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

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

We're coming to you live from the PPE Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

I'm Brittany Sweeney.

Our guests today include a doctor from the emergency department at Lehigh Valley Health Network as well as a travel agent helping to guide people as the spring travel season ramps up.

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 guests will answer some of your questions live, plus our daily coronavirus updates.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

You can do that at our website coronavirus.

Lehigh Valley Dorney Park.

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

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

The State Department of Health reported 3346 new coronavirus cases today and 69 more deaths.

The totals now at more than 925 thousand cases and 23,900 37 deaths.

The number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with Covid-19 is just over 1,900, almost 4000 lower than the peak at the end of last year.

In other, Pennsylvania, health system is under fire for administer Covid vaccines to family members of employees.

The University of Pennsylvania health system says it halted the program after discussions with the state Department of Health earlier this week.

Another network Geissinger acknowledged it allowed workers relatives to skip the vaccine line as well.

Consider this a new approach.

The Allentown and Bethlehem health bureaus teaming up with Meals on Wheels to bring not only food but vaccines to Meals on Wheels.

Clients'.

The idea is to get vaccines to homebound seniors who can't make it to a clinic.

Organizers say they could reach up to 700 people.

Both health departments already have provided explanations to some Meals on Wheels clients living in senior apartment buildings.

A bipartisan group of PA lawmakers wants teachers to get a higher priority for Covid-19 shots.

Right now, teachers are in the 1 B phase, the next phase of vaccine delivery.

16 Lomman lawmakers sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf asking that teachers get vaccinated as soon as Phase 1A is completed and ahead of the rest of one B.

They're concerned at the current pace of the vaccine rollout will delay in-person instruction even further.

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

Dr Kathleen Kane is an emergency medicine physician at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Also here is Ellen Overclass, the owner of Main Street Getaways and Kutztown.

She recently became a certified travel safety agent.

Thank you so much for joining us today.

Ellen will be with you in just a few minutes.

We want to start today with Dr Kane.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for having Dr Kane.

We saw it in the headlines today.

Hospitalizations down significantly from their peak around the end of the year last year and the beginning of this year with more vaccines and warmer weather just around the corner.

Do you think we're beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel here for this pandemic?

Well, certainly we've all learned quite a bit about ourselves over the past year.

And our ability to cope with New challenges.

I'm optimistic that the decreased number of cases in conjunction with the increase in vaccination and our better understanding how to socially distance where mass wash hands and avoid situations that are unsafe.

Well, continue to fuel this decrease in cases.

However, we do need to remain vigilant.

We do have the UK variant and the South African very entering the United States.

And while that those two variances have not shown an increase yields, they have shown faster transmission.

And so we cannot let up our vigilance.

So cautious optimism for sure.

For LVHN, I understand hospitalizations peaked at about 500.

Where's that number now?

Today I believe as of this morning, the number was just north of 120 individuals with Covid-19 hospitalized.

Mi Lehigh Valley Health Network hospitals in total that is dramatic decrease from where we were at your peak.

Sure.

And what do you think contributed to that decrease?

What are some of the contributing factors Gamma Well, I think there are a number of factors.

Certainly vaccination has helped the end of the holidays and families not gathering the increased lessons learned from other families that gathered and had extended family members the exposures and ultimately become positive.

But the vaccine is also key.

A lot of high risk individuals have either at this point had the virus and hopefully recovered or been able to be vaccinated.

Sure.

We're hearing a lot more about vaccine these days and less about Covid testing.

Where do we stand on Covid testing are as many people getting tested at this point and what's leading to that number Gamma Much as our hospitalizations are down, Covid testing is down, fewer people are symptoms, fewer people aren't getting the test.

And why is that?

Do you have any reasons why less people are getting tested at this point?

Well, I think believe individuals are less symptomatic.

Again, I believe that either have the virus relatively recently been vaccinated or stopped gathering in a lot of these larger super spreader type events.

I mean, you don't think about how family members from different communities coming together.

