>> Renee: GOOD EVENING.

WELCOME TO "KENTUCKY TONIGHT."

I'M RENEE SHAW.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

6 OUR TOPIC TONIGHT, THE COVID- IN RECENT WEEKS COVID NUMBERS HAVE EXPLODED ACROSS AMERICA AN IN KENTUCKY.

CASE NUMBERS ARE NOW AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVELS SINCE JANUARY.

LAST WEEK, THE POSITIVITY RATES SET AN ALL-TIME RECORD, AND INTENSIVE CARE UNITS ARE PACKED.

SOME SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE CLOSED TO DEAL WITH INCREASED CASES AND QUARANTINES, AND A WEEKEND STATE SUPREME COURT RULING WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON HOW TO STATE DEALS WITH ALL OF THIS.

GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR TODAY RESCINDED HIS MASK MANDATE FOR SCHOOLS AND DAYCARES BUT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MASK MANDATE REMAINS IN PLACE.

TO DISCUSS COVID IN KENTUCKY, WE ARE JOINED IN OUR LEXINGTON STUDIO BY DR. DAVID Dougherty, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST A BAPTIST HEALTH LEXINGTON.

AND DR. ASHLEY MONTGOMERY-YATES, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER FOR INPATIENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICE AT U.K. HEALTHCARE.

JOINING US BY SKYPE, DR. MOLLY RUTHERFORD, DIRECT PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND OWNER OF BLUEGRASS FAMILY WELLNESS IN CRESTWOOD, KENTUCKY AND NANCY GALVAGNI, PRESIDENT O THE KENTUCKY HOSPITAL ASSOCIATI.

WE DO CERTAINLY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU TONIGHT SO SEND AS A QUESTION OR COMMENT ON TWITTER@KETCOMMENT KET SEND AN EMAIL TO KYTONIGHT@KET.ORG.

OR USE THE WEB FORM AT KET.ORG/KYT MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE BOX THAT SAYS YOU'RE NOT A ROBOT.

OR YOU CAN GIVE US A CALL AT 1-800-494.

WE WELCOME ALL OF OUR GUESTS THIS EVENING.

BUT WE BEGIN WITH AN INTERVIEW TAPED EARLIER TODAY WITH DR. STEVEN STACK, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT GOVERNOR'S LATEST ACTIONS AND HIS CONCERNS ABOUT THE COVID SURGE.

COMMISSIONER STACK, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR GIVINGS A FEW MOMENTS TODAY.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, RENEE.

>> SO AT THE TIME WE RECORD OUR INTERVIEW, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE THAT WE HAD GOTTEN WIND THAT GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR HAD CANCELED HIS AUGUST 10th EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING MASKS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THIS WOULD ALSO AFFECT THE MASKS THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE WORN IN CHILD CARE SETTINGS.

SO I WANT TO ASK YOU YOUR OPINION, YOUR PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT OPINION ABOUT THE WISDOM OF DOING THAT AT A TIME WHEN THE DELTA VARIANT REALLY IS TAKING A SURGE AND AHOLD IN KENTUCKY AND THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

>> JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE GOVERNOR HAS DONE BECAUSE OF A SUPREME COURT RULING OVER THE WEEKEND THAT UPHELD A VARIETY OF LAWS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE, SO IT NOT HAVE BEEN THE GOVERNOR'S CHOICE NOR WOULD IT HAVE BEEN MINE.

I THINK IT'S VERY DANGEROUS RIGHT NOW TO NOT HAVE MASKS REQUIRED IN SCHOOLS AND IN DAYCARE.

THE DELTA VARIANT IS SPREADING MUCH MORE RAPIDLY.

I SHARED WITH YOU JUST BEFORE WE STARTED HERE THAT WE'LL REPORT 17 DEATHS TODAY.

I THINK THREE OF THEM ARE IN THEIR 30s.

AT LEAST ONE IN THEIR 40s AND TWO IN THEIR 50s.

THIS INFECTION, THE DELTA VARIANT, IS NOT YOUR FATHER'S COVID.

IT APPEARS TO HIT PEOPLE HARDER, MORE QUICKLY, AND ALL 17 OF THOSE DEATHS OCCURRED IN AUGUST.

THERE'S NO DELAY HERE.

THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY IMPACTED BY THE DELTA VARIANT.

SO I THINK UNFORTUNATELY THE LIFTING OF THE ABILITIES OF THE GOVERNOR TEAK DECISIVE ACTION IS NOT -- TO TAKE DIVES ACTION IS NOT A GOOD TIMING AND IS GOING TO EXPOSE MORE PEOPLE TO HARM.

>> WE FELT HE HAD NO COURT REPORTERS BECAUSE OF THE KENTUCKY SUPREME COURT RULING.

>> YES.

>> THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT IF THIS GOES BACK TO THE LOWER COURT, PERHAPS THERE'S SOME ADJUDICATION OF THESE MEASURES.

IS THERE ADMINISTRATION HOPEFUL ABOUT A TURNAROUND OR OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNOR WORKING MORE CLOSELY WITH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO COME TO SOME TYPE OF RECONCILIATION, AN AGREEMENT WITH COVID-RELATED EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ORDERS?

>> SO THE GOVERNOR WILL HAVE HIS OWN PRESS CONFERENCE AS WE USUALLY DOES MONDAY AFTERNOON AND I'M SURE HE'LL ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE THINGS DIRECTLY.

THAT'LL BE A DISCUSSION FOR THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TO HAVE.

FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT, I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE THESE HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT CHOICES BASED ON FAST-EVOLVING SCIENCE, AND WE ARE NOW IN A VERY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE.

WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MOVE AS QUICKLY.

AND BASED ON THE LAWS THAT WERE PASSED EARLIER, THERE WON'T A CONSIST OF OR COHERENT STANDARD THAT IS ACROSS ALL OF COMMONWEALTH.

THERE WILL BE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENTIAL STANDARDS FROM BUSINESS TO BUSINESS AND ACROSS THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES.

>> DO YOU BELIEVE THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL MOVED TOO HASTILY EARLIER IN THE SUMMER WHEN THEY EASED THESE RESTRICTIONS?

DID THAT CREATE A PATHWAY FOR LOCKDOWNS TO BE EASED, NOT JUST LOCKDOWNS BUT MORE FREEDOM AND PEOPLE FEELING LIKE THE CORONAVIRUS WAS BEHIND THEM?

>> WELL, IT'S -- YOU TRY TO BE NOT TOO CRITICAL OF EVERYONE IF I CAN IN THIS BECAUSE THESE DECISIONS ARE HARD.

REMEMBER, WE HAVE A POPULATION WHO IS EXHAUSTED FROM COVID, INCLUDING ME.

WILE WANT THIS TO BE DONE.

IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF PLUS AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GETTING BETTER RIGHT NOW.

PEOPLE WANT IT TO BE OVER.

THE CDC AND THE WHITE HOUSE ARE PROBABLY TRYING TO BALANCE WHAT THE BODY PLOK AND WHAT THE PUBLIC ARE WILLING -- POLITIC AND WHAT THE PUBLIC ARE WILLING TO FOLLOW.

WE CAN ALL LOOK BACK AND SAY, WOW, IT WAS TOO EARLY OR WE WISH THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BUT REMEMBER WE'RE TRYING DO GET PEOPLE VACCINATED AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WHY WOULD I GET VACCINATED IF I TILL STILL TO HAVE WEAR A MASK?

I THINK THE CDC AND THE WHITE HOUSE WERE TRYING TO BALANCE PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE WITH THE BEST THEY COULD DO TO NAVIGATE THE, SOIALITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY WERE TWILLING TO TOLERATE.

>> YOU MENTION AID MOMENT AGO THAT THE DELTA VARIANT IS NOT YOUR FATHER'S.

COVID.

YOU TOLD US IN TERM OF THE HUMAN TOLL IT IS TAKING.

BUT TALK ABOUT THE TRANSMISSIBILITY.

IS IT FASTER, MORE POTENT?

WHAT MAKES IT SUCH THE SURGE THAT IT IS AND HOW DO WE GET OUT OF IT?

>> ALL THE ABOVE.

SO IT APPEARS TO SPREAD MUCH MORE EASILY BETWEEN PERSON TO PERSON, SO THE BRITISH VARIANT WAS PROBABLY HALF AGAIN MORE EASILY TRANSMITTED THAN TORNADIC COVID, AND THIS VARIANT IS PROBABLY TWICE AS TRABS MISS I WILL BE AS THE BRITISH VARIANT SO I DON'T IN THE MATH WORKS BUT PROBABLY TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN THE FIRST COVID.

IT ALSO APPEARS TO BE HITTING PEOPLE HARDER AND YOUNGER.

WHEN THEY GET SICK, GET WHAT THEY WANT SICK FASTER AND QUICK PER WE ARE NOW HAVING HOSPITALS DECLARING CRISIS STANDARDS OF CARE IN THEIR FACILITIES WE'RE HAVING AN ALL-TIME HIGH REPORT, THE ICU AND VENTILATORS ARE AT RECORD HIGHS IN KENTUCKY WE ARE HAVING ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL VENTILATORS TO BE DISTRIBUTED OUT TO HOSPITALS.

