CDC Director Redfield Outlines Next Steps in the War on COVID-19

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

CDC Director Outlines Next Steps in the War on COVID-19

WebMD August 12, 2020 2

WebMD Chief Medical Officer John Whyte talks with CDC Director Robert Redfield about what we might expect from COVID for the rest of the year as the creation of an effective vaccine is underway.

• What is most surprising about this particular coronavirus is how infectious it is (unlike MERS and SARS) and that people under 50 are disproportionately asymptomatic.
• The trajectory of COVID-19 cases has been higher than expected. In addition, antibody testing showed in the Spring that the number of infections could be 10 times higher than the number confirmed cases.

This year, it will be even more critical for people to get a flu vaccine. A flu outbreak will stress hospitals that are already battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quote

when we look at the mortality that we see with flu, one thing is for certain: The kids who get vaccinated basically get protected against death. Some people don't realize that in the past 10 years, 360,000 people died in this country from flu. Flu is a major cause of death.

• Current clinical trials are for people over age 18 and do not exclude those at high risk, including those over 70 and/or with comorbidities such as diabetes.
• Now is the time to invest in public health, which we haven't done adequately in the past.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/935566#vp_3