Holiday can be potentially taking all the individuals they've been in contact with and bring them together until the entire Tatamy family falls ill. And of course, you just said we stay vigilant when it comes to masking social distancing even as the weather gets warmer and more people get vaccinated.

Is there any fear that people will be a little more lax once they get vaccinated and not stay vigilant about those safety measures?

Is there any fear there in the medical community that maybe cases will rise because of that Gamma Well, I think there's certainly always that fear.

We know that individuals are tired.

They're tired of not seeing their friends.

They're tired of not being able to gather with their extended family members.

They take the restrictions very seriously.

But we understand that there is a lot of opportunity being outdoors is vastly different than being indoors in terms of exposure risk.

And I think we can be optimistic that have individuals just maintain even a little bit of focus that we'll be able to continue to keep these numbers down.

Sure.

Dr Kane, your focus is emergency medicine.

Can you talk to me about how the emergency room has changed during this pandemic?

What were you seeing early on and what are you seeing now?

Certainly early on.

We had an initial decrease in individuals.

People didn't want to come to the emergency department.

And with that, we saw a drastic increase in individuals that were very ill either with Covid because they were denying their symptoms or something else or because they delayed care for another serious illness.

Over the summer, we kind of returned almost to normal our usual mix of cases.

But certainly over the winter we've seen again a mix of some very sick individuals with Covid and a number of very sick individuals who delayed care for their heart attack, their stroke, their infection.

And I would just urge that individuals experience any serious symptoms.

Don't delay to seek care.

During the height of the pandemic, people who were showing symptoms of coronavirus LVHN telling them to call.

Should people still call or should they just come in if they're experiencing difficulties with that and they think it might be Covid-19 Gamma Certainly we continue to have a very robust telemedicine program and we are encouraging individuals to call.

We can very often get you tested and evaluated in a way that keeps you from entering the emergency department.

But certainly if you have any questions or experience significant symptoms like chest pain or significant difficulty breathing immediately come in.

Dr Kane, can you please talk to us about what you know about these variants we keep hearing about?

Are they more contagious?

What are folks at home need to know about these variants?

Certainly.

I'm not an expert in infectious disease, but what I have been informed by my colleagues is that these strains don't seem to have any more virulence or any more increase in symptoms, but they do tend to spread more quickly and are a little bit easier to spread.

Again, that's why we're urging continued vigilance.

Bucks continued the social distancing, the masking of the hand-washing.

Let's take a step back to hospitalizations.

People who are in the hospital down.

now, those numbers are- If you could talk to me a little bit about how some of the new medicine and ways people can go home with different medicines has helped keep those hospitalizations down.

If you could certainly I mean, I have been incredibly proud of all of my emergency medicine colleagues, my hospital medicine colleagues and most notably my pulmonary critical care colleagues and how they have demonstrated their ability to learn during this pandemic.

I mean, we went from knowing very little about this virus to knowing quite a bit both in terms of how it manifests, who is going to get sicker and in past year.

Certainly individuals are very ill and requiring oxygen need to be hospitalized.

We've made great strides getting these individuals treated very often with either destiny or steroids or both depending upon some very stringent criteria.

The patient position said using.

Fortunately in the emergency department we've been very successful in using a monoclonal antibody project called BAMN, which has been administered to some high risk individuals.

And that is designed to help keep individuals out of the hospital.

If we're going to provided to individuals that are high risk and known Covid positive within the first 10 days of symptoms, it's just very promising results to keep those high individuals out of the hospital and not meet those higher level therapies.

We know our frontline workers are working so hard and this is such a stressful situation a year long situation.

There hasn't really been a break for frontline workers.

How have you and your colleagues been holding up?

That's very kind.

Think of us.

I believe most of us have been holding pretty well.

There have been a lot of stresses placed on us while we continue to go to work related to schooling and day-care and things like that.

But for the most part, persevering and soldiering through bear looking forward to a little bit of a reprieve.

Hopefully some.

