S.

Let's welcome Michael.

Michael Osterholm is director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

And thank you for joining us.

We've been going back and forth, containment versus mitigation and just to define those terms, how would you characterize it?

And are we past the point of containment?

Do you think at this point, sir Well, first of all, good morning containment implies that somehow you're going to take and not only stop additional transmission from occurring now, But you'll do that well into the future, meaning you literally put out the viral forest.

Fire mitigation is saying, Well, you know, we're gonna have this thing burning and burning for a long time.

What can we do to reduce it?

We also think there's something in between which many of us call suppression you're trying to do.

Is is really hold down the number of cases today as opposed to toe tomorrow or later on, because in fact you were overwhelming our health care system.

So if you have 100 cases that all come to the the hospital today, that's one thing.

If you have 100 cases but 10 a week, come for the next 10 weeks, you do a better job.

So I think we're in the suppression stage right now.

We're not really containing this, and surely we're not going to stop a lot of the transmission, right?

So the most important thing I imagine it's it's pretty obvious is that people that need to be tested, I need to be able to be tested.

And you You, uh you have knowledge about where we stand there?

They were supposed to be a lot more tests being shipped out yesterday.

Today, all this week.

Is that happening?

Well, testing obviously is important for any one person to know.

So should they get sicker?

They know what they're actually up against and what the health care needs will be.

But I think that testing and of itself is only gonna have a limited impact on what really happens with this outbreak.

What I mean is that two weeks ago on this very show, you know, there was a challenge offered to me that is this really going to spread or not?

We've got really seen cases in the States that are spreading their communities.

And, of course, now, just two weeks later, with just what limited testing we have, we know it's there.

This virus is a highly infectious virus.

There was a study released yesterday that showed people are highly infectious before they ever get sick of the virus levels over 1000 times higher and their throats and it is with stars.

And in a sense, this is just gonna keep spreading way.

Have to stop fooling people into thinking this is only by close contact where I have to be within two or three feet.

We're going to see much more transmission.

And our job, I think, is to get the country through.

This is Make sure they understand that there will be widespread transmission this virus around the country, and that what we have to do is keep people who are at high risk of having bad outcomes.

Older underlying health condition from being exposed.

Doctor in the seat.

BC put out new guidelines It now says people at extreme risk of serious illness.

They include people over the age of 60 or with underlying health conditions there, telling them to stock up on groceries and be prepared to stay at home for a long period of time.

How should the average American be reading that?

Well, first, I think that it's surely something you can do.

But, you know, what I find really concerning is we've really not set the agenda here for the American public.

I think, in a realistic way, you know, crazy inside.

You're staying home from now.

No, no, no.

The major's back up.

I mean, right now we're approaching this like it's a Washington D C blizzard for a couple of days were shut down.

This is actually a krone virus.

Winter were in the first week.

We're going to see transmission for many, many war weeks to come.

We have to prepare for that.