The first case of the COVID-19 South African variant in the USA was found in South Carolina. The chief physician, dr. Renee Dua, join Yahoo Finance Live to book.
Video transcription
ZACK GUZMAN: We have new news from the state of South Carolina where the first case, official case, of the South African coronavirus variant has now been picked up and documented a little while ago, according to state health officials. Clearly we have been waiting to see the first official documentation of this after the British variant, but both are apparently still covered by both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations. At least it appears that the initial studies on both the vaccines appear to be. But how problematic can it be if the South African variant, now in South Carolina, continues to spread?
I want dr. Renee Dua, Chief Physician, is now joining us for more information on this. And, dr. Dua, I mean, it’s something a lot of people might have expected, given what we’ve seen so far, but it’s the official first case in South Carolina. What do you make of it given what we know so far about the efficacy of the vaccine?
RENEE DUA: Yes. Thank you for having me at the program. This is of course very worrying. And as we all know, the behavior of this virus is about to change and change. And at the moment we are protected by the vaccines we have at our disposal, but it is also becoming increasingly clear that we will need enhancers to protect ourselves over time.
AKIKO FUJITA: So what does this mean for you from a planning perspective? We got the assurance from Pfizer, as well as the CEO of Moderna, who was up and running earlier this week, and specifically said that in your opinion, they believe that their vaccines are still effective against these variants, but they are investigating the enhancers. While trying to plan what the distribution process looks like, while also responding to the incoming cases, how does it all complicate you?
RENEE DUA: I think the complication is twofold. As a doctor, I therefore want to help and I need to get the vaccines to be able to administer these vaccines to my patients. As the owner of a home calling company, it’s very, very challenging to get almost anything done, certainly here in the state of California. There is no transparent communication from our government officials on how to apply, how to enroll, how to get even the doses of vaccinations. And so you get stuck and want to help and can not.
I think finally, President Biden has come up with a plan. I think we will be able to see more fluently in the action of the vaccines that are released and administered. I hope California catches up, because we certainly have business in Los Angeles. So there will be more coming soon – and hopefully better news – soon.
ZACK GUZMAN: Yes. While Akiko talks about this, it seems that both of these vaccines still cover these variants, but it seems that the South African variant is the effect to counteract. If you look at this – I must note that these are two cases documented in South Carolina, both of people who have not traveled. Clearly, it would be bad to see in any state, but South Carolina, we must point out, is one of the states that so far has not necessarily vaccinated a high percentage of citizens per 100,000. If you see the two cases coming from people who have not traveled, what does that mean for you about the spread that has already taken place without us knowing it?
RENEE DUA: Yes. And, like I said, I think this virus mutates. So we’re hearing about it in South Carolina, and I’m sure we’ll hear about more cases in other states. So I think there needs to be more about this strain, this variant, but it tells us that we need to stay vigilant about masks, physical separation, hand washing. If you are eligible for a vaccine, pick it up if you can, sign up. All of us who think we can relax and that everything is under control are not there yet. Right? So I think that’s the most important part of what we’re learning.
AKIKO FUJITA: I know we’ve been in this new Biden administration for just over a week, but we’ve seen the new president, at least in public, aggressively trying to come up with a federal plan for vaccine distribution as well as response to the virus. to map. How did this move the conversation internally for you? And when do you expect to see the impact of these new changes?
RENEE DUA: So I think, one, it has given us a little peace of mind, us who are ahead, those who see patients. We have the peace of mind that things are going to improve and things are going to change. But it is also important to note that there is a federal government, but that there are also state governments that control the distribution of this vaccine, and that we are left to our countries and their own organization or the lack thereof.
So I think we’re waiting to hear more. I can not tell you that we have changed any of our behavior. At Heal, for example, we still contact government officials daily to try and help. We still hear about a lot of confusion. I have colleagues and friends who cannot get their second dose. Some did not receive their first dose. It is very worrying when we are expected to continue to care for patients, and, more importantly, to keep them out of the hospital. So we wait patiently. We stand by.
AKIKO FUJITA: Well. Well, we wish you all the best. Hope to be able to check in with you again if you continue to respond to this pandemic. Dr. Renee Dua, Heal Chief Medical Officer, thank you very much for joining us today.
RENEE DUA: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.