Dr Kane, we've been asking many of our guests how their lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, not just at work but at home as well.

How about you, your career, your family?

How has been impacted over the last year Gamma I never would have imagined there would be side people in my house on Zoom's or the equivalent all at once.

I'm very thankful that I have a house that can accommodate that.

And I wasn't worried about individuals, learners who don't have space each of their children or each of their learners or their breadwinners should go into separate spaces and do their work as best they can.

Virtually I hate to say it, but everybody is just learning that new normal, so to speak.

And when it comes to emergency medicine, what are some things you've seen changed during the pandemic?

And what are some changes that you think will stay for the long run Gamma Biggest change is that we will continue to conduct some meetings virtually.

Well, it's certainly nice to get together with our colleagues.

We've recognized that a lot of the multidisciplinary approaches can best be accomplished via a virtual platform.

It allows us to be a little bit more efficient and move through some of our days.

Clinically, though, I think a the long run.anges are here forP We've been fortunate this year that a lot of other respiratory viruses besides Covid have had incredibly low numbers.

But we have to remember that unless we're vigilant with the masking the eye protection and all the cleaning regimens, that those are likely to come back.

Are there still restrictions on visitation and how many people can come in with those seeking emergency treatments?

Is there still limits set in place, do you think that if there are well, those limits continue to throughout the next year or forever Gamma I doubt that the visitation restrictions will continue throughout the year.

I know that that's something being discussed in my network.

We want to do what's safest for patients, their family members and our co-workers to make certain that everybody can maintain the safety that's needed to decrease spread of the virus.

But I know it's something that's being talked about and I don't think that it will continue long term.

We recognize the importance of individuals having the support of their family members, especially when they're going through something as tumultuous and stressful as hospitalization.

Sure.

Dr Kathleen Kane, emergency medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network, thank you so much for joining us today.

Thanks.

We continue this community update on coronavirus PBS39.

You can hear the rebroadcast on the radio tonight at 9:30 on WLVT News.

91 three FM Let's bring in our next guest for the day.

We have Ellen overcast.

She runs Main Street Getaways, a travel agency in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

Ellen, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

Brittany.

It's great to have you.

We've all been cooped for so long.

The travel industry has been crippled.

Do you think the tide is turning and businesses like yours will soon be making a comeback?

I know we're all kind of dreaming of warmer weather at this point.

That's.

So.

Do you think that we'll start seeing the travel industry come back come the spring and maybe into summer?

It is.

It's actually starting to come back now on my phone studying the Reading people are anxious to travel.

They've been cooped up for all this time and certainly it's time for us to get back A lot of people right now I'm getting a lot of calls for vacations in the US some some in some all recluses.

But with the travel protocols, it's you know, it's difficult for some people because they have to quarantine when they get back because of work conditions.

So I'm seeing a lot of a lot of people are going to visit family and friends.

We have a product called Bill as a distinction and that's anything from a log cabin in Tennessee to a villa in the Caribbean.

That will fit your entire family if you wanted to bring including a chef and all sorts of niceties or for a vacation to get away.

Sounds like socially distancing InStyle for sure.

Now, Ellen, you recently completed a program that certified you as a travel safety agent.

What did that entail?

What goes into that training Gamma If you could talk to us about that, that would be great.

Well, the first two parts of it were basically on safety practices while traveling so that we can better inform our clients when they call about how to travel safely.

The protocols at the resorts, the airlines, the cruises, when that starts up again, their working on all of that.

So it's just too like for just to make sure that we can inform people about how to travel safely because it can be done.

We are traveling and people are traveling.

I'm going to be going visit my daughter and my grandkids, California.

I'm looking forward to that.

We haven't seen them in a while.

So it's time.

But it can be done safely.

Of course, masks and vaccinations and the vaccinations are helping.

Absolutely.

As that rolls out more or more people are calling and wanting to travel sooner.

Can you talk to us a little bit about those airline guidelines?

What are some of the safety guidelines that you've learned about that you then pass on to your clients?