SO THIS IS NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL.

IF YOU OR ANY OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE AN OPTIONAL HOSPITALIZATION, MEANING YOU'RE GOING IN FOR A KNEE SURGERY OR SHOULDER SURGERY OR A ROUTINE GALLBLADDER SURGERY THAT CAN BE POSTPONED, IF IT WERE MY FAMILY MEMBER, I WOULD URGE YOU, I WOULD URGE YOU TO POSTPONE AND NOT GO INTO THE HOSPITAL.

IT'S NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE THERE.

>> BUT ALONG WITH ELECTIVE SURGERIES THERE COME EMERGENCIES THAT HAPPEN.

CARDIAC ARRESTS AND CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAPPEN THAT YOU CANNOT FORESHADOW.

SO ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THE CAPACITY THAT THESE HOSPITALS ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING IS GOING TO BE TO THE DETRIMENT OF THOSE WHO AREN'T NECESSARILY BEING ADMITTED FOR NON-COVID-RELATED CARE?

HOW CONCERNED SHOULD FOLKS, WHETHER THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT COVID OR NOT, BE ABOUT THEIR ACCESS TO HOSPITALS AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT?

>> SO FIRST OF ALL, NO ONE SHOULD DO WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR.

NO ONE SHOULD AVOID GOING TO THE HOSPITAL IF THEY THINK THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY, GO TO THE HOSPITAL, PLEASE.

BUT AM I CONCERNED?

VERY MUCH SO.

BECAUSE WHEN THERE'S NO PLACE TO PUT FOLKS, WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH NURSES, NOT ENOUGH DOCTORS, CARE DOESN'T GET DAWNS QUICKLY AS IT NEEDS TO, AND SO, YEAH, THIS IS INCREASED RISK FOR PEOPLE WITH HEART ATTACKS, STROKES, ACUTE INJURIES OR ABLE ACCIDENTS.

I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TEAMS AVAILABLE AND A PLACE TO PUT FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ALL THAT, AND I RIGHT NOW THAT'S ALL GETTING STRAINED IN A NUMBER OF PLACES.

>> I'VE HEARD THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVAILABLE BEDS AND STAFFED BEDS.

EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE THERE.

>> RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE PHYSICAL BEDS, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE IN A HOTEL ROOM.

YOU CAN SAY THERE'S 450 BEDS BUT IF THEY ONLY -- OR 450 ROOMS.

BUT IF THERE'S ONLY ENOUGH HOUSEKEEPING STAFF AND OTHERS TO OPERATE 200 OF THEM, DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT YOU HAVE ANOTHER 250 EMPTY PLACES.

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO OPERATE THEM.

AND SO WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL THING HAPPENING.

TYPICALLY FOR A MEDICAL/SURGICAL BED WHICH IS A TYPICAL HOSPITAL BED, YOU'D HAVE ONE NURSE TO MAYBE FOUR PATIENTS.

NOW THERE ARE PLACES FLEXING THAT UP TO ONE NURSE TO SEVEN PATIENTS, MAYBE ONE NURSE TO NINE PATIENTS.

IN AN ICU IT'S NORMALLY ONE NURSE TO TWO PATIENTS, AND THERE ARE PLACES THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE FROM ONE NURSE TO THREE PATIENTS.

YOU CAN CALL THOSE STAFFED BEDS, BUT IF YOU HAVE THE SAME FOUR NURSES TAKING CARE OF 12 CRITICALLYEL PATIENTS INSTEAD OF EIGHT, REALLY IS THAT THE SAME?

IT'S HARD TO COMMUNICATE THESE THING TO THE PUBLIC, BUT, YEAH, THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND THIS IS REALLY A TIME OF PRETTY MUCH A GREAT STRESS FOR THE HOSPITALS.

>> TODAY EARLIER THIS MORNING THE FDA GRANTED FULL APPROVAL TO PFIZER VACCINE.

THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE WHO ARE 16 AND OLDER.

DO YOU THINK THIS WILL HELP WITH THOSE WHO ARE VACCINE HESITANT HAVE REFUSED TO BE VACCINATED?

DOES THIS BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THE VACCINE?

>> LOOK, I'D LOVE TO HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE THAT'LL BE BUILT.

I'VE SAID TO PEOPLE REPEATEDLY, THERE HAVE BEEN WELL OVER 4.5 MILLION DOSES OF VACCINE GIVEN AROUND THE WORLD, PROBABLY AT THIS POINT CLOSE TO 1.8 BILLION PEOPLE OVER ONE YEAR.

THREES ARE NOT EXPERIMENTAL NOW.

THESE ARE WELL-TESTED AND PROVEN AND HIGHLY MONITORED.

THERE'S AN IRONY THAT FOLKS WON'T ACCEPT THE VACCINE WITH ALL OF THAT MOUNT EVEREST WORTH OF DATA, BUT WHEN THEY GET SICK AND THEY CAN'T BREATHE THEY WILL ACCEPT A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THAT ARE FAR MORE EXPERIMENTAL THAN THOSE VACCINES PI HOPE PEOPLE WILL COME AROUND TO GET VACCINATED BUT LET ME GIVE AUN EXAMPLE I FINISHED A BOOK PIE PRESTON CALLED CRISIS IN THE RED ZONE AND IS THIS IS ABOUT EBOLA IN 2016 WHEN IT BROKE OUT IN AFRICA.

WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, AND WHAT I'M GOING TO URGE THE VIEWERS WHO ARE LISTENING TONIGHT TO DO, IS YOU END UP HAVING TO TAKE ACTION THAT KEEPS YOURSELF SAFE.

I WOULD RECOMMEND RIGHT NOW DO NOT GO OUT TO CROWDED PLACES, DO NOT GO OUT PLACES WHERE YOU ARE NOT PERSONALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE FOLKS AND YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE VACCINATED.

YOU HAVE TO TAKE EXTRA CARE BECAUSE THE DELTA VARIANT HAS BECOME MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE AND MUCH MORE DANGEROUS.

WHAT THEY DESCRIBE IN THAT BOOK "CRISIS IN THE RED ZONEBOT EBOLA AREAS IN AFRICA IS WHEN THE COMMUNITY STARTED TO SEE PEOPLE GETTING HURT BADLY AND DYING, REVERSE QUARANTINE HAPPENED, MEANING THAT THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN THE EVIDENCE AND IN THE SCIENCE THAT THEY WERE SEEING, STARTED TO AVOID OTHERS WHO WERE SPREADING THE DISEASE.

RIGHT NOW I URGE FOLKS, WEAR A MASK IF YOU'RE INDOORS, STAY AWAY FROM CROWD PLACES, GO BACK TO LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR WHERE YOU ARE BETTER OFF TO KIND OF INSERT SOME SPACE AND DISTANCE AND NOW, GIVEN THAT THINGS ARE CHANGING RAPIDLY THIS WEEK WITH THE EVENTS OF THE WEEKEND WITH THE SUPREME COURT, PARENTS AND OTHERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT ENVIRONMENTS THEY ALLOW THEIR CHILDREN TO GO INTO THIS THEY'RE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED BECAUSE HAVING A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WEAR MASKS IS NO GOOD.

HAVING A HANDFUL ISN'T ENOUGH.

THIS WHOLE SORT OFUR YOU CAN WEAR IT IF YOU WANT TO, THAT'S RUBBISH BECAUSE IT DOESN'T PROTECT PEOPLE.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYONE HAVE SOURCE CONTROL WITH MASKS.

SO I THINK PARENTS AND OTHERS ARE NOW GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE HARD CHOICES ABOUT WHAT LEVEL RISK THEY WANT TO TAKE.

>> AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED RESEARCH OR STUDIES THAT QUESTION THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASK WEARING, THAT IT DOES NOT CONTROL DISEASE SPREAD.

YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT.

>> IT'S FRUSTRATING.

WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF DATA IN REAL WORLD STUDIED EXAMPLES.

BAB BERE SHOPS AND CLASSROOMS WHERE -- BARBER SHOPS AND CLASSROOMS WHERE THE MASKS CLEARLY SLOWED THE TRANSMISSION.

WE HAVE FALSE INFORMATION THAT'S CONFUSING PEOPLE AND MAKING IT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

MASKS WORK.

ARE THEY PERFECT?

NO, THEY ARE NOT.

NO ONE EVER SAID THEY WERE PERFECT.

IS IT THE ONLY STRATEGY?

NO, IT'S PROCRASTINATOR A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY THAT ALSO INCLUDES GETTING VACCINATED.

IT IS REALLY INCOHERENT TO SAY MASKS DON'T WORK SO DON'T USE THEM AND VACCINES DON'T WORK AND DON'T GET THEM, BUT THEN TO SAY WE SHOULD USE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AT $2,500 A POP WHEN SOMEONE IS ALREADY SICK AND ALL THAT HARM COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF WE USED MASK AND VACCINES THAT COST $40 A DOSE.

