Infectious disease expert: Massachusetts 'has more virus than we've seen before'

"Not only do more patients have COVID-19, but each patient has more of it -- our community, the state has more virus than we've seen before," said Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Health.

AT 4:30 AND AT 4:30.WE ARE JOINED ONCE AGAIN BY DR.TODD ELLER AND DIRECTOR OFINFECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTHpSHOAPPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOURINSIGHT DOCTOR MORE THAN 40STATES ARE REPORTING INCREASESIN COVID CASES RIGHT NOW FOUR OFTHE FIVE HIGHEST NUMBER OFSINGLE DAY CASES DURING THISPANDEMIC WERE REPORTED JUST OVERTHE LAST WEEK.SO WHAT IS YOUR ANALYSIS OFTHAT?DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE’REENTERING A PERIOD THAT’S LIKELYTO BE MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT I’VEALREADY SEEN.THERE’S NO QUESTION MARIA WEREGOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.WE’RE STARTING A HIGH BASELINEMUCH HIGHER THAN WE WERE AT THEIN OUR FIRST WAVE NOW, IT’S NOTJUST REGIONAL BUT IT’S THEENTIRE COUNTRY THAT’S INVOLVED.THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM.I’LL ALSO TELL YOU SOMETHINGELSE.I JUST WALKED OUT OF A PATIENT’SROOM WITH COVID-19 AND HER VIRALLOAD IN THE BACK OF HER NOSE WASABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION COPIESAND THAT’S THE RULE FOR THEPATIENTS COMING IN RIGHT NOW.SO NOT ONLY DO MORE PATIENTSPATIENTS HAVE COVID-19, BUT EACHPATIENT HAS MORE OUR COMMUNITYOUR STATE HAS MORE VIRUS THANWE’VE SEEN BEFORE SO SO THATTHAT ISN’T AN ABNORMAL LOADBECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THOSENUMBERS MEAN IS THAT AN ABNORMALLOAD.IS THAT WHAT YOU’RE TALKINGABOUT A VERY HIGH AS THEPANDEMIC GOES ON AND AS THINGSIMPROVE IN THE SUMMER PATIENTSHAD MUCH LESS VIRUS WHEN THEYCAME OUT.LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OTHERSTATES BECAUSE OFFICIALS IN OHIOAND WISCONSIN FOR EXAMPLE SAIDTHAT THEIR STATES ARE BEINGRAVAGED BY THE VIRUS RIGHT NOWOR DESCRIBED IT AS BEING OUT OFCONTROL.SO WHAT CAN CAN PEOPLE DO HEREIN MASSACHUSETTS RIGHT NOW?TO AVOID THAT KIND OF ASITUATION AND HOW OUR HOSPITALSPREPARED PREPARED RIGHT HERE INTHE COMMONWEALTH?WELL, I MEAN ED, YOU KNOW TOAVOID A STATE LOCKDOWN ORNATIONAL LOCKDOWNS, YOU KNOW, WEHAVE TO INTENSIFY CONTAINMENTMEASURES.WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH OURBEHAVIOR, BUT WE HAVE TO LIMITCROWDS.WE HAVE TO LIMIT A LOT OF THETRANSMISSIONS ARE HAPPENING ININFORMAL GATHERINGS.A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE NOTWEARING MASKS.IT’S THE THINGS WE KEEP TALKINGABOUT, BUT IF OUR BEHAVIORSDON’T CHANGE WE ARE GOING TOWE’RE GOING TO SEE EXPONENTIALINCREASES IN VIRAL TRANSMISSION.LET’S TALK ABOUT INSTRUCTORANTHONY FALCHI SAYING THATCAMBRIDGE-BASED MODERNA PFIZERNECK AND NECK IN THIS RACE TO AVACCINE BOTH MAY HAVE ONE AT THESAME TIME.SO ANY GOOD ESTIMATE ON HOW SOONTHAT COULD BE AND IF TWOCOMPANIES WERE READYSIMULTANEOUSLY, DO YOU BELIEVETHAT THAT CHANGES FOR THE VIRUS?MARIA REMEMBER WE NEED TOVACCINATE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONSOF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATESNOT JUST ONCE BUT WITH MODERNAAND PFIZER’S VACCINES TWICE, YOUNEED TO INJECTIONS THINK ABOUTTHOSE NUMBERS SO WE DON’T JUSTNEED ONE COMPANY.WE NEED MANY.SO THE NEXT THING WE HAVE TO DOIS FIND SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESSDATA AND THEN REMEMBER SOMETHINGAVAILABILITY ISN’T THE SAME ASACCESSIBILITY.YOU KNOW THAT THESE VACCINES TOTRAVEL NEED TO BE FROZEN ORSUPER FREEZED.SO, YOU KNOW, THE ACCESSIBILITYIS GOING TO BE TRICKY.SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THECALENDAR.DR. HELLER AND IT’S HALLOWEENTHIS WEEKEND.WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE ANDIDEAS FOR PARENTS ON KEEPINGFAMILY SAFE AND HEALTHY?SO WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW THISBUT HALLOWEEN IS MY FAVORITEHOLIDAY.SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS LET’S BECAREFUL AGAIN.THE SAFEST THING IS TO PROBABLYKEEP THINGS IN YOUR OWN BUBBLEIF YOU ARE GOING TO BE GIVINGOUT CANDY TO THE COMMUNITY YOUWANT TO TRY TO HAVE INDIVIDUALLYWRAPPED.GOODIE BAGS.MAKE SURE YOU WASH YOUR HANDSTHINGS LIKE THAT.ALSO.REMEMBER THE HALLOWEEN MASKS ARENOT THE SAME AS THE MASKS THATREDUCE TRANSMISSION FOR COVID-19SOME OF THE COMMON SENSE THINGSARE IMPORTANT KEEP THOSE NUMBERSDOWN.SO DOUBLE MASK IS WHAT YOU’RERIGHT MASK UNDER MASK IS A WAYTO GO IF THAT IF THEY CANBREATHE.I WANT TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSESOME OF THESE PROSTITUTES YOUHAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU CANBREATHE.GOOD POINT.DR. ALAN GREA