♪ >> A NEW STRAIN AS COVID CASES ESCALATING ACROSS NEBRASKA.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OMICRON VARIANT AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT NEBRASKANS.

PLUS, A LOOK AT THE FIRST DAYS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

ALL OF THAT TONIGHT ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

♪ >> THANKS FOR JOINING US ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

I'M NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS DIRECTOR DENNIS KELLOGG.

OMICRON NOW MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF COVID-19 CASES IN OUR STATE, AND IT WAS JUST OVER A MONTH AGO THAT NEBRASKA RECORDED ITS FIRST CASE OF OMICRON, A RAPIDLY SPREADING VARIANT FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

BEFORE WE SPEAK WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL EXPERTS, NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS PRODUCER WILL BAUER SPOKE WITH THE MAN WHO BECAME THE FIRST PERSON IN THE STATE TO CONTRACT THIS NEW VARIANT.

>> TODAY WE ARE REPORTING THE CONFIRMATION OF SIX CASES OF OMICRON VARIANT SARS-COV-2.

>> PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS HEALTH DIRECTOR KIM SHOWALTER MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT ON DECEMBER 3RD.

IN HER FIVE-COUNTY JURISDICTION, IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE STATE, THE LATEST COVID VARIANT HAD BEEN DETECTED, MAKING NEBRASKA THE SIXTH STATE WITH THE LATEST STRAIN THAT'S NOW DRIVING A WAVE OF NEW CASES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND JUST LIKE MANY OF THE OMICRON CASES, THIS ONE CAME FROM ABROAD.

>> THE FIRST CASE THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS LIKELY EXPOSED DURING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TO NIGERIA.

>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY HI TO YOU, LET YOU KNOW THAT I MADE IT TO NIGERIA.

>> THAT TRAVELER WAS ERIC BLACK.

>> WHEN I STARTED FEELING SYMPTOMS, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE OVER THE PREVIOUS WEEKS THAT I'D REALLY BEEN IN AN EXPOSED SITUATION AND SO, I CALLED UP THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND SAID, YEAH, MAYBE I SHOULD GET TESTED FOR THE FLU AND, YOU KNOW, TEST FOR COVID, JUST IN CASE.

AND THEN IT CAME BACK POSITIVE AND I THINK IT WAS JUST LIKE, RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME THAT I STARTED HEARING THE WORD OMICRON, AND THAT IT CAME FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

>> BLACK IS A PASTOR IN FRIEND, NEBRASKA, A SMALL TOWN ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF CRETE.

HE LIVED IN NIGERIA ON AND OFF FOR 12 YEARS.

HE GOES BACK TO VISIT FROM TIME TO TIME.

HE WENT BACK IN NOVEMBER.

BLACK TRAVELED UNVACCINATED BUT TESTED NEGATIVE TWO TIMES BEFORE AND AFTER HIS TRIP.

IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THAT FOURTH TEST, WHEN HE RETURNED HOME, HE STARTED FEELING SICK.

>> I WILL BE HONEST AND SAY MY NURSES AND I WERE LIKE THIS IS GONNA BE DELTA.

HE GOT THIS ON A PLANE SOMEWHERE.

DELTA IS STILL, YOU KNOW, THE PRIMARY VARIANT IN MOST COUNTRIES.

THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE DELTA SO WE WERE SURPRISED AND SHOCKED WHEN IT CAME BACK AS OMICRON.

WE NEVER EXPECTED TO BE THE FIRST IN NEBRASKA.

SOMEBODY HAS TO BE THE FIRST SO WE WERE GLAD TO DO THAT.

BUT ERIC DID EVERYTHING RESPONSIBLE AND REALLY HELPED US WORK VERY QUICKLY TO GET THAT LAB SEQUENCE, SO WE KNEW WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH.

>> BLACK'S FAMILY LATER ALL TESTED POSITIVE.

ONE OF THE SIX WAS VACCINATED AND BEING A REGULAR TRAVELER, BLACK HAS BEEN SICK BEFORE, INCLUDING TWO BOUTS WITH MALARIA.

HE LATER HEARD THAT OMICRON IS SUPPOSED TO BE LESS SEVERE THAN OTHER VARIANTS.

>> THAT'S ONE THING THAT IT STILL BAFFLES ME, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE REPORTS YOU HEAR ALL OVER THE WORLD, THEIR SYMPTOMS ARE SOMETIMES EVEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE SYMPTOMS THAT WE HAD.

AND SO YEAH, IT WAS MORE THAN A COLD FOR ME.