SO WE'VE GOT TO HELP PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS WITHIN OUR POWER TO END, BUT NOT UNTIL WE MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES AND SINCE, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS HAS BECOME SO DIVISIVE AND PEOPLE ARE NOT WILLING TO PULL TOGETHER, WE HAVE TO TAKE THE ACTION WE CAN TO KEEP OURSELVES SAFE, AND I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE, RENEE, I HAVE TRIED REAL HARD, AS HAVE MANY, MANY PEOPLE OVER A YEAR AND A HALF, TO BRING US TOGETHER, TO FIND WHAT UNITES US, NOT WHAT DIVIDES US.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER OVER THINGS THAT CLEARLY WORK INSTEAD OF FOCUSING OUR ENERGIES TOGETHER ON A VIRUS THAT IS RUNNING RAMPANT AND GETTING BETTER WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME BECAUSE IT'S MULTIPLYING TOO MUCH.

SO I REALLY DO HOPE, RENEE, WE CAN FIND A WAY TO PULL TOGETHER SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS BETTER.

>> DR. STEVEN STACK, COMMISSIONER FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANK YOU, RENEE.

>> Renee: SO NOW BACK TO OUR PANEL WHO IS JOINING US.

WE APPRECIATE THEM BEING HERE TODAY, AND I DO WANT TO START WITH OUR SKYPE GUEST, NANCY GALLON 17 WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE KENTUCKY HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, AND THERE WAS A LOT TO UNPACK IN THAT INTERVIEW WERE COMMISSIONER STACK, BUT I WANT TO START WHERE IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR CONVERSATION WE TALKED ABOUT HOSPITALIZATION USAGE, IC AND VENTILATOR CENSUS COMPARED TO WHERE WE STARTED IN THE PANDEMIC AND WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND WE HAVE A GRAPHIC THAT ILLUSTRATES, AND I KNOW YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS, OF THE PEAK OF THE PANDEMIC 1817 PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL.

THIS WAS AROUND THE 11th OF DECEMBER OR SO.

WE'VE GOT 1893 NOW.

AND IF YOU LOOK, THOSE NUMBERS FOR PATIENTS IN THE ICU AND PATIENTS ON A VENTILATOR ARE HIGHER THAN AT OUR HIGHEST POINT IN THE PANDEMIC.

HOW DO YOU INTERPRET THESE NUMBERS?

WHAT DO THEY SIGNAL TO YOU ABOUT THE DIRECTION AND THE STRENGTH OF THIS VIRUS?

>> THANK YOU, RENEE, FOR INVITING ME TO PARTICIPATE TONIGHT.

AND AS DR. STACK, YOU JUST HEARD, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RAPID ESCALATION OF CASES ACROSS THE STATE.

YOUR NUMBERS TELL IT ALL.

I WAS LOOKING AT SOME NUMBERS RECENTLY.

WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, YOU SAW THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, IT'S ABOUT 1900.

THAT HAS GROWN FROM ABOUT 500 ONLY FOUR WEEKS AGO.

THAT'S A 264% INCREASE.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE ICU CASES, THAT'S GROWN FROM ABOUT 175 A MONTH AGO UP TO ALMOST 530.

200% INCREASE.

IN THE MED SURGE BEDS THOSE REMAINING PATIENTS GOING FROM ABOUT 345 UP TO ALMOST 1400, THAT'S A 300% INCREASE.

SO OUR HOSPITALS ARE RUNNING OUT OF BEDS.

JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO, FOUR DAYS AGO, WE WERE LOOKING ACROSS OUR HOSPITALS, AND DR. STACK MADE AN EXCELLENT POINT, AND THAT IS THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING PHYSICAL BEDS AND HAVING THE STAFF TO ACTUALLY TREAT PATIENTS IN THOSE BEDS.

SO WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE AVAILABILITY OF STAFF BEDS AND JUST FOUR DAYS AGO THERE WERE 64 HOSPITALS THAT HAVE INTENSIVE CARE UNITS IN THE STATE.

ABOUT HALF OF THEM HAD ZERO BEDS.

THAT WAS FOUR DAYS AGO.

AND OF THE REMAINING HOSPITALS, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 22% OPEN ICU BEDS.

ON THE MEDSURG SIDE IT WAS VERY MUCH A VERY SIMILAR STORY.

WE HAD NINE HOSPITALS WITH ZERO MEDSURG BEDS, 56 THAT ONLY HAD TEN BEDS AVAILABLE, STAFFED BEDS, AND IF WE LOOKED RADIOS ACROSS THE STATE OVERALL IT WAS 23% STAFFED MEDSURG BEDS.

SO REALLY WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT IT'S CROWDING OUT, IT'S REALLY IMPACTING PATIENTS THAT NEED TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL FOR NON-COVID RELATED DIAGNOSES, PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING HEART ATTACKS THAT NEED TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM THAT HAVE OTHER EMERGENT TYPES OF CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, HAVING A HARD TIME BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE HOSPITALS ARE THERE TO TREAT EVERYONE, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MEET THE NON-COVID NEEDS THAT ARE EMERGING AT OUR HOSPITALS BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS THAT ARE IN THE HOSPITAL ARE UNVACCINATED, AND IF WE LOOK IN THE ICU, PRACTICALLY 99% ARE UNVACCINATED.

WHEN WE LOOK AT PEOPLE THAT ARE ON VENTILATORS, 100% JUST ABOUT ARE UNVACCINATED.

SO THAT IS VERY CONCERNING.

AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SURGE THAT WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW IS NOT EVEN GOING TO PEAK UNTIL MID-SEPTEMBER, AND THEN IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER MONTH TO MAYBE LEVEL OFF, SO WE ARE IN FOR A VERY ROUGH TIME GOING FORWARD.

>> DR. ASHLEY MONTGOMERY-YATES, THANK YOU FOR BEING ON AGAIN.

WE ON JUST HAD YOU ON A COUPLE MONTHS AGO SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME HERE AGAIN THIS EVENING.

YOU'RE AT U.K. HEALTHCARE.

JUST THINKING ABOUT THE CAPACITY THERE AND WHAT YOU HEARD DR. STACK SWAT EXIGENCY WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, SAY ABOUT THE EXIGENCY OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, ARE YOU CONCERNED AT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AT YOUR HOSPITAL.

>> >> 72 FOR HAVING ME.

I THINK WHAT DR. STACK SAID RESONATES WALL OF US IN HEALTH CARE CURRENTLY.

WE HAVE SEEN THIS EXTREMELY RAPID INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS AS WELL AS THE ACUITY OF THE PATIENTS.

I THINK LAST TIME THE GROWTH WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE GRADUAL.

WE SAW IT HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORING STATES AND BEGAN TO PREPARE, EMBRACED AND THANKFULLY I THINK KENTUCKY WASN'T HIT AS HARD AS OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY, NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS, BUT THIS TIME WE HAVE REALLY SUFFERED, AND I THINK THE SPEED AT WHICH THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS HAS GROWN HAS BEEN SHOCKING TO EVERYONE, BOUGHT BUT WE'VE GONE FROM SMALL NUMBERS TO VERY LARGE NUMBERS.

OBVIOUSLY UK, WE'RE HIGHER THAN WE EVER WERE IN THE TOP OF THE PREVIOUS SURGE AND ARE JUST SEEING MUCH YOUNGER PEOPLE AND THEY'RE VERY SICK, MUCH SICK EARN BEFORE.

>> AND WE'VE HEARD THIS, THEY CLASSIFIED THAT THIS IS A PANDEMIC OF THE UNVACCINATED YOU.

HEARD MS. GALVANY'S NUMBERS BUT THERE IS A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WE CAN ASSUME WHO ARE VACCINATED WHO ARE IN THE HOSPITAL, IN ICU AND ON VENTILATORS.

WHY IS THAT HAPPENING?

>> SO THERE ARE.

THERE ARE VERY FEW OF THOSE PATIENTS, AND WE ALL CAN COUNT THEM ON OUR HANDS AS TO WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE WHEN THEY COME IN, WE ARE LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, THAT PERSON WAS VACCINATED.

THEY ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONDITIONS THAT MAKE THEM EITHER UNABLE OR HAVE A LIMITED CAPACITY TO MOUNT AN IMMUNE RESPONSE.

SO FOLKS WHO HAVE CANCER AND ARE ON CHEMOTHERAPY, FOLKS WHO HAVE CROHN'S DISEASE AND ARE TAKING A DRUG TO HELP PREVENT THAT, FOLKS WHO HAVE RUME TORRIE ARTHRITIS, ALSO FOLKS WHO HAVE OTHER COMORBIDITIES THAT JUST MAY MAKE THEM NOT AS ABLE TO MOUNT THOSE RESPONSES SO THOSE YOU WOULD CLASSIFY AS IMMUNE SUPPRESSED OR IMMUNE COMPROMISED, AND MANY OF THOSE FOLKS HAVE DONE WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.

THEY WENT AND GOT THEIR VACCINE BUT THEIR BODY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THAT RESPONSE, AND SO THEY HAVE NOW BEEN EXPOSED BY THOSE WHO AREN'T VACCINATED.

NOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT THE VACCINE'S NOT ONLY TO PROTECT YOU BUT IT'S TO PROTECT THOSE PEOPLE AROUND YOU WHO YOU CARE ABOUT.

AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW IN YOUR LIFE WHOSE IMMUNE SUPPRESSED.

