replicates faster and it can reinfect people who already have been infected or are fully vaccinated, and so those numbers are incredibly alarming, and also more alarming is that we only have seven or eight states that have indoor mask mandates. we don't have the testing capabilities that we need to meet this crisis. rapid tests still are not likely available. so i think that is going to compound the situation. >> it really does seem as though there is so much we don't know. we do know, doctor, that omicron is not as lethal, right? >> well, we don't even have all of that data yet. we have some early data from south africa and that was done probably one of their private insures, the patient population was mostly young, they were insured. most people in south africa use the public system, they don't have health insurance so we need to look and wait because we know