Covid-19 Model: 562,000 deaths in U.S. by April 1

An influential Covid-19 model from the University of Washington predicts there will be 562,000 deaths by April 1st. If 95% of people wore masks, 55,000 lives could be saved. Dr. Chris Murray is the director of the group at the University of Washington that’s been working on these models throughout the pandemic. He joins AC360 to discuss when he thinks the vaccines will make a major dent on the daily death rate. Plus, the FDA has issued emergency use authorization for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine. Dr. William Schaffner is a professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is also a member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. He tells AC360 that getting the Moderna vaccine to rural hospitals and health departments will be much easier because it doesn’t have the intense, cold storage requirements that the Pfizer vaccine has.

Airdate: December 18, 2020

Guests:

Dr. Chris Murray

Dr. William Schaffner

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