THEY MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE TELLING THAT YOU INFORMATION, THAT PERCENT A CHURCH, THAT PERSON AT PRE-SCHOOL.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PRESENTING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT PROTECTING ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE THAT ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO IS GOING GET OUT, AND THIS DELTA VARIANT, IT'S MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS AND IT'S SPREADING MUCH FASTER.

I THINK DR. STACK'S INFORMATION THERE ABOUT THE EXPEDIENT GROWTH, WITH THE ALPHA VARIANT, IF YOU HAD TWO PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, YOU COUGHED, THINK.

GOT IT.

IF YOU'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE IN A ROOM NOW, BOTH THE PEOPLE GET P IT.

IT'S ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT'S ARE THAT BEING INFECTED AND TWEET US SPREADING AND IT IS TERRIFYING.

WE ARE AT MAX CAPACITY.

>> DR. DAVID DO IT, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US FROM BAPTIST HEALTH.

I DO WANT TO ASK YOU WHEN YOU HEAR THOSE NUMBERS AND YOU HEARD DR. STACK'S CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERIZATION, THAT IS THAT ALSO ON POINT ALSO WITH DR. MONTGOMERY-YATES IS SAYING?

>> I AGREE.

THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING -- SO WORKER AT BAPTIST HEALTH, LEXINGTON, ST. JOSEPH MAIN AND ST. JOSEPH EAST, AND YOU I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS SINCE THE WEEKEND AT ST. JOE EAST AND ST. JOE MAIN BUT I KNOW BAPTIST IS SITTING AROUND 81.

TEN OF THOSE THAT ARE STILL IN THE ER TONIGHT.

TEN IN THE ICU, 61 OUT ON THE FLOOR.

HALF OF THE FOLKS IN THE ER TONIGHT, OUT OF OF THE 56 FOLKS OR SO, ARE COVID POSITIVE.

AND OUR NUMBERS AT A PEAK IN JANUARY WERE SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO 90.

THEY WERE LIKE 88.

SO WE'RE CLOSE.

AND I THINK WE'RE STILL NOT AT THE PEAK OF THIS.

LOOKING AT THE TESTING CENTERS, THAT IS GOING TO HIT US IN TWO TO THREE WEEKS FROM NOW.

AND SO WE'RE ALSO SEEING YOUNGER FOLKS GET MORE ILL WITH THIS.

I AGREE THE ACUITY OF PATIENT THAT'S COMING IN, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS ARE I.

ON HIGH FLOW OXYGEN AND THEY'RE OUT ON THE FLOOR.

JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN THE ICU DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT SICK.

AND SO NURSES ARE HAVING TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PATIENTS OUT ON THE FLOOR.

AND IT'S UPSETTING.

>> THE QUESTION ABOUT WHEN DR. MONTGOMERY-YATES WAS TALKING ABOUT THE IMMUNOSUPPRESSED, AND WE KNOW THAT MANY OF THEM ARE NOW ABLE TO GET AND MAYBE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THEIR BOOSTER, WHAT PROMISE DO YOU HAVE THAT THAT WILL WORK FOR THIS COMMUNITY OF FOLKS WHO HAVE TRIED THE OTHER SERIES OF VACCINATIONS AND IT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL, BUT THIS COULD BE?

>> WELL, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE FOLKS TO GO GET A BOOSTER AS THE RECOMMENDATION.

WE DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF THOSE FOLKS ARE GOING TO MOUNT AN IMMUNE RESPONSE STILL, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE STILL ON THEIR IMMUNOSUPPRESSION.

I MEAN, SOME FOLKS MAY HAVE BEEN OH IMMUNOSUPPRESSION WHEN THEY GOT ORIGINALLY VACCINATED AND NOW THEY'RE NO LONGER ON THAT, BUT I AGREE THAT MOST OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE VACCINATED THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE HOSPITAL THAT HAVE SEVERE COVID DO HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSION OR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AT THE TIME STOT US.

>> DR. MOLLY RUTHERFORD, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FROM CRESTWOOD, KENTUCKY, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN THERE.

THE OTHER CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH DR. STACK IS ABOUT MASKS AND THIS HAS BECOME ALMOST A POLITICAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THESE TYPES OF MITIGATION MEASURES, AND THE QUESTION I POSED TO HIM ABOUT THERE BEING RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASKS MAY DIMINISH OR MAY NOT BE THAT HIGH.

WHERE DO YOU STAND ON MITIGATION MEASURES?

AND DO YOU APPROVE AND ENDORSE VACCINES?

WHERE DO YOU FALL IN ALL THIS?

>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR -- THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.

I THINK THE PERSPECTIVE THAT I HAVE THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER PANEL MEMBERS IS THAT I PRACTICE OUTPATIENT MEDICINE, SO I DON'T ADMIT PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL.

I'M AWARE OF HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS LOCALLY, AND I ALSO TREAT ADDICTION.

SO I HAVE ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE IN THAT I SEE HOW OUR MITIGATION MEASURES AFFECTING PEOPLE IN THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, IN THEIR RELAPSE RATES.

OVERDOSES HAVE GONE UP.

AND I'M ALSO MARRIED TO SOMEONE WHO WORKS FOR THE -- IN THE HOMICIDE DEPARTMENT FOR LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT, SO I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN LOUISVILLE AS WELL.

SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER, NOT NECESSARILY MY OPINION ON MASKS.

I CAN SPEAK TO THE DATA THAT WE HAVE ON MASKS AND PROBABLY THE BEST DATA THAT WE HAVE IS A STUDY OF 90,000 STUDENTS IN GEORGIA WHERE THEY COMPARED MASK MANDATES IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAD OPTIONAL MASKS, AND THEY DID NOT FIND ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE RATE OF SPREAD AMONG THOSE STUDENTS.

WE HAVE SEEN SOMETHING SIMILAR IN THE DATA OUT OF FLORIDA.

AND THEN IF YOU GO ON OUR WORLD AND DATA, YOU CAN MAKE A GRAPH OUT OF ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES, OUT OF ANY COUNTY, AND YOU CAN COMPARE WHAT THE RATE OF COVID SPREAD HAS BEEN, AND THEN YOU CAN COMPARE WHAT MITIGATION EFFORTS EACH STATE HAD.

AND IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'VE REALLY TRIED AND COVID IS REALLY A HORRIBLE ILLNESS FOR MANY PEOPLE, I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO GOT VERY SICK WITH IT, I HAVE HAD IT, I HAD NO SYMPTOMS, I'M VERY GRATEFUL, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF WE'RE BEING BE HONEST ABOUT MASKS, WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFLICTING DATA, AND IT'S NOT SETTLED SCIENCE AT ALL.

>> DO YOU ENCOURAGE YOUR PATIENTS TO BE VACCINATED?

>> I DO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH MY PATIENTS INDIVIDUALLY, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS -- I BELIEVE IN MEDICAL FREEDOM, SO I THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD DISCUSS IT WITH THEIR PERSONAL TRUSTED PHYSICIAN.

MY PARENTS ARE VACCINATED.

THEY'VE BEEN VACCINATED SINCE FEBRUARY BECAUSE I WEIGHED THE RISKS VERSUS THE BENEFITS.

I AM NOT VACCINATED BECAUSE I HAVE NATURAL IMMUNITY, AND THAT IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I HAVE WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES, WITH THE CD, WITH THE GOVERNOR, WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS.

THEY ARE NOT PRESENTING DATA ON REINFECTIONS.

THEY ARE NOT DISCUSSING THAT NATURAL IMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY VERY ROBUST, VERY LONG-LASTING.

AND IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR US TO FORCE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECOVERED FROM COVID TO GET A VACCINATION.

I BELIEVE THAT THAT CONVERSATION BELONGS BETWEEN A PERSON'S PHYSICIAN AND HIM OR HERSELF.

>> I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, DR. RUTHERFORD, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE I CAN SEGUE NOW TO THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE IMMUNITY FROM NATURAL INFECTION, DR. MONTGOMERY-YATES, VERSUS THAT FROM VACCINATION, AND THERE ARE SOME STUDIES TO THE CONTRARY THAT SHOW THAT THERE IS GREATER PROTECTION IF THERE IS A VACCINATION VERSUS IMMUNITY, BUT YOU JUST HEARD DR. RUTHERFORD'S CASE.

>> YES.

SO I'LL START BY SAYING I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH HER ON THE NATURAL IMMUNITY PIECE, BUT THAT IS, AS MANY THINGS IN MEDICINE, THERE IS SOME CONFLICTING OPINIONS BETWEEN PHYSICIANS.

WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE KNOW FROM THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND STUDY IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS WHAT LEVELS OF ANTIBODIES THEY HAVE RELATED TO THE VACCINES AND THE BOOSTERS, AND WE KNOW WHAT THE INFECTION RATES ARE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU GET COVID WITH AN ASYMPTOMATIC CASE OR SYMPTOMATIC CASE EXACTLY WHAT ANTIBODY LEVEL YOU MOUNT BECAUSE WE DON'T MEASURE THAT.

RIGHT?

AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA OVER LONG TERM ABOUT IF YOU HAVE AN ASYMPTOMATIC CASE SHOULD YOU GET A VACCINE?

IF YOU HAVE ONLY A SNIFFLY NOSE SHOULD YOU GET A VACCINE?