AND FOR MY FAMILY MEMBERS, THEY WOULD AGREE THAT IT WAS MORE THAN A COLD.

>> BLACK AND HIS FAMILY HAVE ALL MADE A FULL RECOVERY AND ARE BACK TO DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS STAFF ARE ALSO BACK TO REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK, LIKE VACCINATING THE COMMUNITY.

RIGHT NOW, BETWEEN 50% AND 58% OF EACH COUNTY IN THE JURISDICTION ARE FULLY VACCINATED.

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT STILL HOSTS WEEKLY WALK-IN VACCINE CLINICS AND VACCINATIONS AT THE SMITHFIELD MEAT PROCESSING PLANT SOUTH OF TOWN.

THE FIRST OMICRON CASES FOR SHOWALTER ARE JUST A BLIP ON THE RADAR IN THE LONG PANDEMIC.

>> WE ACTUALLY HAD THE SECOND CASE IN THE STATE, AS WELL, TOTALLY UNRELATED TO ERIC AND HIS FAMILY.

AND WE THINK THAT THAT WAS TRAVEL RELATED SO WE KNEW, THOUGH, THAT WE COULDN'T BE THE ONLY DISTRICT IN THE STATE THAT HAD OMICRON, THAT IT WAS PROBABLY HERE, AND WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW IT YET SO WE WERE ANXIOUS FOR THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO SEQUENCE MORE OF THE POSITIVE LABS TO FIND OUT EXACTLY HOW WIDESPREAD IT WAS.

AND WE KNEW IT WAS A MATTER OF TIME, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED.

IT'S NOW THE MOST PREDOMINANT STRAIN IN THE STATE.

>> THE NEBRASKA PUBLIC HEALTH LAB REPORTED THIS WEEK THAT 77% OF CURRENT COVID CASES ARE CAUSED BY THE OMICRON VARIANT.

FOR NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS, I'M WILL BAUER.

♪ >> JOINING US NOW, DR. AFUA NTEM-MENSAH FROM FAITH REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES IN NORFOLK.

DR. JOHN TRAPP FROM BRYAN HEALTH IN LINCOLN.

AND VIA ZOOM, DR. MARK RUPP FROM THE NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER IN OMAHA.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO SPECIFICS, I DO WANT TO ASK ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE PANDEMIC.

DR. MENSAH, LET'S START WITH YOU.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE STATE IS DOING IN TERMS OF COVID?

>> I LIKE TO SAY THAT I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE IN APRIL VACCINATION RATES WAS AROUND 41%.

RIGHT NOW, FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE IN NEBRASKA STANDS AROUND 65% AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE STANDS AT 71%.

I TOOK SOME TIME TO GO THROUGH THE STATE DATA AND I REALIZED THAT VACCINATION IS PRETTY MUCH CONCENTRATED IN SOME JURISDICTIONS IN NEBRASKA, MAINLY IN LINCOLN-LANCASTER REGION, SUFFOLK COUNTY AND ALSO IN DOUGLAS COUNTY AND THAT IS PRETTY WITH VACCINATION RATES AROUND 67 TO ABOUT 70%.

AND IN MY COUNTY, MADISON COUNTY, WE ARE AROUND 53%.

IN A LOT OF SMALL COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA, WESTERN NEBRASKA, ALL OVER THE PANHANDLE, YOU HAVE VACCINATION RATES AS LOW AS 24% SO WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.

YOU KNOW, AS MANY PEOPLE CAN GET VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE, THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY IN KIND OF STOPPING PEOPLE FROM BEING SO ILL AND ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL.

>> DR. RUPP, WHAT ARE YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ON WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, I THINK WE'RE AT A VERY CRITICAL JUNCTURE WITH VERY ROUGH AND DARK DAYS AHEAD OF US FOR THE NEXT PROBABLY FOUR TO SIX WEEKS.

THE OMICRON VARIANT IS COMING ON GANGBUSTERS.

THE NUMBERS ARE RISING LOGARITHMICALLY.

THE NUMBER OF CASES IS UNDOUBTEDLY AN UNDERESTIMATE BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING TESTED OR HAVING THE HOME TEST KITS THAT ARE NOT REPORTED.

AND ALTHOUGH OMICRON APPEARS TO BE SOMEWHAT LESS LIKELY TO CAUSE SEVERE DISEASE, THE SHEAR NUMBERS OF CASES ARE PUTTING A VERY, VERY HEAVY STRESS ON THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

>> DR. TRAPP, I WANT TO GET YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS, AS WELL BUT ALSO AS A PULMONOLOGIST WHO'S FOCUSED ON THE LUNGS, DOES THE OMICRON VARIANT PROVIDE LESS OF AN ATTACK ON THE LUNGS THAN WE SAW WITH DELTA?

