RUSH TRANSCRIPT Acknowledged and ░░░░░░░░ booed by some of ░░░░░░░░ supporters Jeff Zeleny thank ░░░░░░░░ Let s speak to ░░░░░░░░ William hazeltine He thoughtaught ░░░░░░░░ Harvard medic school and ░░░░░░░░ known for researching treatments ░░░░░░░░ deadly viruses Good to ░░░░░░░░ you on this morning ░░░░░░░░ heard the president s ░░░░░░░░ today Notably no shutdowns ░░░░░░░░ kids should stay in ░░░░░░░░ but we re going ░░░░░░░░ have at home testing ░░░░░░░░ vaccination sites as well ░░░░░░░░ military help at overburdened ░░░░░░░░ Is that the right ░░░░░░░░ of help now to ░░░░░░░░ Certainly encouraging that there ░░░░░░░░ taking this omicron seriously ░░░░░░░░ I have to say ░░░░░░░░ the very beginning we ░░░░░░░░ underestimated this virus and ░░░░░░░░ we re underestimating it ░░░░░░░░ One thing we do ░░░░░░░░ is a lot of ░░░░░░░░ I know from personal ░░░░░░░░ as many people who ░░░░░░░░ listening do that the ░░░░░░░░ just aren t available ░░░░░░░░ Back in September 2020 ░░░░░░░░ wrote be editorials as ░░░░░░░░ as my colleague about ░░░░░░░░ important it was to ░░░░░░░░ tests in everybody s ░░░░░░░░ As frequently for everybody ░░░░░░░░ two or three times ░░░░░░░░ week That s billions ░░░░░░░░ tests It sound like ░░░░░░░░ could be too expensive ░░░░░░░░ you can make these ░░░░░░░░ or the cost should ░░░░░░░░ 50 cents not 20 ░░░░░░░░ that is the real ░░░░░░░░ and that s what ░░░░░░░░ should be going for ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ other things that we ░░░░░░░░ to be careful of ░░░░░░░░ that is not underestimating ░░░░░░░░ disease I want to ░░░░░░░░ to that but on ░░░░░░░░ issue of testing admiral ░░░░░░░░ Giroir also said 500 ░░░░░░░░ is not enough but ░░░░░░░░ the issue supply or ░░░░░░░░ it be uptick because ░░░░░░░░ have broad divisions in ░░░░░░░░ country sadly the response ░░░░░░░░ reflects the political divisions ░░░░░░░░ you have parts of ░░░░░░░░ country that won t ░░░░░░░░ tested The supply much ░░░░░░░░ in places where people ░░░░░░░░ to have ignored Covid ░░░░░░░░ try to ignore it ░░░░░░░░ opposed to here in ░░░░░░░░ C or New York ░░░░░░░░ people are getting tested ░░░░░░░░ uptick rather than supply ░░░░░░░░ issue I don t ░░░░░░░░ that s the entire ░░░░░░░░ I think people are ░░░░░░░░ more willing to test ░░░░░░░░ to do some other ░░░░░░░░ like being vaccinated or ░░░░░░░░ stay at home I ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ ve seen in great ░░░░░░░░ for example is the ░░░░░░░░ has for many months ░░░░░░░░ made free tests available ░░░░░░░░ one of their responses ░░░░░░░░ to ramp that up ░░░░░░░░ significantly But I want ░░░░░░░░ get back to something ░░░░░░░░ The president said that ░░░░░░░░ you are vaccinated you ░░░░░░░░ very likely to be ░░░░░░░░ We don t know ░░░░░░░░ yet Particularly we don ░░░░░░░░ know that for those ░░░░░░░░ are vulnerable People who ░░░░░░░░ over a certain age ░░░░░░░░ who have immunosuppressed conditions ░░░░░░░░ don t know if ░░░░░░░░ vaccines are going to ░░░░░░░░ them We already know ░░░░░░░░ this virus blows through ░░░░░░░░ terms of infection most ░░░░░░░░ Whether it will blow ░░░░░░░░ protection that is offered ░░░░░░░░ serious disease and death ░░░░░░░░ something we don t ░░░░░░░░ yet particularly for the ░░░░░░░░ We have heard we ░░░░░░░░ heard from officials at ░░░░░░░░ at Pfizer we ve ░░░░░░░░ from early studies