IF YOU'RE ON A VENTILATOR, SHOULD YOU GET A VACCINE?

WE DON'T KNOW THAT INFORMATION.

AND WOULD I ARGUE WE HAVE VERY, VERY ROBUST DATA ABOUT THE VACCINE CENTER NUMEROUS SOURCES, PFIZER, MODERNA, JOHNSON & JOHNSON, LOTS OF PEOPLE DOING LOTS OF RESEARCH ABOUT LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF VACCINES AND SHOWING REALLY GREAT RATES, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE VACCINE IS ONE OF THE MODERN MIRACLES THAT I CELEBRATE WHEN I TALK TO MY KIDS AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT COVID AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND CREATE THIS BEAUTIFUL SCIENCE AS QUICK AS WE DID IN A WAY THAT WAS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AND TO DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IN A WAY THAT IT WAS, IT'S JUST A MARVEL TO ME OF HUMAN NATURE EVERY SINGLE TIME I THINK ABOUT IT.

>> DR. RUTHERFORD.

>> YES.

HI.

I ACTUALLY AM VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT VACCINES AS WELL.

MY KIDS ARE FULLY VACCINATED.

THEY EVEN HAVE THE HPV VACCINE.

IN FACT, I WROTE A FAM PAMPHLET ON VACCINES WHEN I WORKED AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOWN THE HALL FROM DR. FAUCI.

I THINK THEY ARE WONDERFUL.

I THINK THAT IT'S MY CO-GUEST, MY COLLEAGUE HAS NOT BEEN READING SOME OF THE DATA THAT'S COMING OUT OF OTHER COUNTRIES.

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS HUGE STUDY IN ISRAEL THAT SHOWED THAT NATURAL IMMUNITY WAS BETTER, IF NOT -- OR AT LEAST AS GOOD AS VACCINE IMMUNITY, AND ANOTHER ONE OUT OF THE CLEVELAND CLINIC.

THEY ALSO SHOWED THAT NATURAL IMMUNITY IS LONG-LASTING AT THIS TIME AND THAT COULD CHANGE OF COURSE.

AND THEN ALSO JUST TO MENTION, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL ANYONE NOT TO GET VACCINATED OR TO TRY TO GET THE DISEASE INSTEAD.

THAT IS A BAD IDEA.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR NOW.

BUT WE ARE SEEING BREAKTHROUGH CASES IN OLDHAM COUNTY.

I'VE DIAGNOSED PROBABLY 15 CASES OF COVID IN THE PAST MONTH, AND MOST OF THEM ARE FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE.

AMONG THE NUMBERS IN OLDHAM COUNTY, I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR PRESENTED EARLIER THIS MONTH 23% OF THE CASES IN OLDHAM COUNTY WERE BREAKTHROUGH CASES.

SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S ANTI-SCIENCE TO SAY THAT NATURAL IMMUNITY WORKS.

>> SO LAST FRIDAY I CAUGHT UP WITH HOPKINS COUNTY SHERIFF MATT SANDERSON.

HE IS FULLY VACCINATED AND HE IS ONE OF THOSE BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS WHO CONTRACTED COVID A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND HE SHARED HIS STORY WITH US.

SHERIFF SANDERSON, THANK YOU FOR TAKING SOME TIME TO SPEAK WITH US TODAY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> TELL US HOW YOU'RE FEELING, SIR, HOW YOU'RE DOING.

>> I'M ACTUALLY A LOT BETTER.

I STARTED GETTING BETTER I FEEL LIKE YESTERDAY.

TODAY I ACTUALLYET FEEL QUITE A BIT BETTER.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING.

THANKS.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE'RE SENDING YOU WELL WISHES AND HOPING FOR A FULL AND SPEEDY RECOVERY.

IF YOU CAN, TAKE US BACK TO WHEN YOU STARTED FEELING ILL AND ARE YOU VACCINATED?

>> YEAH, I'VE DEFINITELY BEEN VACCINATED.

I GOT VACCINATED EARLY ON IN, AND I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT IT AS THE SHERIFF OF THE COUNTY AND SOMEBODY WHO IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND IN THE PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT, I FEEL LIKE IT'S NIGH DUTY TO SET THE EXAMPLE, AND I FEEL LIKE VACCINATIONS ARE THE WAY TO GO.

IT'S JUST MY OPINION.

I DON'T THINK -- I'M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON TO PUSH THINGS ON PEOPLE, BUT I LIKE TO TRY TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE.

I WAS VACCINATED FIRST BACK IN LATE DECEMBER, AND THEN I HAD MY SECOND VACCINE IN MID-JANUARY.

SO IT'S I GUESS GOING ON A LITTLE OVER SEVEN MONTHS NOW SINCE I HAVE HAD THAT.

BUT I STARTED FEELING A LITTLE BIT BAD, HAD MY FIRST STOMY GUESS A WEEK AGO WEDNESDAY, WHICH WAS AUGUST THE 11th, STARTED GETTING A STUFFY NOSE AND THE CONGESTION THERE.

>> SO WHAT MADE YOU THINK THIS COULD BE SOMETHING RELATED TO COVID OR COVID?

AND DID YOU JUST IMMEDIATELY SEEK A TEST?

>> NO, NOT IMMEDIATELY, AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK PROBABLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE SPREAD HONESTLY IS TO ME IT FELT LIKE I HAD A STUFFY NOSE ON THE FIRST DAY, AND THE SECOND DAY I STARTED GETTING SOME THROAT IRRITATION WHICH ISN'T UNCOMMON FOR ME AND PROBABLY OTHER KENTUCKIANS THAT HAVE ALLERGY i, AND THAT'S WHAT ACTUALLY THE NURSE PRACTITIONER WHEN I WENT TO SEEK A TEST, THAT'S WHAT THE NURSE PRACTITIONER TOLD ME AS WELL, WAS 35 AT PEOPLE IN KENTUCKY WEBSITES NORMAL FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALLERGIES, SO THEY WAIT A FEW DAYS BEFORE THEY GET TESTED, AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.

I WAITED THREE DAYS, I GUESS.

I HAD MY FIRST SYMPTOM ON WEDNESDAY, AND ON SATURDAY I START HAVING SOME STOMACH ISSUES AND STARTED GETTING A LITTLE BIT LETHARGIC, SO I THOUGHT I'D BETTER GO GET TESTED, AND THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT, WAS A FEW DAYS AFTER, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY ON A SATURDAY, I HAD MY FIRST SYMPTOM ON WEDNESDAY, SO ON THE SATURDAY WAS WHEN I WENT TO GET TESTED AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT I WAS POSITIVE THEN.

>> SO I KNOW THAT YOUR UNIT MISSES YOU.

I WHEN AND I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY IS SENDING YOU A LOT OF WELL WISHES AND CONCERNS AND EXPRESSIONS OF FULL RECOVERY SOON.

THE MESSAGE, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING YOU ON FACEBOOK FOR SOME TIME AND YOU HAVE BEEN INFORMING PEOPLE OF YOUR JOURNEY, AND YOU'VE ALSO BEEN SENDING THAT MESSAGE.

YOU MENTIONED IT EARLIER ABOUT YOU ARE A PUBLIC OFFICIAL AND YOU LOOK AT IT AS A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP IN YOUR LINE OF WORK TO PROTECT PEOPLE, AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXTENSION OF THAT.

FOR THOSE WHO WOULD SAY, WELL, THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW THE VACCINE DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE LOOK AT SHERIFF SANDERSON, HE'S HE STILL GOT COVID, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?

>> IT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT, ESPECIALLY SINCE I BECAME POSITIVE, REALLY TRYING TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE, MOST HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, AND I KNOW OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS ARE REALLY TELLING EVERYONE, LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE HOSPITAL AND HAVING MUCH WORSE SYMPTOMS THAN WHAT I HAVE HAD ARE USUALLY THOSE THAT ARE UNVACCINATED.

SO I WANT PEOPLE -- AND THAT'S SOMETHING I POSTED ABOUT.

I WAS ALMOST HESITANT TO POST ABOUT MY JOURNEY BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID FOR PEOPLE TO THINK LEAHY WAS VACCINATED AND HE STILL GOT COVID.

THAT WAS ONE OF MY HESITANCY ABOUT MAKING THE POST AND SHARING MY JOURNEY WITH EVERYONE BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID IT WOULD CAUSE PEOPLE NOT TO GET VACCINATED BUT IN ACCURATELY RAZORBACKSTUALITY I THINK MY SYMPTOMS REMAINED QUITE A BIT MORE MILD BECAUSE OF THE VACCINATION.

THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT MEME TO PICK UP ON.

LIKE I SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO, I'M NOT A PERSON TO FORCEFULLY TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T DO BUT I DO BELIEVE IN EDUCATING PEOPLE USING MY PROCESS AND MY VOICE AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT MY JOURNEY'S BEEN.

TO ME MOST OF MY SYMPTOMS WERE KIND OF I'LL I DESCRIBE IT AS THE MILD FLU.

THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WERE DIFFERENT.

I'VE HAD THE FLU BEFORE AND THERE WERE SOME THINGS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS AND THE WAY IT BEHAVED I THINK THAT WERE DIFFERENT.