>> WELL, BOY, JUST THINKING ABOUT THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS, IT'S BEEN A REAL ROLLER COASTER RIDE.

AND IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING ON THE WORKFORCE, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING ON PATIENTS AND WHAT THE HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO.

JUST AS WE GET THROUGH THE DELTA VARIANT, WHICH HAD A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON PATIENTS, PARTICULARLY THE UNVACCINATED, HIGHER LEVELS OF ILLNESS, ICU STAYS, THAT'S BEEN REALLY CHALLENGING FROM PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE PERSPECTIVE.

AND NOW AS DR. RUPP SAID, WE'RE TRANSITIONING TO A DIFFERENT VARIANT THAT IS VERY FAST SPREADING AND IS GOING TO SPIKE HERE IN NEBRASKA IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

SO, ALL OF THIS IMPACTS THE LUNGS, COMMONLY PRESENTS WITH RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS.

THE CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE ALSO STARTING TO RISE UP IN INFLUENZA SO VERY DIFFICULT TO DIFFERENTIATE THOSE TWO ILLNESSES.

BOTH PRESENT WITH MILD COUGH, NASAL CONGESTION, ACHE, PAINS, AND LOW-GRADE TEMPERATURES.

SO VERY COMMON SYMPTOMS, DIFFICULT TO SAY WHETHER YOU HAVE COVID OR INFLUENZA, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN PRIMARY CARE AND OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, AS WELL.

>> AS YOU ALL REFERENCED, OMICRON IS DRIVING ANOTHER WAVE OF CASES IN NEBRASKA ACCORDING TO CDC DATA.

COVID CASES ARE UP 72% OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

RIGHT NOW, THAT'S ABOUT 1800 CASES PER DAY.

THAT'S NOWHERE NEAR WHERE THE STATE WAS DURING THE PEAK IN LATE 2020.

THE COUNTRY, AS A WHOLE THOUGH IS WAY ABOVE ITS PREVIOUS PEAKS.

IS IT INEVITABLE THAT NEBRASKA WILL ALSO EXCEED ITS PREVIOUS HIGH IN CASES?

DR. RUPP, YOU ALREADY SAID THAT WE'VE GOT DARK DAYS AHEAD.

>> YEAH, I COMPLETELY THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BREAK THOSE RECORDS WITH REGARD TO THE NUMBER OF CASES.

I GUESS, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE WON'T SEE QUITE THE LEVEL OF HOSPITALIZATION, BUT THE HOSPITALS ARE ALREADY UNDER EXTREME DURESS CARING FOR ALL THE PATIENTS THAT WE NORMALLY NEED TO CARE FOR, AS WAS ALREADY RELATED.

IN ADDITION TO THAT WE'RE SEEING AN INFLUENZA SEASON THAT IS MORE REMINISCENT OF A NORMAL SEASON, WHICH IS PUTTING ADDITIONAL PATIENTS INTO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS, CLINICS, AND INTO THE HOSPITAL.

I THINK WE'RE IN SOME PRETTY TOUGH TIMES.

>> AND DR. RUPP, WE'VE HEARD NATIONWIDE ABOUT SOME OF THE CO-INFECTIONS BETWEEN INFLUENZA AND COVID IN OTHER STATES.

HAVE YOU HEARD OF ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF INFECTIONS IN NEBRASKA?

>> YEAH, WE HAVE SEEN A HANDFUL OF DUAL INFECTIONS WITH COVID-19 AS WELL AS INFLUENZA OR OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES.

WE KNEW EARLY ON THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN BECAUSE THE COVID PANDEMIC FIRST STARTED DURING THE FLU SEASON SO WE DID SEE SOME OF THOSE CASES IN CHINA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE INITIAL MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC.

LAST YEAR, WE LUCKILY HAD ESSENTIALLY NO INFLUENZA, LARGELY I THINK BECAUSE OF VIRAL DYNAMICS WITH THE COVID-19 OUTCOMPETING OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES, AND UNDOUBTEDLY SOME OF THE EFFECTS THAT WE HAD WITH OUR NON-PHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS OF DISTANCING, MASKING, TRYING TO AVOID RISKY SETTINGS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, UNDOUBTEDLY PREVENTED THE SPREAD OF OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IN ADDITION TO COVID-19.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT LUCKY THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE BOTH FLU AND THIS OMICRON VARIANT SPREADING WILDLY.