in ░░░░░░░░ place like South Africa ░░░░░░░░ instance and we ve ░░░░░░░░ from senior U S ░░░░░░░░ officials even Dr Fauci ░░░░░░░░ if you re boosted ░░░░░░░░ have a lot of ░░░░░░░░ Are you saying that ░░░░░░░░ pronouncements are wrong I ░░░░░░░░ saying that they are ░░░░░░░░ Especially for people who ░░░░░░░░ vulnerable We really don ░░░░░░░░ have those answers yet ░░░░░░░░ we need them So ░░░░░░░░ advice is in addition ░░░░░░░░ think of a very ░░░░░░░░ thing Say you go ░░░░░░░░ your relatives If everybody ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated one answer is ░░░░░░░░ My answer yes if ░░░░░░░░ re vaccinated and test ░░░░░░░░ within 24 hours of ░░░░░░░░ visit Get tested in ░░░░░░░░ to being vaccinated That ░░░░░░░░ belt and suspenders but ░░░░░░░░ s a lot safer ░░░░░░░░ the uncertainties that are ░░░░░░░░ us with this virus ░░░░░░░░ given those uncertainties then ░░░░░░░░ you believe the Biden ░░░░░░░░ s responses and this ░░░░░░░░ as the president announced ░░░░░░░░ outlined is insufficient is ░░░░░░░░ urgent enough For instance ░░░░░░░░ you saying that folks ░░░░░░░░ to be more willing ░░░░░░░░ instance to lock down ░░░░░░░░ it be restaurants or ░░░░░░░░ or certain kinds of ░░░░░░░░ right We have loads ░░░░░░░░ folks about to travel ░░░░░░░░ for the holidays Look ░░░░░░░░ remember when we were ░░░░░░░░ that the vaccine would ░░░░░░░░ you against infection And ░░░░░░░░ did For a while ░░░░░░░░ it didn t both ░░░░░░░░ it wanes in effectiveness ░░░░░░░░ infection and because the ░░░░░░░░ change We re now ░░░░░░░░ it will protect you ░░░░░░░░ disease We don t ░░░░░░░░ know that So therefore ░░░░░░░░ would say we have ░░░░░░░░ be more careful than ░░░░░░░░ public officials are letting ░░░░░░░░ in on I think ░░░░░░░░ s time to make ░░░░░░░░ if you really want ░░░░░░░░ be safe you get ░░░░░░░░ and you get tested ░░░░░░░░ you meet with other ░░░░░░░░ Okay And that s ░░░░░░░░ advice to hear because ░░░░░░░░ of people are already ░░░░░░░░ on planes hopping in ░░░░░░░░ cars That s true ░░░░░░░░ the holiday Omicron it ░░░░░░░░ already the dominant variant ░░░░░░░░ already very quickly in ░░░░░░░░ country What should the ░░░░░░░░ Administration do to get ░░░░░░░░ and I hate to ░░░░░░░░ look that far ahead ░░░░░░░░ we re still in ░░░░░░░░ on this one to ░░░░░░░░ next one Are you ░░░░░░░░ there s steps you ░░░░░░░░ to be making now ░░░░░░░░ prepare for the inevitability ░░░░░░░░ another strain I think ░░░░░░░░ s a virtual certainty ░░░░░░░░ will be other strains ░░░░░░░░ I can tell you ░░░░░░░░ thing that I worry ░░░░░░░░ when I look at ░░░░░░░░ this virus has behaved ░░░░░░░░ stable with respect to ░░░░░░░░ It doesn t cause ░░░░░░░░ lot more disease It ░░░░░░░░ a lot more transmissible ░░░░░░░░ I remember that the ░░░░░░░░ of this virus kills ░░░░░░░░ out of 10 people ░░░░░░░░ s sars And mers ░░░░░░░░ 1 out of 30 ░░░░░░░░ There s nothing that ░░░░░░░░ prevent this from getting ░░░░░░░░ Conventional wisdom is it ░░░░░░░░ be getting better but ░░░░░░░░ dont know that and ░░░░░░░░ t seen that So ░░░░░░░░ think we need to ░░░░░░░░ up our research very ░░░░░░░░ beyond vaccines beyond monoclonal ░░░░░░░░ the antiviral drugs Broad ░░░░░░░░ We ve done it ░░░░░░░░ HIV We need to ░░░░░░░░ it now and do ░░░░░░░░ fast William hazeltine thanks ░░░░░░░░ much as always You ░░░░░░░░ welcome. Thank you.