E51: COVID-19 Roundtable Update - 10/27

Our roundtable of experts returns as COVID-19 itself returns to a level of new cases that we haven’t seen since June. Commentators speak of COVID fatigue as a reason that new case counts are up, and many of us can relate. But October is NOT June, And November doesn’t have to be like July. Remember what we DO know: masks work, as does physical distancing, and avoiding higher-risk situations that could become super spreading events. In fact, new data on super spreading is part of today’s roundtable. And it continues to point to this fact: we’ve got to be as COVID-smart as is humanly possible. Stay-at-home as much as you possibly can; wash up; mask up; maintain physical distancing, and keep a heads up for your fellow Arizonans. Our actions today do make a difference. If you’re looking for reinforcement on why such COVID-smart community actions are needed, you’ll find it in this episode. Data from the latest large-scale epidemiological work, new insights into the realities of contact tracing, what ER treatments look like now compared to months ago, where we are headed with vaccines, and whether Arizona is on track to systematically get vaccine distribution right. It’s all right here, in the next 30 or so minutes. So let’s get to it. It’s time to dig into life with COVID-19 as of late October 2020.