>> DR. TRAPP, I WANT TO ASK YOU, MOST ARE REPORTING THAT THE OMICRON VARIANT IS LESS SEVERE THAN DELTA.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN YOUR HOSPITAL?

>> WELL, CERTAINLY WE'RE NOT SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE ICU CASES THAT WE HAD SEEN WITH THE DELTA VARIANT.

WE STILL ARE SEEING PEOPLE BECOME ILL, EVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED HAVE RISK FOR OMICRON VARIANT.

WE DO SEE PATIENTS WHO REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION.

I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED WITH OUR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS WHO CAN DEVELOP SEVERE ILLNESS SO IT DOES APPEAR THAT THERE IS LESS SEVERITY WITH REGARD TO A NEED FOR INTENSIVE CARE SERVICES, MECHANICAL VENTILATION, AND DEATH WITH THE OMICRON VARIANT, BUT THE CONCERN IS REALLY THAT WE'RE SEEING THIS SPIKE AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE HOSPITALS ARE AT CAPACITY, SO WHERE WE'RE SEEING REAL CRITICAL CONCERNS ARE WITH PATIENTS WITH OTHER ACUTE MEDICAL ILLNESSES, STROKE, HEART ATTACK, TRAUMA, THAT ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCESSING CRITICAL CARE SERVICES AND SPECIALTY SERVICES AT THIS TIME.

>> WE TALKED ABOUT HOSPITALIZATIONS.

FROM THE STATE LEVEL HOSPITALIZATIONS AREN'T AS BAD YET OR GROWING AS RAPIDLY AS THE CASES ARE.

AS OF YESTERDAY, 533 NEBRASKANS WERE HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID.

THAT GOT TO BE ALMOST 1000 BACK IN 2020 DURING THE PEAK.

BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU, DR. MENSAH, CAN WE CONCLUDE FROM OUR CURRENT NUMBERS, AS WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THAT OMICRON IS A VARIANT THAT IS DEFINITELY MORE TRANSMISSIBLE BUT MAYBE NOT QUITE AS SEVERE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EFFECTS?

>> I THINK WE ARE GETTING A BIT AHEAD OF OURSELVES BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HIT OUR PEAK WITH OMICRON JUST YET.

YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY ON THE STATE CALL, WE WERE MADE AWARE THAT OMICRON WAS DOMINANT IN NEBRASKA, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE CASES.

WE HAVEN'T HIT OUR PEAK AT ALL, SO IT'S A BIT TOO EARLY TO JUST SAY THAT YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE LESS SEVERE, IT'S GOING TO OVERWHELM OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS.

WE NEED TO GIVE THIS A BIT MORE TIME, AND AS DR. RUPP RIGHTLY SAID, THE NEXT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS WOULD DEFINITELY DETERMINE HOW NEBRASKA WOULD DO WITH OMICRON.

I ALWAYS SAY SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, I FEEL AS IF I'M STANDING AT THE SEASHORE AND THERE'S A CALM BEFORE THE STORM.

THE STORM IS COMING.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO SHOW UP, BUT WE ALL JUST HAVE TO BE PREPARED BECAUSE OMICRON IS GOING TO CAUSE INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS.

IF WE LOOK AROUND THE WHOLE OF THE UNITED STATES, HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE GONE UP ALL OVER THE STATES, WHICH HAVE REALLY HIGH VACCINATION RATES, PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE LESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE -- WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED SO I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO PAN OUT IN NEBRASKA JUST YET, SO WE JUST HAVE TO KIND OF WATCH AND WAIT.

AND FOR ME, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE NOW IS THAT THEY NEED TO GO OUT TO GET VACCINATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED YOUR BOOSTER, YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND GET YOUR BOOSTER NOW.

YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS.

>> DR. TRAPP, IF WE GO ALONG WITH THAT ANALOGY, THAT STORM THAT IS COMING, IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR A METRIC THAT CAN REALLY MEASURE THE INTENSITY OF THAT STORM, SHOULD IT BE HOSPITALIZATIONS, AS OPPOSED TO TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES?

>> I THINK TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES IS IMPORTANT.

IT REQUIRES A LOT OF SUPPLIES, WHETHER IT'S TESTING.

THERE IS A DESIRE TO RECEIVE TREATMENT EVEN WITH MODERATE LEVELS OF ILLNESS.

I THINK THAT JUST RAISES CONCERNS WITH THE END IMPACT OF THAT OF HOW IT IMPACTS HOSPITALIZATION, PEOPLES' LIVES, EMPLOYMENT.

