed.

Hopefully that's how it goes.

I wanted to ask you, you're on the aging and the Senate aging Youth Committee.

Many seniors struggling to navigate the system to get an appointment.

So they call your office.

What's your office?

Telling them?

The best way to getting appointment and schedule an appointment for a vaccine Gamma Well, some seniors don't have a computer and most of it has been by computer.

So we've helped them come to our office and we went on on on the computer and plugged in their appointments and moved to me.

It's and that's that we need to get all our seniors St Clair.

And unless you have a medical issue, there's no reason why a seniors 65 and older doesn't have a vaccine in the next few weeks.

We have got statesto step it up and address that population because to me, you know, a lot of vulnerable and that's what we need to do when and my goal is to see that happening.

And that's what I instructed our guy from the outset to do and push in that direction and a revolted by the way, Sure.

Speaking of the most vulnerable, the governor yesterday coming out and saying that every nursing home resident and staffer who wanted a vaccine has now gotten it.

So I ask you, is the nightmare over for people who are in and running or have loved ones in an elder care facility?

Is the nightmare over for them?

I hope it is.

I've had I've been very critical of the governor and how he's handled the nursing home issue.

I contacted his office back in sometime last year and March to tell them to protect the nursing homes.

It was obvious from right from what I saw in Italy, there was 400 seniors, 80 years and that passed in one day and xiv's that this was going to affect the seniors more anywhere else.

So I said check the employees going in test and lock down the nursing visitors.

And unfortunately, it took three and half months then to do that.

They have their eye on the Senate floor, really repent and a little bit.

And the next week, that was the week that the former secretary of health took her mom out of the hot out of the nursing, put her in a hotel and locked out the nursing Dublin nursing home as they did.

I'll give you one good one that comes to mind.

But I know there is more Mrs Mrs Bush Shobha Westand than my district had not one Covid case.

They protected the folks nursing home.

You can't put you can't put folks Schwank Covid back in to the nursing home and that happens similar to New York and I'm going to be RCL military questioning the actual numbers of the deaths.

As you know when I on the floor said that when I spoke there was a proximately at that time almost 4000 seniors that passed nursing home residents that I believe.

There's always a few are going to maybe a maybe four or 500 miles because of age and maybe even less than that.

But for thousand seniors at that point, nursing home residents had passed.

There was no reason for a scary situation for sure for older population.

Hopefully we're out of the woods for everybody's sake.

I want to talk about business.

You have a background in small business.

Is there anything on the state level happening for the restaurants and the taverns that have just been decimated by this pandemc?

Any funding coming down the line or any help for those workers Gamma There's funding now between five and 50,000 that grants they can apply through in Northampton and Monroe.

It's different, though.

Was going to apply was really handle it.

But yes, there is and there are not grants, which is great.

That's something that ought to pay back.

And it is the second time around that we done this now and I'm hopeful that it can help many of them.

What's happened is bars and restaurants.

I'm we've lost a landmark and Monroe the town is end because the closures.

And I know there's a few, many more that are not going to make it back because, you know, you just you're upbeat, especially if you just started imagine starting a business in January or buying a business in January.

And two months later you're closed.

It's it has not been.

I really feel for all of these all these businesses because it has not been a good year to start a business, hasn't it?

It really is unfortunate for sure.

I have one more question for before we go today.

If you could quickly let know, you know, before you know, it's election season.

We'll be here.

It's right around the corner.

I wanted to ask you, will you support mail in ballots being processed before Election Day?

In both Northampton and Monroe counties Gamma I would support that.

I don't think you should have it, you know, on on that night.

I think people want and know who won at the end of the day.

They don't want to wait two in three or four days later.

So I would support it.

Sure.

And we have time for just one more question.

You've been an advocate for mental health treatment.

Is the legislature prepared for the cost of the mental and psychological impact this pandemic has taken on not only adults but children as well?

Great question.

And you know, I know you spoke to the doctor a few minutes ago about getting kids back in school.

You know, it's child abuse gets recorded by the school.

If the child's not in school, we're we don't have the cases that nobody's reporting.

Are we ready Gamma We better be, you know, because I know those numbers are mounting depression is out there.

These students want to get back.

Just you know, you can't do it to a certain especially the younger kids.

You can't put them in front of a computer, think they're going to stay there all day long.

And it just doesn't work.

My daughter's in that cater.

And then she says to me, that testing just awful.

Last year.

She's a reading specialist and tested these kids.

75 cent of them were behind in one year behind.

And we were really happy because the schools closed sometime in March.

So would you imagine that in that short period between March and October when she was testing that that's how bad it was.

Hopefully we can help those kids once they get back in the classroom.

We want thank you, Senator, for joining us today.

We want to thank you for watching community update on coronavirus will be here at 4pm each Monday, Wednesday and Friday PBS39 and on the radio at 9:30 those same nights on WLVT News.

We'll be back Friday at 4:00 with guests from LVHN and an expert to discuss travel safety.

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

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

I'm Brittany Sweeney Stacee.