BUT I LOOK AT THIS AS A -- I'M A PUBLIC SERVANT AND I'M SWORN TO PROTECT PEOPLE, AND OUR FIRST DUTY AS LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE, AND THAT'S HOW I LOOKED AS THE THIS PROCESS, IS I'M GOING TO PUT THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE AND GET IT OUT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND LET THEM MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES.

>> WELL, I THINK THOSE ARE SOME FINE WORDS TO END ON, SHERIFF SANDERSON.

CONTINUED STRENGTH TO YOU AND I KNOW YOU CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK ON THE FORCE AGAIN.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMONWEALTH IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, SIR.

>> I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> SO DR. DOUGHERTY, I WANT TO GO RIGHT TO YOU BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THAT THE DISEASE CAN STILL SPREAD AND SHED EVEN IF YOU'VE BEEN VACCINATED.

AND SO HOW CONCERNING IS THAT?

>> I THINK IT'S A REAL CONCERN, BUT AGAIN THE SEVERITY OF THE ILLNESS IS BLUNTED SIGNIFICANTLY BY ALL OF THESE VACCINES, AND SO YOUR RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH GOES WAY DOWN.

I ALSO THINK THAT BECAUSE THE SEVERITY OF DISEASE IS BLUNTED, THE TIME THAT YOU'RE SHEDDING THE VIRUS LIKELY IS DECREASED, AND THEREFORE THE TRANSMISSION TO OTHER FOLKS.

WE'RE STILL STUDYING THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH DELTA, BUT, FOR INSTANCE, FOR A QUARANTINING PURPOSES FOR MILD DISEASE, FOR FOLKS THAT AREN'T HOSPITALIZED, WE'RE QUARANTINE THEM FOR TEN DAYS FROM THEIR SYMPTOM ONSET.

THE FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY SICK THAT ARE HOSPITALIZED WITH SEVERE COVID, THEY'RE QUARANTINED FOR AT LEAST 20 DAYS FROM THEIR ONSET OF SYMPTOMS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DETECTED LIVE VIRAL REPLICATION UP TO 24 DAYS IN SOME OF THESE STUDIES.

SO I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE BLUNTED EVEN THOUGH THERE WILL BE SOME BREAKTHROUGH.

I MEAN, IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO KIND OF REV UP ONCE YOU'RE EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS AND RECOGNIZE IT AGAIN.

>> AND YOU STILL COULD TEST POSITIVE FOR WEEKS, MONTHS AFTERWARDS, AFTER YOU'VE RECOVERED?

>> WELL, SO WE'RE AT NO REALLY LIKE RETESTING FOLKS, YOU KNOW, BUT WE DON'T -- I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY KNOW HOW LONG YOU CAN HAVE LIKE A POSITIVE PCR TEST.

THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOU'RE CONTAGIOUS ANYMORE.

>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT TO MAKE.

SO WE'RE GETTING, AND I WANT TO GO TO NANCY GALVAGNI ABOUT THIS, DR. HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND WE KNOW IT'S NOT JUST THE GENERAL POPULATION THAT HAS SOWN SOME VACCINE HESITANCY BUT EVEN WITHIN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME WHO ARE VACCINE HESITANT, AND THIS QUESTION FROM CINDY WARD, WHY ARE WE FIRING NURSES THAT DON'T GET VACCINATED?

THAT IS CRIMINAL AT THIS TIME AND FRANKLY ANY TIME.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT -- DO YOU HAVE ANY STATISTICS ABOUT HEALTH CARE WORKERS BEING VACCINATED OR HAVE YOU HEARD OF STORIES WHERE NURSES AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN DISMISSED, HAVE BEEN FIRED OR TERMINATED BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN VACCINATED?

>> THANK YOU, RENEE.

I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY NURSE THAT IS BEEN TERMINATED OR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER THAT HAS BEEN TERMINATED FOR FAILURE TO GET A VACCINE.

WE UNDERSTAND OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS THAT YOU HEAR IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND WHAT WE HEAR IS THAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THE VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED TOO QUICKLY OR THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS AREN'T KNOWN OR IT HASN'T BEEN FDA APPROVED, AND, OF COURSE, THAT HAPPENED TODAY, SO WE REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT THOSE THAT THAT WAS A FACTOR WILL MOVE FORWARD AND GET THE VACCINE.

KENTUCKY HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION WAS JOINED BY THE KENTUCKY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE KENTUCKY NURSES ASSOCIATION IN HOMECOMING OUT WITH A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF HOSPITALS AMENDING THEIR EXISTING POLICIES AROUND VACCINES TO ADD COVID-19.

AND SO WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT HOSPITALS HAVE HAD EXISTING POLICIES FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS AND DO REQUIRE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF VACCINES AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, AND ONE THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH IS THE FLU SHOT.

SO NOW THAT COVID HAS BEEN FDA APPROVED, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY SAFE.

THERE'S BEEN MILLIONS OF THESE VACCINES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

AND SO THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT HOSPITALS HAVE VERY SICK PATIENTS IN THEM.

WE TREAT PATIENTS THAT ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.

AND SO WHAT OUR STATEMENT SAID IS THAT WE RECOMMEND HOSPITALS AMEND THEIR EXISTING POLICIES, AGAIN, EACH POLICY WILL DETERMINE WHAT THE DISCIPLINE ACTION WOULD BE FOR FAILING TO FOLLOW THE POLICY.

WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING THAT PEOPLE NECESSARILY BE FIRED.

BUT IT WOULD JUST BE HOW THE HOSPITAL HANDLES OTHER VACCINES AMONG THEIR STAFF.

BUT WE DO FEEL LIKE MOVING FORWARD TO ADD THE COVID-19 VACCINE MAKES SENSE BECAUSE WE THINK THAT IT'S THE BEST PRACTICE TO PROTECT OUR PATIENTS.

>> CARE TO CHIME IN?

>> SURE.

SO, I MEAN, WE AGREE.

I THINK AS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS, IT IS OUR JOB TO NOT ONLY SET A GOOD EXAMPLE AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TALKED ABOUT, BUT ALSO TO PROTECT THEM.

IF I COME TO THE HOSPITAL I.

AND I'M IMMUNE SUPPRESSED, I WANT TO KNOW THAT THE PERSON CARING FOR ME IS ALSO DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO KEEP ME SAFE.

I WANT THEM TO WASH THEIR HANDS.

I WANT THEM TO WEAR A MASK.

I WANT THEM TO BE VACCINATED IF THEY CAN FROM DISEASES THAT I COULD GET OR THAT MY LOVED ONES COULD GET.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THAT.

AND I THINK SOME OF IT IS ABOUT THE WAY THAT IT IS COMMUNICATED.

WE HAVE THIS WONDERFUL, FABULOUS SOLUTION THAT WE'RE NOW HAVING TO MANDATE BECAUSE WE HAVE A GROUP OF THE POPULATION THAT FEEL, AND AS DR. STACK TALKED ABOUT, HAS NO TRUST IN THIS VACCINE, THAT HAS LOTS OF EVIDENCE, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE VACCINATED WITH VERY FEW EFFECTS, AND IS EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE AT DOING WHAT IT WANTS -- OR WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO.

AND YET WHEN THEY GET SICK, THEY COME TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEY WANT VENTILATORS THAT DON'T TREAT COVID AND HURT YOUR LUNGS THE MINUTE I PUT YOU ON THEM.

THEY WANT MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HELP.

NONE OF US IN MEDICINE REALLY FEEL SUPER STRONGLY ABOUT THEM.

THEY WANT ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAVE READ ABOUT ON THE INTERNET, AND YET WHEN THE DOCTOR SAYS, I HAVE A SOLUTION, A VACCINE, THEY'RE EVER THERE'S SOME RESISTANCE TO THAT.

SO I ALSO THINK THAT BY STANDING UP AS A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD DO AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AS DOCTORS AND NURSES AND TECHS AND LABORATORY PERSONNEL, AND WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT YOU, IT'S SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL THAT THE VACCINE IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE.

>> AND MAYBE THE POINT SHOULD BE MADE THAT THERE IS NO CURE FOR COVID-19.

>> THERE IS NO CURE.

IT IS ONLY TIME AND PATIENCE AND A LOT OF HOPING THAT YOUR BODY IS ONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE HUGE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE.

>> SO YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS YOUR BIGGEST OFFENDER.

SO FOR THOSE, AND WE HAVE SEEN THE STORIES WHO CONTRACT COVID-19 AND THEY ARE IN THE ICU AND PERHAPS THEY DO GET ONTO A VENTILATOR AND THEY SAY, ABOUT IT WANT A VACCINE.

IT'S TOO LATE THAT POINT.

>> THE VACCINE DOESN'T HELP AT THAT POINT.

AND WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL OF THOSE.

WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL WHO CAME TO ED AND NOT FEELING WELL, I WANT MY VACCINE NOW OR WHO ARE IN THE ROOM, AND I TRY TO USE IT AS A MOMENT TO HELP EDUCATE, TO SAY, THE VACCINE WON'T HELP BUT PLEASE CALL YOUR WIFE, CALL YOUR MOTHER, CALL YOUR COMMUNITY AND SAY, GUYS, THIS IS REALLY AWFUL.

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GET VACCINATED.