AND WE'RE VERY CONCERNED WITH HOW THIS MIGHT IMPACT HOSPITAL STAFFING.

EVEN MILD ILLNESS TAKES PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR USUAL WORKDAY TO BE THE ABLE TO CARE FOR PATIENTS.

ONE AREA WHERE WE HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN IN PEDIATRIC CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, CONCERNED ABOUT THAT COMING TO NEBRASKA, AGAIN WITH LIMITED CAPACITY FOR PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIZATIONS AND PEDIATRIC BEDS.

>> I WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE HOSPITALS HAD BEEN CROWDED IN THE PAST MONTHS.

THAT APPEARS TO HAVE EASED A LITTLE BIT WITH ADULT BEDS.

ACCORDING TO STATE DATA, MORE THAN 20% OF REGULAR ADULT BEDS ARE AVAILABLE BUT FOR CHILDREN, AS DR. TRAPP MENTIONED, IT'S GOTTEN WORSE.

FROM THE LAST DAYS OF 2021, PEDIATRIC BEDS HAVE BEEN OVERFLOWING, MORE THAN 100% FULL, AND SO DR. RUPP, I WANT TO ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AT YOUR HOSPITAL WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDREN IN THE NEW SURGE.

>> MOST OF THE SICK CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY ARE TAKEN CARE OF IN OUR SPECIALTY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.

THEY HAVE NOTED AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS.

AS HAS ALREADY BEEN RELATED THIS HAS BEEN SEEN IN OTHER STATES.

I ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THIS TREND HERE IN OUR NEBRASKA COMMUNITIES.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY IN THE PEDIATRIC AGE GROUP.

THESE ARE SMALL FACILITIES WITH A LIMITED ABILITY TO FLEX UPWARD, SO I THINK JUST LIKE I'VE SAID IN OUR ADULT HOSPITALS, WE'RE GOING TO BE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS.

>> RIGHT NOW, MORE THAN 2400 NEBRASKANS ARE GETTING A VACCINE EACH DAY.

DURING DECEMBER, MANY WERE GETTING BOOSTERS, SO THE NUMBERS SURPASSED 4300.

THEY'VE SINCE FALLEN OFF A LITTLE BIT, BUT IN ALL, THE STATE IS ABOUT 65% FULLY VACCINATED.

DR. TRAPP, HAVE WE REACHED A POINT WHERE EVERYONE WHO IS GOING TO GET VACCINATED HAS GOTTEN THE SHOT?

>> I SURE HOPE NOT!

I WOULD LOVE TO THINK THAT AS PEOPLE SEE THIS CONTINUE TO GO ON THAT THE VALUE OF VACCINATION AS OUR PRIMARY PREVENTION IS AGAIN EMPHASIZED.

AS HAS BEEN SAID, VACCINATION IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S INEXPENSIVE COMPARED TO THE OTHER THERAPIES AND HOSPITALIZATION THAT'S OUT THERE.

IT'S WIDELY AVAILABLE AND IT'S NOT JUST PRIMARY VACCINATION, BUT IT'S GETTING BOOSTED, AS WELL.

RIGHT NOW, WE'VE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED A THIRD VACCINE.

THAT'S CONTINUED TO EXPAND WITH LOWER AGE GROUPS.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE.

ALLOWING VACCINATION FOR YOUNGER AGE GROUPS TO BEGIN IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT SO IF YOU'VE NOT BEEN VACCINATED, AGAIN, IT SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED THAT VACCINATION IS OUR PRIMARY PREVENTION THERAPY.

>> WHILE WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS, THERE WILL ALSO BE SOME PEOPLE THAT SAY, 'HEY, LET'S AGAIN THINK ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY.'

PHIL MICKELSON, A FAMOUS GOLFER, ASKED ON TWITTER BEFORE THE HOLIDAY BREAK.

"SERIOUS QUESTION, SINCE I'M NOT A DOCTOR," HE SAYS, "IF OMICRON IS CONTAGIOUS BUT NOT DEADLY, WHY TRY AND CONTROL IT?

WHY NOT LET IT GO AND LET PEOPLE GET IT AND DEVELOP IMMUNITY?

ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO WON'T GET VACCINATED?"

DR. MENSAH, YOU'RE SMILING.

I WANT YOU TO ASK YOU TO RESPOND TO PHIL MICKELSON ON THAT.

>> WELL, THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT COVID, ABOUT THE COVID VIRUS, IS THAT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW YOUR BODY IS THE GOING TO REACT TO IT.

