Doctor on danger of COVID-19 community spread after high school parties

Two local high schools – Lincoln-Sudbury and Dover-Sherborn – have now delayed the start of school or moved to remote following large house parties involving students.

LINCOLN-SUDBURY ANDDOVER-SHERBORN HAVE NOW DELAYEDTHE START OF SCHOOL OR MOVED TOREMOTE FOLLOWING LARGE HOUSEPARTIES.STUDENTS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THEIMPLICATIONS WITH US IS DR. ROBDUNCAN AND INFECTIOUS DISEASEPHYSICIAN AT LAHEY HOSPITAL ANDMEDICAL CENTER.GOOD TO SEE YOU.THANKS FOR HAVING ME.SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE RESEARCHHERE THAT TELLS US CHILDREN ANDTEENS, THEY’RE NOT IMMUNE.WE KNOW THEY CAN BE ASYMPTOMATICSPREADERS.SO WHAT IS THE DANGER OFCOMMUNITY SPREAD IF ANYONE ATANY OF THOSE PARTIES WASINFECTED?WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S A REALHAZARD THEY CAN CERTAINLYTRANSMIT THE DISEASE SOMETIMESWHEN THEY’RE ASYMPTOMATIC.SO WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.DO YOU THINK THEY MADE THE RIGHTMOVES THESE SCHOOLS PUSHING BACKTO REMOTE ENTIRELY FOR TWO WEEKSUNTIL THEY CAN GET A GET AHANDLE ON THIS.THAT’S A THAT’S A HARD CHOICE,BUT IT SOUNDS AS IF IT WAS ANUNFORTUNATE CHOICE, THEY HAD TOMAKE.ALL RIGHT, SO LET’S TALK ABOUTTHIS WHO REPORT MORE THAN 3007,000 NEW COVID-19 CASESWORLDWIDE.THIS IS IN THE PAST 24 HOURS THEHIGHEST SINGLE DAY.IT’S THE PANDEMIC STARTED ANDTHE SECOND HIGHEST WAS JUST AWEEK AGO.COULD THIS BE THE START OF ASECOND GLOBAL WAVE AND ARE THEREANY COUNTRIES OR TRENDS INPARTICULAR THAT YOU ARE WATCHINGRIGHT NOW?WELL, YES, I THINK IT DEPENDS ONHOW YOU LOOK AT IT.I WOULD SAY THAT IT CAN BESIMPLY AN ONGOING WAVE THAT HASNOT NOT DECLINED ENTIRELY.THERE ARE SEVERAL COUNTRIES THATARE CONCERNING.THERE’S A LARGE POPULATIONCOUNTRIES WHERE THERE’S A LOT OFDISEASE.BRAZIL INDIA IS HAVING A LOT OFPROBLEMS AND THE U.S.IS STILL HAVING A SIGNIFICANTAMOUNT OF DISEASE.SO THEY’RE CONTRIBUTING TO THELARGEST AMOUNT OF INCREASE.SO LET’S TALK VACCINE FOR AMINUTE HERE.WE KNOW THERE ARE COMPANIES ALLOVER THE WORLD WORKING ON THISTODAY THE HEAD OF THE WORLD’SLARGEST VACCINE MAKER IN INDIA.JUST WARNED IF A SECOND DOSE OFVACCINE IS NEEDED, YOU KNOW,LIKE IT IS WITH WITH MEASLES ITWOULD BE 2024 OR LATER.THAT COULD BE POSSIBLE.SO HOW SOON WOULD WE KNOW IF AVACCINE WOULD NEED THAT SECONDDOSE?WELL, I THINK THAT’S LIKELY TOSHOW UP THAT EVIDENCE IS LIKELYTO SHOW UP LATE IN THE YEAR OREARLY NEXT YEAR.I DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT’SGOING TO HAPPEN.I ALSO DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOWACCURATE THAT ESTIMATION IS.SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAITAND SEE I THINK THE MOSTIMPORTANT THING.IS THAT THE PHARMACEUTICALINDUSTRY HAS COMMITTED TO NOTBEING RUSHED IN THEIR ASSESSMENTOF THIS VACCINE AND MAKING SURETHAT IT’S AS SAFE AS POSSIBLEBEFORE DISTRIBUTING IT TO THEPUBLIC.ALL RIGHT.DR. ROB DUNCAN.THANK YOU SO MUCH