Well, certainly masks have to be worn.

Some of the airlines are some of the airlines are removing the center seats that starting just to slow up.

The vaccines are coming out.

Of course, there's less occupancy at the resort.

So if you do travel and you want to go to an all inclusive, they are running at about 50% occupancy.

So definitely social distancing masks in public spaces.

You're not going to see the buffets.

It'll all be plated plated dinners league.

The cruise lines are working diligently on getting together.

They're what they need to do for the CDC.

They have a program, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian and some of the other cruise lines have a program that is called the Healthy the Healthy Sale Panel and includes doctors and people from the cruise industry trying to get that ready so that we can get those ships back on out on the water.

But in the meantime, at the resorts, there's safety health screenings.

We need to they'll do temperature checks throughout the resort.

They will sanitize luggage as it comes in the sanitizing their transportation.

So you know your vehicles to get you from the airports to the results being sanitized in between each of the clients.

It's all private now.

So you won't share it with strangers that are coming in on the same on the same flights with you.

So a lot of just a lot of reduced contact when you get to the resort.

You can do it.

You can check in and check out online.

You can of course, if you still want to go in and check in in person, you can.

But they'll be plexiglass and partitions in between.

So there's no contact between you and the staff.

Alan, do you find that there's some places that are safer to travel to than others, other places that are maybe off limits Gamma Well, we can't go to Europe right now.

That's because Europe European nations don't do won't allow us to travel there.

I don't know that they're less safe.

Obviously, they're you know, they're concerned for their for their residents.

A lot of us I'm sending a lot of people to Mexico, to Qana, to the all inclusive is Costa Rica.

Is pretty popular right now.

And I think it's just a personal preference if you're if you comfortable traveling this.

Definitely.

It can be done.

It can be done safely.

You just have to follow the guidelines.

It's going to be a little bit different.

The experience you don't you're not going to have the big you know, the big parties at the resorts and things.

You can't sit at the bars, but you can certainly go on the beach swam and you just it's all going to be social distance.

Are you seeing a lot of deals Gamma The travel industry took a huge hit, a lot of places maybe trying to regain some of those losses, other deals out there to be had right now.

Right now there's some deals to be had the all inclusive.

I was just looking today for somebody and you within the next couple you want to travel within the next couple of months, four or five nights, five, $600 a person, including including your airfare and transportation.

So there's some really good deals to be made out there at this time.

In the future.

I know people are looking forward to possibly the cruise lines when they come back.

They're having a lot of deals.

I think it's going to be the opposite.

I'm not an expert, but just from my understanding, they're the one the cruise ships do start to sail again.

They'll be selling at reduced capacity.

We've just lost Alaska again for this season.

So, you know, Alaska, the Alaska ships are going to fill up quickly for you know, for 2022 and 2023.

And so supply and demand, I think that if you would recommend I'm recommending to my clients if they plan on cruising in 2022.

Let's look at now they're all of the cruise lines and the resorts everybody has most of them have what they call a peace of mind sort of policy.

So if they're changing their cancellation policies so it's easier to cancel.

So there's really no risk in booking now.

And if for some reason as it gets closer to your sale date, if you know you're cruising in 20 and you get closer to your sale date and you're just not you're not comfortable.

Not a problem.

We can cancel a cruise and you can get a refund of your money.

So my recommendation is for people to go ahead and start booking now for the end of 2021 even the summer for all inclusive and definitely if you're if for those for those cruises out there and there's a lot of them cruising will be safe.

Without doubt there they.

They've always been off.

They've always been conscious of cleaning and cleanliness.

But they the guidelines that they're putting in and the protocols, I have no doubt it'll be one of the safest ways to to travel for sure.

So my recommendation is people that are waiting to to book don't wait for those deals.

I don't know how many of those deals are going to be out there.

I would definitely I would definitely book now start making your plans.

And again, like I said, there's you can always change your mind and you can always get a refund.

Sure.

