Page 44 - Immunocompromised News Today

Do you agree with that? >> well, that is a perspective on it. we do have to bear in mind, however, that for the average healthy person, you know, coronavirus and particular omicron might not pose a very serious threat to that individuals long-term health. however, as you know, they could spread it to somebody who is in a higher risk group who is older or immunocompromised, perhaps has cancer and on chemotherapy and other comorbidity. this is the whole nature of infectious diseases. it is not jus...

Mask, or the k n95? is that right? >> actually, no. i believe high-quality masks such as the k-n95 or and 95% people should be targeted for high-risk individuals, those who are immunocompromised, older, who have a decreased ability to respond to the vaccine and the booster. i think the far majority of americans at this point should be able to go forward mask lists, especially our younger children, those who are healthy and do not have chronic risk factors. those single layer cloth masks are doin...

Antiviral and to my patients to go home, rest until you get better, take some zinc, vitamin c and it works great and im hoping we get to the point where thats what we do with coronavirus that i can write you a prescription if you test positive and i can tell you to go home and make sure you are deficient in vitamins and hopefully in a few days you feel better and you can go back to the workforce. julie: what about meds to treat the immunocompromised like those with renal transplantation and canc...

>> so talk to us about what you think about a fourth shot, but also concerns here that the race to combat omicron could increase inequality between richer and poorer countries and their access to vaccines. >> well, i will say the data that israel has is still very preliminary. theyre basically seen ten weeks after that third dose some waning immunity against infection, but we dont have any data yet of whether or not that influences the worst outcomes of covid-19, severe disease, hospitalizations...

Cases. what is absolutely critical to understand, while this is highly infectious, most people who will get it are not going to be seriously -- become seriously sick. omicron infection is considerably less severe in people who are fully vaccinated and boosted as indicated because they are immunized against the variant. the observed severity of omicron is less than delta. cases are up 45% in the last week, but hospitalizations are flat. heres who im most concerned about in the next couple of, you...

Heres who im most concerned about in the next couple, you know, days, the people who really are at the center of who we have to make sure we take care about. these are, you know, people who despite vaccinations may be at increased risk, the extreme elderly, the medically fragile, the immunocompromised. those are people that we have to take great care to protect. and they, obviously, are protecting themselves. for the rest of us, i think this is very important. if you dont have symptoms or you on...

Immunocompromised, those who -- those are the people who have to be -- we have to take great care to protect them. they obviously are protecting themselves, for the rest of us i think this is very important. if you dont have symptoms, or if you only have mild symptoms, you know, we see these long lines, i dont think, you know if you dont have symptoms, if you only have mild symptoms, i dont think right now there is a need to stand in a line for hours to get tested. if you have a home test, then ...

There is one that is also very important, there is a monoclonal that just got authorized and thats the astrazeneca and thats for prevention, even before you get infected for people who are immunocompromised. those people who have been afraid to go out, whether it is cancer or organ transplant or other reasons if theyre immunosuppressed now can get something, not the response of a vaccine, but giving them that monoclonal will give them the equivalent of a vaccine and that protection. so, many mor...

People who are eligible to get boosted to get boosted. i mean, your antibody protection skyrockets when you get the third shot which by the way i think they need to change the guidelines of what it is to be fully protected versus fully vaccinated. fully protected means three shots and we just heard elizabeth, poppy, talk about the new drug which i think is incredible, but i want to make something really clear about that drug. its only for people that are immunocompromised. >> right. >> who have ...

Administration is planning to let people know more? especially if millions of americans are going to get infected with this omicron variant, it seems to me like upping peoples consciousness about treatment options is going to make a big difference in terms of whether or not people actually access treatment that might save their lives. >> absolutely. not only just patients, it is also doctors. you have to understand, these drugs and now that we have five outpatient therapies that work against omi...