E55: COVID-19 Roundtable Update - 12/07

Today’s COVID-19 Roundtable is a little schizophrenic. On the one hand, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, in the form of pending emergency use authorizations and vaccine rollouts. On the other hand, you can expect somewhere between 36 and 70 Americans to die just in the time it takes for you to listen to this podcast episode at regular speed. In Arizona, case counts are at new highs, hospital capacities are being strained, and there is no sign that any of these numbers will soon peak or decrease. In fact, the sobering reality is that the opposite is true.

In the near term especially, we need to take extra special care of ourselves and our communities. As you’ll hear from our guests in this episode, we’ve got to do everything we can using what we now know. Three factors determine potential for infection: people, space, and time. More people = more risk, less space = more risk, and longer time = more risk. There is a big difference between a well-spaced walk in the park and a small, indoor bar that’s filled with people. Bars and restaurants have been shown to be more risky for COVID-19 by a significant factor. The CDC is urging us to limit travel and to limit the number of people at. Do your best Arizona. Wash up, mask up, and maintain physical distancing to help manage the risks of people, space, and time.

Alright, let’s get to it. It’s time to about the latest information on vaccines – but also what’s happening with community spread and health care systems as of December 7, 2020.