Allan speaking of those deals and just safety in general, as we said, you're now a certified safety travel agent.

Why is it so important or why is it beneficial to use a travel agent when you are planning a trip?

Well, because we do get all the updates and we know all the ins and outs and can guide you to to make sure that you're there.

You know, where you're going, you're safe and make sure that you like.

I recommend that people sign up for the step program, which is kind of registering with the country at the embassy of where you're going.

So they know that you're there in case something would happen and you need some help.

There's a lot of there's a lot of ins and outs of travel right now.

So it's important to use an expert, you know, kind to refer back to the doctor.

If I'm if I'm sick, I go to a doctor because I know that they're experts and they're gonna be able to help me get better.

So why not use a travel agent?

We're also advocates.

It came it was proven big time at the beginning of all this pandemic when things started to cancel, people that booked on their own online whole times were there.

It was not unusual for me to be on hold.

We didn't get through to a cruise line to to talk to somebody about what we needed to do for, you know, five, six, seven hours.

We were on hold all day long for a very long time.

So people other people are booked with us.

We took care of it.

I took care of my clients, got everything taken care of.

Let OK.

This is what this is what your options are.

This is what you can do and save them a lot of time and a lot of headaches.

So we've always been advocates for our clients.

But even more so now it's important.

You want that person if something happens, you want that person.

You can pick up the phone and call many times if you book online, there's no one to call.

If you have a problem.

So you know, if you book it to a travel agent like myself, my clients can call me and say, hey, you know, we're a plane, our planes was canceled or flights delayed or we get to the resort and we're not happy.

What do we do?

And we can help you with that.

Ellen, could you go back and elaborate on the program with registering the government?

I believe it was the step program you were talking about old step and it's it's a program, Drew, that the government and you so you sign up, you let them know where you're going and it's I recommended to my clients it's important this way when you once you get there, if there's a problem, the embassy knows where you are or in the event of, you know, an extreme emergency.

They know who is in the country and they can help you out.

So I would recommend doing that.

I should have I don't have the website I believe believe you can find that actually even through the CDC or any of the embassy sites.

But if I can find that right at the second tour, that's OK. Good to know that you can find it online now.

And I imagine that you're just getting health updates constantly.

How often are you getting some of those health and safety updates and what kind of updates are you getting from day to day?

Daily we get updates any time, any anytime there's a change or we have a lot of a lot of different.

We meet with many of the suppliers.

We have training students through all our different suppliers and then through the dream vacations, world travel holdings headquarters.

I am constantly looking at my emails that it's not as often now at the very beginning it literally was hourly like I would be in to be discussing something with someone and something else would pop up.

And you know, now there's this change.

So it's starting to it's starting to lessen as far as the updates.

But we pretty regularly get updates as things as things progressed and they change, we're notified right away.

So have alerts on my computer to let me know.

And as people start to travel, it'll become even more important for us to have that information.

So I can head head off any problems that might arise as they're traveling, for instance, back in when it first started.

You people were on cruise ships when they turned them around and travel agents head to jump in and take over and make sure that they couldn't get them home safely and make you get hotel rooms for them or whatever needed to be done.

So it's it's important.

Alan, let me ask you this.

Before we before we go, what do you think about the travel industry has changed during this pandemic and what do you think has changed for the long run?

Well, I think for the long run, I know for instance, I think buffets are a thing of the past, which a lot of people have been happy about that.

So they'll still be there.

You'll still be able to have your choice of all the different foods when there's a buffet at a resort or on a cruise ship.

But you'll have your plane.

Someone will serve you.

You'll just say, you know, I'd like some of that and I'll put it on your plate rather than you like people just helping themselves and sharing the utensils to Worcester.

A little bit more safety guidelines set in place.

I hate to cut you off, Alan.

Overcast from Main Street getaways.

Thank you so much for joining and for all of that information.

We want to thank you for watching community update on coronavirus for PBS39 and WLVT News.

I'm Brittany Sweeney stay safe.