I ALWAYS GIVE A BREAKDOWN TO MY PATIENTS ABOUT COVID.

FIRST YOU HAVE THE VIRAL INFECTION, AND AFTER THE VIRAL INFECTION YOU HAVE THIS IMMUNE RESPONSE, AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL RESPONDS DIFFERENTLY.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE AN IMMUNE OVERDRIVE, AND IMMUNE OVERDRIVE WHICH WILL END THEM UP IN THE HOSPITAL, AND LIKELY FOR DR. TRAPP TO BE TAKING CARE OF THEM.

FOR ME, I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO JUST THINK OF IT THAT "OH, YES, WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS HERD IMMUNITY, WITH HERD IMMUNITY BECAUSE OMICRON IS LESS SEVERE EVERYBODY IS GOING TO DO WELL."

I'LL BEG TO DIFFER.

A LOT OF THE NEWS THAT WE'RE HEARING ARE COMING FROM COUNTRIES WHERE -- I'LL TAKE FOR EXAMPLE SOUTH AFRICA.

SOUTH AFRICA, THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE ARE SEEING THERE IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY HAD COVID -- SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY HAD COVID, WITH THE PREVIOUS BETA VARIANT AND ALSO THE DELTA VARIANT AND MOST OF THEM ARE YOUNG SO YOU ARE SEEING A MUCH YOUNGER POPULATION, AND YOU CANNOT TRANSLATE TO WHAT HAPPENS IN A MUCH YOUNGER POPULATION TO AN OLDER POPULATION WHICH IS UNVACCINATED.

YOU ALSO LOOK AT THE CASE OF UNITED KINGDOM.

MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING COVID AGAIN NOW ARE VACCINATED, SO THEY DO HAVE SOME ANTIBODIES.

THEY HAVE ANTIBODIES, SO THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM BEING SICK AND ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL IS WAY LESS AS COMPARED TO AN UNVACCINATED OLDER POPULATION, FOR WHICH A LOT OF NEBRASKANS MAKE UP SO WHAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW IN OUR NEBRASKA HOSPITALS IS THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITHIN THE AGES OF TO 40S FILLING UP OUR ICUS WHO ARE UNVACCINATED.

SO, YOU CAN'T REALLY EQUATE HERD IMMUNITY, YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT -- YOU MAY BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY IN SOME AREAS WITHIN NEBRASKA BUT WHERE YOU HAVE SUCH LOW VACCINATION RATES IN WESTERN NEBRASKA, EVEN AROUND WHERE I AM COMING FROM, NORTHEAST NEBRASKA WHERE YOU HAVE VACCINATION RATES AROUND 30%, 24%, THERE IS NO WAY WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS HERD IMMUNITY.

>> AS WE KIND OF WIND UP OUR TIME A LITTLE BIT, I WANT TO GET SOME QUICK THOUGHTS ON YOU ON WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS AND WE'VE ALREADY HEARD THAT IT COULD BE SOME DARK TIMES AHEAD.

"THE NEW YORK TIMES" HAS REPORTED SIX NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EXPERTS WHO FORMALLY ADVISED PRESIDENT BIDEN BEFORE HE BECAME PRESIDENT ARE NOW COME OUT PUBLICLY AND URGED HIM TO TAKE AN ENTIRE NEW PANDEMIC STRATEGY, ONE THAT FOCUSES ON THE NEW NORMAL OF LIVING WITH THE VIRUS INDEFINITELY AND NOT WIPING IT OUT.

I KIND OF WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE STRATEGY THAT WE'RE TAKING RIGHT NOW.

IS IT THE RIGHT ONE OR SHOULD WE BE SHIFTING AND REALIZING THAT THIS VIRUS IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER IS GOING TO BE WITH US FOR A WHILE AND WE'LL GET SOME QUICK THOUGHTS.

DR. RUPP, WE'LL START WITH YOU.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU.

UNDOUBTEDLY, THE VIRUS IS NOT GOING TO JUST MAGICALLY DISAPPEAR AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE IT IN SOME GUISE.

I THINK THAT WE WILL BE TRANSITIONING FROM AN EPIDEMIC FORM OF ILLNESS TO AN ENDEMIC FORM OF ILLNESS OVER TIME AND I GUESS I HAVE SOME HOPE THAT THIS OMICRON SPIKE BECAUSE IT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY SO CONTAGIOUS, SO TRANSMISSIBLE, THAT A VERY BROAD SWATH OF THE POPULATION WOULD RATHER DISEASE-INDUCED IMMUNITY WHICH ACTUALLY MAY HELP US TO TRANSITION TO MORE OF AN ENDEMIC STATE.

