Dr. Mike Trangle

Did we understand when we mandated COVID vaccines that that could be a side effect of doing that, is that we would create more of a rebellion? Now, I'm not saying don't get your COVID vaccine. I'm up to date. I just got another one a couple weeks ago, okay?

Did we understand when we mandated COVID vaccines that that could be a side effect of doing that, is that we would create more of a rebellion? Now, I'm not saying don't get your COVID vaccine. I'm up to date. I just got another one a couple weeks ago, okay?

But the bottom line is, is that we, I think, didn't realize that the implications of doing something may be one, two, three orders down the road. And so for me, that was the biggest surprise is people not appreciating that. And understanding we're in this for the long haul. And how do you get through a long haul is what this is really all about.

But the bottom line is, is that we, I think, didn't realize that the implications of doing something may be one, two, three orders down the road. And so for me, that was the biggest surprise is people not appreciating that. And understanding we're in this for the long haul. And how do you get through a long haul is what this is really all about.

Yeah. And we surely did along the road have to learn. I mean, you know, if there was no other word that should have been a front and center guiding principle for public health, it should have been humility. Because in fact, there was a lot we had to learn.

Yeah. And we surely did along the road have to learn. I mean, you know, if there was no other word that should have been a front and center guiding principle for public health, it should have been humility. Because in fact, there was a lot we had to learn.

For example, I oversaw an effort early in the pandemic, April, May of 2020, with some of the best and the brightest in both the modeling world, in the infectious disease world, experience with pandemics, John Barry from 1918 Flu, Mark Lipsitcher Group. And we put together a publication that's still on our website saying, how might this end?

For example, I oversaw an effort early in the pandemic, April, May of 2020, with some of the best and the brightest in both the modeling world, in the infectious disease world, experience with pandemics, John Barry from 1918 Flu, Mark Lipsitcher Group. And we put together a publication that's still on our website saying, how might this end?

Will this be a situation where finally there'll just be enough people who've been infected and immune that will hit this magical thing called herd immunity where transmission will no longer be sustained? Or will in fact that never occur and you just have these recurrent infections over and over again but maybe getting milder over time, is there some residual immunity that's so protective?

Will this be a situation where finally there'll just be enough people who've been infected and immune that will hit this magical thing called herd immunity where transmission will no longer be sustained? Or will in fact that never occur and you just have these recurrent infections over and over again but maybe getting milder over time, is there some residual immunity that's so protective?

Because we know just like influenza viruses, the coronaviruses do not provide long lasting protection. And sure enough, we ended up realizing in the summer of 2020, oh my God, look at these new variants. These variants are, you know, derivations on a theme and they're more immune evasive. They're more infectious in some cases, et cetera.

Because we know just like influenza viruses, the coronaviruses do not provide long lasting protection. And sure enough, we ended up realizing in the summer of 2020, oh my God, look at these new variants. These variants are, you know, derivations on a theme and they're more immune evasive. They're more infectious in some cases, et cetera.

And it creates a whole new risk picture that you were never out of risk of getting COVID beyond, once you got beyond four months or so of being vaccinated or having previously been infected. So that too, you know, led us to say, wait a minute, skip this herd immunity stuff. This isn't going to happen. Okay.

And it creates a whole new risk picture that you were never out of risk of getting COVID beyond, once you got beyond four months or so of being vaccinated or having previously been infected. So that too, you know, led us to say, wait a minute, skip this herd immunity stuff. This isn't going to happen. Okay.

What can happen is we hopefully can see milder illness over time if we have some protection on board. But today we know, you know, the vaccines for COVID as well as for influenza are good vaccines, but they're not great. They're not great. They don't provide durable immunity.

What can happen is we hopefully can see milder illness over time if we have some protection on board. But today we know, you know, the vaccines for COVID as well as for influenza are good vaccines, but they're not great. They're not great. They don't provide durable immunity.

The variants which occur with COVID, with coronaviruses, you know, are actually happening at an amazing pace, several a year, whereas flu, we might see one a year. And so I think that these all led us to also realize that This is something we're going to have to manage over the long haul. And right now we're sitting in a 10th surge of what you call, in this case, possibly the post-pandemic era.

The variants which occur with COVID, with coronaviruses, you know, are actually happening at an amazing pace, several a year, whereas flu, we might see one a year. And so I think that these all led us to also realize that This is something we're going to have to manage over the long haul. And right now we're sitting in a 10th surge of what you call, in this case, possibly the post-pandemic era.

But we're seeing transmission rates right now that rival many of the previous peaks we had in 2020, 21, 2022. The good news is less severe illness. We're not seeing 20,000 deaths a day as we did during Omicron. We're seeing 600 deaths. uh, we're seeing 650 deaths a week and 20,000 a week, I should say, or 200,000 a week back in the Omicron time.

But we're seeing transmission rates right now that rival many of the previous peaks we had in 2020, 21, 2022. The good news is less severe illness. We're not seeing 20,000 deaths a day as we did during Omicron. We're seeing 600 deaths. uh, we're seeing 650 deaths a week and 20,000 a week, I should say, or 200,000 a week back in the Omicron time.