#97 - Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D.: COVID-19: transmissibility, vaccines, risk reduction, and treatment

In this episode, Dr. Peter Hotez M.D., Ph.D., Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, shares his expertise on viral disease and how it applies specifically to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it (SARS-CoV-2). Dr. Hotez informs us about the current state of disease progression, which has many unknowns, but has thus far been greatly determined by the delayed response time and lack of testing. Moreover, we discuss what we can do on a country, state, community, and individual level in order to collectively slow transmission of the disease. He shares with us a potential hope in convalescent plasma therapy and underscores the need for US federal involvement - particularly in the creation of a specialty task force to address areas of concern and unknowns.

Disclaimer: This is information accurate as of March 13, 2020, when it was recorded. We discuss:

• The disease and the virus: transmissibility and lethality [04:30];
• Disease transmission: US playing catch-up [12:00];
• Convalescent plasma coronavirus therapy [16:00];
• Remdesivir drug treatment and vaccination challenges [19:45];
• Disease mechanism and reported pathology [27:45];
• Most concerning geographic regions in the US [39:00];
• Risk reduction [46:30]; and
• More.

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