BUT I WOULD ABSOLUTELY ECHO THE COMMENTS OF THE OTHER COMMENTATORS, DR. TRAPP AND DR. MENSAH, THAT OUR BEST BET IS TO GAIN IMMUNITY THROUGH VACCINATION.

AND THE VACCINE CONTINUES TO SHOW VERY GOOD LEVELS OF PROTECTION AGAINST SEVERE DISEASE, HOSPITALIZATION, AND DEATH, AND THAT YOU KNOW GETTING IMMUNITY THROUGH DISEASE IS REALLY A CRAPSHOOT, AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GET TO GET SEVERE DISEASE, DEATH, OR THE LONG HAULER SYNDROME.

YOU WOULD BE MUCH BETTER OFF GETTING IMMUNITY THROUGH IMMUNIZATION.

>> DR. TRAPP, YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IN THE FUTURE.

>> I THINK VACCINATION REMAINS IMPORTANT.

THE LONGER WE ALLOW THIS VIRUS TO CIRCULATE IN THE HOST POPULATION, YOU KNOW, THE ASSUMPTION IS IT WON'T CHANGE.

WE'VE SEEN IT CHANGE MULTIPLE TIMES AND IT MAY CHANGE AGAIN.

THAT RAISES THE RISK THAT ANOTHER VARIANT COMES OUT THAT IS MORE AGGRESSIVE, MORE DEADLY, AND TRYING TO MINIMIZE THAT IMPACT BY VACCINATION IS A MUCH BETTER STRATEGY THAN ALLOWING THE DISEASE TO PROGRESS.

>> DR. MENSAH, WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT OR SO.

GIVE US WHAT YOU THINK.

>> I WOULD SAY VACCINATION, VACCINATION, VACCINATION.

FOR PEOPLE TO GO AHEAD AND GET THEIR BOOSTERS.

IF YOU REALIZE YOU ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED OR YOU'VE EVER BEEN TOLD YOU'RE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PLEASE, PLEASE WEAR A MASK, WHETHER VACCINATED OR YOU'VE HAD YOUR BOOSTERS.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

AND I THINK THAT MOST OTHER IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE RICH WORLD HAS TO START LOOKING AT VACCINE EQUITY.

SO, THIS VACCINE CAME FROM SOUTH AFRICA WHERE ONLY ABOUT 32% OF THE POPULATION IS VACCINATED RIGHT NOW.

IN MY HOME COUNTRY OF GHANA, ONLY ABOUT 18% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION IS VACCINATED.

WE HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT VACCINE EQUITY, BECAUSE ONCE YOU GET VACCINATED, AND THE REST OF THE WORLD IS NOT VACCINATED, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT YOU HAVE A NEW VARIANT WHICH WILL PROBABLY COME OVER TO YOUR VACCINATED COUNTRY AND CAUSE A NEW PANDEMIC.

I THINK VACCINE EQUITY IS SOMETHING THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS TO START LOOKING AT.

THANK YOU.

>> SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT AND SO MUCH WE DIDN'T GET TO, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR GUESTS FOR BEING HERE WITH US TONIGHT, DR. AFUA NTEM-MENSAH, DR. JON TRAPP AND DR. MARK RUPP.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH US HERE TONIGHT ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

>> THANK YOU.

>> THIS INTERVIEW AND TONIGHT'S PROGRAM ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

JUST GO TO NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG/ SPEAKINGOFNEBRASKA AND YOU CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AT NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS.

♪ >> THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE BEGAN ITS 2022 SESSION WEDNESDAY WITH A HOST OF BILL INTRODUCTIONS THAT WILL LATER BE DISCUSSED IN COMMITTEE AND POSSIBLY DEBATED ON THE FLOOR.

HERE WITH AN UPDATE, NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA LEGISLATIVE REPORTER FRED KNAPP.

AND FRED, WHEN IT COMES TO TIME FOR THE LEGISLATURE, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT TAXES, RIGHT?

>> IT'S TRUE, AND JUST THERE HAS BEEN A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE GOVERNOR AND LOU ANN LINEHAN, THE SENATOR WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE REVENUE COMMITTEE, AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR, LINEHAN SAYS THE STATE HAS BETWEEN FOUR AND $500 MILLION OF REVENUE THAT IT DOESN'T NEED, EXCESS BEYOND WHAT WAS PROJECTED, AND SO THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT CONTINUING OR COMPLETING A SOCIAL SECURITY TAX CUT THAT THEY STARTED LAST YEAR.