USE THIS AS THE SPEARHEAD TO HELP THOSE AROUND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A SOLUTION AND THAT THE VACCINE WILL HELP PEOPLE NOT LINED UP ON VENTILATORS IN THE ICU.

>> DR. MOLLY RUTHERFORD, I BELIEVE YOU WANTED TO WEIGH IN HERE.

GO AHEAD, MA'AM.

>> YES.

I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID ABOUT THE RISK FACTORS FOR PEOPLE TO GET SEVERE COVID, AND I THINK THE VACCINE IS WONDERFUL.

I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY SEEMS TO BE HELPING PREVENT HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATH AT THIS POINT.

THE ISRAEL DATA IS A BIT CONCERNING, BUT I'M STILL GOING TO RECOMMEND THE VACCINE FOR HIGH-RISK PATIENTS.

BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE OR WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS NOT SUCH A NIRO FOCUS ON COVID DID -- A NARROW FOCUS ON COVID.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE TO BE HEALTHIER.

WHY IS IT THAT KENTUCKY HAS MORE HOSPITALIZATIONS?

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES, THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE NOT ADDRESSING?

I MEAN, LET'S BE HONEST.

WE HAVE A LOT OF OBESITY IN OUR STATE.

WE ARE NOT, COMPARED TO OTHER STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE ARE NOT KNOWN TO BE HEALTHY.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US ADDRESS THOSE THINGS AS WELL, AND I FEEL LIKE OVER THE PAST YEAR IT ALMOST SEEMS AS IF WE'VE FORGOTTEN THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS MORE THAN JUST COVID.

WE'RE SO NARROWLY FOCUSED ON THIS VIRUS, AND WE STILL NEED TO FOCUS ON IT, BUT WE CANNOT FORGET THE BIG PICTURE AS WELL.

>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

YES.

>> MY ONLY COMMENT TO THAT WOULD BE I 100% AGREE WITH HER.

I THINK IN KENTUCKY WE HAVE HUGE PROBLEMS WITH TRAUMA, WITH SMOKING, WITH ADDICTION, RIGHT?

WITH OBESITY AND DIABETES AND HEART FAILURE.

THE PROBLEM IS WE CAN'T TAKE THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THOSE IF OUR HOSPITALS ARE ABSOLUTELY INUNDATED WITH COVID.

EVERY INCH OF HEALTH CARE HAS GONE TO COVID BECAUSE IT IS A CRISIS.

IF EVERYBODY GETS VACCINATED, WE HAVE LOTS MORE ENERGY TO GIVE TO THOSE PREVENTABLE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AT THIS END OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM RATHER THAN THIS END, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN MEDICINE WOULD ARGUE THAT THEY WOULD MUCH RATHER SPONSOR OBESITY CLASSES AND COLONOSCOPIES AND THINGS TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BEING IN THE HOSPITAL BUT THAT IS NOT WHERE WE ARE IN REALITY BECAUSE WHEN THEY SHOW UP AT THE ER DOOR, I CAN'T SAY, I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE A VENTILATOR.

I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOU TODAY BECAUSE I'M DOING AN ELECTIVE NEE SURGERY.

I HAVE TO SAY I CAN'T DO YOUR ELECTIVE KNEE SURGERY BECAUSE I HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE VENTILATOR TAKING UP THAT BED.

SO THE WAY TO GET TO THAT POINT IS TO GET FOLKS VACCINATED.

>> AND COVID IS NOW THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN KENTUCKY BEHIND HEART DISEASE AND CANCER, SO IN THE 18-MONTH PERIOD OF TIME IT HAS COME FROM NOWHERE TO WHERE IT IS NOW.

WE'VE GOT QUESTIONS.

SCOTT NEAL FROM LEXINGTON ASKED HE'S HEARD RUMORS ABOUT THE LAMBDA VARIANT THAT IT'S IN EVERY STATE.

IS IT THROUGH THE, OF COURSE, VACCINE IS LESS EFFECTIVE AGAINST LAMBDA?

DR. DOUGHERTY, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?

>> I KNOW THAT LAMBDA, NO ONE HOW MUCH LAMBDA WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN KENTUCKY.

I'M UNAWARE OF THAT BUT I KNOW IT'S BEEN IN FLORIDA AND SOME OTHER STATES.

WE PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF IT HERE AT THIS POINT.

BUT IT IS EVADING THE VACCINES A LITTLE BIT IT SEEMS OR AT LEAST -- IT'S AT LEAST MORE TRANSMISSIBLE AS WELL.

OH IT'S MORE POTENT THAN DELTA.

SO WELCH RATINGS -- >> I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S MORE POTENT THAN DELTA BUT IT'S AT LEAST MORE TRANS IB MISS I WILL BE.

I DON'T KNOW AN EXTREME AMOUNT ABOUT IT.

>> WITH EACH ITERATION OF THIS VIRUS IT GETS MORE VIRULENT, MORE POTENT, MORE TRANSMISSIBLE, IT GETS MORE EVERYTHING THAT'S BAD.

>> THAT'S WHAT VIRUSES DO.

THAT IS THEIR GOAL IN LIFE.

THEY INFECT YOU, GET INSIDE YOUR CELLS AND REPLICATE AND ALSO MILLIONS OF TIMES, AND WITH EACH REPLICATION THEY HAVE A CHANGE IN THEIR BASIC STRUCTURE TRYING TO BECOME MORE AND MORE VIRULENT, STRONGER, BETTER ABLE TO INFECT YOU.

THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL WITH DELTA.

IF WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THEM HOSTS, THEY WILL GET BETTER.

THAT IS WHAT THEY DO.

THEY ARE INCREDIBLY GOOD AT IT.

>> ONE THING WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, CHILDREN AND COVID.

I THINK DR. STACK ALLUDE TO IT BUT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT KIDS WHO ARE 18 AND UNDER.

WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AT UK WHEN IT COMES TO PATRICIA CASES?

THERE WAS A REPORT RECENTLY ABOUT HOW THOSE NUMBERS HAVE REALLY SEEN ALMOST EXPONENTIAL GROWTH.

>> YES.

I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE SEEN MORE PEDIATRIC CASES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAN WE SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SURGE, 100% AGREE WITH THAT.

THE KIDS STILL DON'T GET AS SICK AS THE ADULTS, AND THEY TEND NOT -- THEY TEND TO RECOVER FASTER, BUT WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THEIR NUMBERS, AND I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE KIDS ARE OUT, THEY ARE TOGETHER, THEY ARE NOW UNMASKED, THEY ARE COMPETING IN SPORTS AND GOING TO SCHOOLS AND DOING THOSE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THEM DO LAST YEAR, AND SO THEY'RE COMING TOGETHER.

WE'RE ALSO SEEING A HUGE INCREASE IN RSV AND SOME FLU AS WELL.

>> WHAT IS RSV?

EXPLAIN THAT TO US.

>> RSV IS RESPIRATORY SENT EVERYBODY VIRUS AND IT'S THE VIRUS THAT YOU'LL HERE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT CHILDREN GETTING, TALKS ABOUT CONSTRICTION OF THE AIRWAY AND YOUNG CHILDREN CAN'T BREATHE AND THEY NEED MEDICINES TO UP ON THE AIRWAYS.

IT CAN BE EXTREMELY TERRIFYING IF YOU'RE THE PARENT OF A YOUNG CHILD.

>> THAT IS ON THE COVID SURGE OF.

IS THERE A CONFLATION OF THE TWO.

>> >> I'M SURE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE KIDS ARE TOGETHER.

THOSE ARE BOTH TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES THAT KIDS PASS BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND ADULTS PASS TO CHILDREN AS WELL, AND SO MANY CHILDREN GET RSV.

WE TALK ABOUT AN RSV SEASON IN THE PEDIATRIC YEAR EVERY YEAR.

WE HAVEN'T HE'LL HAD AN RSV SEASON FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE ALL THE KIDS HAVE BEEN AT HOME.

NOW THEY'RE ALL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN AND THEY'RE ALL SPREADING IT, AND SO WE HAVE TWO YEARS OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE EXPOSURE TO THOSE VIRUSES AND SO WE'RE SEEING ENORMOUS NUMBERS, AND WE DON'T HAVE A VACCINE FOR RSV RIGHT NOW THAT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL.

>> ALSO, QUESTIONS ABOUT PREGNANT WOMEN AND THE COVID VACCINE, EITHER IN -- THEY'RE TRYING TO CONCEIVE OR THEY ARE PREGNANT.

THERE WAS A STORY TODAY ABOUT AN ALABAMA WOMAN IN HER 30s WHO DIED AND HER UNBORN CHILD WHO WAS MAYBE SIX MONTHS OR SO IN GESTATION PERIOD ALSO DIED, SO TALK TO US ABOUT THE CONCERNS, THE REALITIES VERSUS THE FICTION ON COVID VACCINE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN OR THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO CONCEIVE.

>> AND I THINK -- I THINK THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE WHEN WOMEN ARE PREGNANT, THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY -- THERE'S A LOT OF ANXIETY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO PROTECT THAT BABY THAT IS INSIDE YOU.

AND SO I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF HESITANCY FROM THE OB COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE VACCINE OR SOME HESITANCY IN SAYING, WHY I 100% SHOULD GET IT.