THEY ARRANGED FOR 50% OF SOCIAL SECURITY TO BE UNTAXED.

NOW THEY WANT TO MAKE IT 100.

THEY WANT TO REDUCE CORPORATE TAXES DOWN TO THE TOP INDIVIDUAL RATE AND THEY WANT TO LOWER INCOME TAXES PRESUMABLY FOR EVERYBODY SO THAT'S A TALL ORDER.

THEY ALSO ARE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR LIMITING INCREASES IN SCHOOL SPENDING AS MORE PUBLIC SCHOOL AID GOES INTO THE SYSTEM.

AND SENATOR TOM BRIESE SAID THIS YEAR'S PROPOSAL WOULD BE LIMITED TO 3% PROPERTY TAX GROWTH OR INFLATION, WHICHEVER IS HIGHER, AND IT WOULD APPLY ONLY TO SCHOOLS.

LAST YEAR THEY TRIED THIS AND IT APPLIED TO COUNTIES AND CITIES AND SO THAT GENERATED A LOT OF OPPOSITION.

>> THEY HAVE A LOT TO GET THROUGH AND IT'S ONLY A 60-DAY SESSION.

ANOTHER THING THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE KEEPING THEIR EYES ON IS WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING A NEW PRISON.

>> RIGHT, AND I WENT TO A BRIEFING ON THAT SUBJECT BY THE GROUP, THE CJI CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE, A FEDERALLY FUNDED DEAL THAT HAS BEEN LOOKING AND CRUNCHING THE DATA FROM NEBRASKA.

AND THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE YET, BUT THE PART THAT EVERYBODY APPEARS TO AGREE ON IS MORE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, PERHAPS PROBLEM-SOLVING COURTS, WHAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISPUTE ON IS REFORMING SENTENCING FOR NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS.

SENATOR SUSAN GEIST SAYS SOMEBODY MIGHT BE IN FOR DRUGS BUT THAT COULD BE -- THEY MAY ALSO BE A VIOLENT PERSON EVEN IF WHAT THEY'RE IN FOR IS NOT A VIOLENT OFFENSE, AND SOME PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN PLEA BARGAINED DOWN INTO NONVIOLENT CATEGORIES WHEN THEY STARTED OFF WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND IT TURNED INTO DISTURBING THE PEACE.

SENATOR STINNER SAYS, "HEY, IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE THE TREND OF INCREASED INCARCERATION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUILD NOT ONE NEW PRISON BUT TWO OR THREE" SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF WORK THEY STILL NEED TO DO TO REACH ANY CONSENSUS ON THAT SUBJECT.

>> JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME LEFT, WHAT ARE OTHER ISSUES WE SHOULD BE KEEPING OUR EYE ON?

>> DEBATE NEXT WEEK ON A CONVENTION OF THE STATES TO PROPOSE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS INCLUDING A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

THERE IS GOING TO BE A DEBATE ON REDUCING INHERITANCE TAXES, AND THERE WILL BE RENEWED DEBATE ON TAXPAYER -- TAX DEDUCTION FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PUBLIC -- FOR PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS.

>> YOU'RE GOING TO BE EARNING YOUR PAYCHECK.

YOU'RE GOING TO BE A BUSY GUY IN THE COUPLE MONTHS AHEAD.

>> PLEASE REMEMBER THAT.

>> THAT'S FRED KNAPP.

FRED KNAPP COVERS THE LEGISLATURE FOR US, KEEPING US INFORMED EVERY DAY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LEGISLATURE.

YOU CAN LISTEN FOR HIS RADIO UPDATES AT UPDATES AT 5:45 AND 7:45 WEEKDAY MORNINGS, AND 5:45 IN THE EVENING ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

AND READ HIS STORIES EACH DAY ON OUR WEBSITE AT NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG/ NEWS.

♪ >> THAT'S ALL FOR THIS WEEK ON "SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA."

THANKS TO DR. AFUA NTEM-MENSAH, DR. JOHN TRAPP AND DR. MARK RUPP FOR JOINING US AND TO FRED KNAPP FOR HIS REPORTING.

NEXT WEEK, JOIN US FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT AFGHAN REFUGEES IN NEBRASKA FOLLOWING THE U.S. DEPARTURE FROM THAT COUNTRY.

UNTIL THEN, I'M DENNIS KELLOGG.

THANKS FOR JOINING US AND GOOD NIGHT.

CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY CAPTION SOLUTIONS, LLC.

WWW.CAPTIONSOLUTIONS.COM.

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