THERE WAS AN, AH, YOU MIGHT BE OKAY.

SO I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE GETTING IT.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE NOT VACCINATED AND WE'VE SEEN AN INCREDIBLE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF OB PEOPLE, OB PATIENTS COMING IN AND OB BEING PREGNANT WOMEN, COMING IN WHO ARE POSITIVE AND WHO ARE HAVING VERY SEVERE SYMPTOMS.

AND AS I SAID TO SOMEONE TODAY ON THE PHONE, YOU KNOW WHAT'S REALLY BAD FOR UNBORN BABIES?

LOW OXYGEN LEVELS, AND THAT IS WHAT COVID DOES.

SO THE VACCINE IS SAFE AND ALL OF THE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING PHYSICIANS HAVE RECENTLY COMMENT OUT AND SAID, YES, PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD GET VACCINATED AND GET VACCINATED EARLY.

THERE'S SOME VERY GOOD LITERATURE THAT STATES THAT THE HIGHER LEVEL YOU GET VACCINATED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THE HIRE NUMBER OF ANTIBODIES YOU GIVE TO YOUR BABY WHO WOULDN'T MOUNT THEIR OWN RESPONSE INITIAL SO.

MAYBE PRESENTING YOUR BABY FARTHER INTO THEIR INFANCY WITH THE EARLIER YOU GET VACCINATED AS THE PREGNANT WOMAN.

AND THERE'S LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THE VACCINE NOT ONLY PROTECTS THE BABY BUT PROTECTS THE MOTHER WHO IS AT INCREASED RISK BECAUSE TECHNICALLY PREGNANT WOMEN ARE AN IMMUNE SUPPRESSED STATE.

THEY ARE PEOPLE, AND I DON'T THINK ALL PREGNANT WOMEN THINK OF THEMSELVES THAT WAY, BUT ARE.

THEY WON'T EAT BILYEU CHEESE AND THEY WON'T EAT DELL MEAT AND WON'T EAT SUSHI BUT THEY ALSO WOULD NOT GET THE VACCINE WHICH WILL PREVENT THE VIRUS.

>> SHOULD THEY GET A BOOSTER SHOT?

>> THE EVIDENCE HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET FOR A THIRD DOSE FOR THEM AT THIS TIME AS AN IMMUNE SUPPRESSED CLASS, BUT AS YOU WELL KNOW THERE'S MUCH PUSH RIGHT NOW FOR BOOSTERS SHOTS TO COME OUT FOR ALL AMERICANS, PROBABLY AROUND EIGHT OR NINE MONTH MARK.

AND THEY WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT.

I THINK EVERYONE IS GOING TO GET A BOOSTER ANOTHER SOME POINT.

>> AND YOU THINK THAT WILL JUST BE ROUTINE, DR. DO IT, THAT IT WILL BE LIKE THE FLU SHOT THAT YOU GET ANNUALLY, THAT THIS WOULD BE PART OF THAT SERIES.

DO YOU ENVISION GETTING BOTH AT THE SAME TIME OR AT DIFFERENT TIMES?

DOES IT MATTER?

>> WELL, IN THE, FOR INSTANCE, THE VACCINE TRIALS, WE WEREN'T GIVEN HAVE GIVING LIKE FOLKS THAT HAD GOTTEN AN INFLUENZA VACCINE NEEDED TO BE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS OUT FROM THEIR INFLUENZA VACCINE TO MOUNT AN APPROPRIATE IMMUNE RESPONSE FOR LIVE VACCINES THAT WAS A MONTH.

SO CERTAIN -- GIVING TWO VACCINES AT ONCE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE RECOMMENDED, BUT AROUND -- AS LONG AS IT'S TWO WEEKS APART.

I DO THINK THAT WE WILL NEED BOOSTERS GOING FORWARD.

I DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE A PERMANENT THING OR IF BETWEEN NATURAL IMMUNITY AND VACCINATIONS OVER LIKE A COUPLE YEARS, THIS IS HOPEFULLY GOING TO TURN INTO SOMETHING A LITTLE LESS VIRULENT.

THAT'S MY HOPE.

I DON'T KNOW.

IT'S HARD TO PREDICT THE FUTURE.

BUT I DO THINK THAT AT LEAST THE MRNA VACCINES, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRETTY RAPIDLY DEVELOP TARGETED BOOSTERS, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT YET, BUT MY HOPE IS THAT MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE KIND OF A TARGETED BOOSTER.

THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, THOUGH, IS THAT WE'RE HAVING ALL OF THESE VARIANTS, THESE NEW VARIANTS ONE BY ONE, SO BY THE THE TIME THEY COME OUT WERE A TARGETED BOOSTERS AGAINST DELTA, WE'LL HAVE LAMBDA, GOT IT THINK THAT I SECOND -- BUT I SECOND WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN.

PREGNANT WOMEN ARE AT A HIGHER RISK.

WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PREGNANT WOMEN COME IN UNFORTUNATELY DEVELOP BLOOD CLOTS THAT GO TO THEIR LUNGS, GET REALLY HYPE OXIC.

THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR THE BABY TO BE DELIVERED EARLY, TOO.

AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE PREGNANT WOMEN TO FUTBOL THEIR DOCTOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT TO CONSIDER GETTING VACCINATED.

>> NANCY GALVAGNI, I WANT TOM COULD BACK TO YOU AS WE HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND SOME CHANGE REMAINING, AND BEING ONE THAT DEALS WITH HOSPITALS AND THE WHOLE SCOPE OF OUR CONVERSATION AND THE SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT WAS HANDED DOWN THIS WEEKEND AND THE GOVERNOR'S RESPONSE AND THIS DEBATE OVER MASKS AND MITIGATION MEASURES, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

AS A FINAL TAKE WAY FOR TONIGHT, THE MESSAGE THAT THE KENTUCKY HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION WOULD HAVE FOR PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY.

>> GET VACCINATED.

I THINK THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR.

OUR HOSPITALS ARE BEING OVERWHELMED.

WE DON'T WANT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE STRETCHED SO THIN NOW WITH OUR STAFF.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, BY GETTING VACCINATED, INDIVIDUALS ARE PRESERVING HOSPITAL CAPACITY FOR HEART ATTACKS, THE STROKE PATIENTS, PATIENTS, OTHER PATIENTS THAT NEED TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL, AND YOU'VE HEARD OF A LOT OF EVIDENCE TONIGHT ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINE.

FDA HAS COME OUT AND APPROVED IT.

SO THAT IS THE ABSOLUTE MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE TONIGHT, IS FOR FOLKS TO GET VACCINATED.

>> DO YOU HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO THE KENTUCKY SUPREME COURT DECISION?

>> NO, WE REALLY DON'T.

WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP WITH DR. STACK, WITH OUR GOVERNOR, THE STOKES FOLKS AT THE CABINET AS WELL AS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

THEY'VE ALL BEEN EXCELLENT PARTNERS AND BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO OUR MEMBERS AS WE'VE DEALT WITH THIS PANDEMIC.

>> DR. ASHLEY MONTGOMERY-YATES, I'LL GIVE YOU WHAT WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST WORD TONIGHT.

A MAIN TAKE WAY THAT YOU HOPE TO LEAVE WITH VIEWERS.

>> I THINK THE THING THAT I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS DO WHAT'S RIGHT, NOT JUST FOR YOU BUT FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CARE ABOUT.

GO GET THE VACCINE.

AND WEAR A MASK WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN LARGE GROUPS.

WASH YOUR HANDS.

AND BE RESPECTFUL ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE AROUND YOU WHO MIGHT BE IMMUNOSUPPRESSED OR MIGHT HAVE SOME SORT OF A CONDITION THAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.

YOU KNOW, IF COVID HAS TAUGHT US NOTHING ELSE, IT IS THAT WE ALL ARE IN THIS TOGETHER, AND WHAT I DO EFFECTS MY NEIGHBOR AND WHAT MY NEIGHBOR DOES DOES AFFECT ME.

WE DON'T LIVE IN ISOLATION AND WE'VE GOT TO LEARN TO START SEEING OURSELVES AS THE COMMUNITY AND THE VILLAGE THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET THROUGH THIS EPIDEMIC.

>> AND WE'LL BE LIVING WITH IT YOU THINK FOR YEARS TO COME?

>> PROBABLY, YES.

I DON'T THINK COVID'S GOING TO GO ANYWHERE.

I'M HOPEFUL THAT IF WE GET ENOUGH PEOPLE VACCINATED THAT IT WILL BE JUST ANOTHER SEASONAL SORT OF THING, BUT EVEN WITH INFLUENZA WHICH I THINK MOST PEOPLE THINK ISN'T VERY SCARY, WE SAW DEATHS EVERY YEAR.

THE VIRUSES ARE REAL.

I MEAN, THEY WIN EVERY TIME.

SO WE'VE GOT TO BAND TOGETHER AND DO WHAT WE CAN TO CONQUER THEM.

>> THIS WILL BE OUR FINAL WORDS FOR THE EVENING.

THANK YOU, DR. DOUGHERTY, DR. MONTGOMERY YATES AND DR. RUTHERFORD AND ALSO NANCY.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND I'LL SEE YOU MONDAY NIGHT.