In a series of video segments, Dr. Drew Moffitt discusses how we can restart the United States economy and the critical role of universal masking in protecting ourselves and each other through the pandemic.
Video segment
A COVID-19 vaccine: will it be worth waiting for?
Dr. Moffitt discusses whether waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine is a practical solution.
Waiting for a vaccine
Key points
Waiting for a vaccine is not the answer. The amount of people who would need to be vaccinated to eradicate COVID-19 would be near impossible to achieve.
Video segment
The role of universal masking during COVID-19: a tale of two cities
Dr. Moffitt discusses how two cities handled the coronavirus pandemic and the role universal masking played in their fatality rates.
New York vs. Macau
Key points
Looking at deaths from COVID-19 as of April 23, New York had 20,861 deaths, while Macau had zero.
In Macau, universal masking must have contributed significantly to the remarkably low incidence of new COVID0-19 cases. In order to open the economy back up, universal masking policies should be implemented.
Full video (all segments)
Dr. Moffitt discusses how to battle COVID-19 and when to restart the economy
Dr. Moffitt offers an in-depth comparison of COVID-19 and the common flu, discusses herd immunity and a COVID-19 vaccine, plus how to restart the economy now through universal masking.
Is COVID-19 worse than the common flu?
Key points
A few terms you’ll need to be familiar with.
- The infection fatality rate is the percentage of infected people who die.
- R0 (pronounced “R naught”) represents the number of people an infected person infects.
While the infection fatality rate of the common flu is higher than COVID-19, the infection rate, or R0, for COVID-19 is higher than the common flu.
Herd immunity
Key points
Estimated figures indicate that due the high R0, we would need 272,932,010 individuals to contract COVID-19 for herd immunity to take effect. Based on Dr. Moffitt’s earlier estimate that COVID-19’s infection fatality rate is 0.05, that would mean approximately 136,466 individuals would die before we reach herd immunity.
This is not an acceptable solution, as too many individuals will die while society tries to reach herd immunity.
Waiting for a vaccine
Key points
Waiting for a vaccine is not the answer. The amount of people who would need to be vaccinated to eradicate COVID-19 would be near impossible to achieve.
Starting the economy now: An in-depth look at two cities’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Key points
New York vs. Macau: Looking at deaths from COVID-19 as of April 23, New York had 20,861 deaths, while Macau had zero.
Universal masking must have contributed significantly to the remarkably low incidence of new COVID-19 cases in Macau.
In order to open the economy back up, universal masking policies should be implemented.
Drew V. Moffitt, M.D., FACOG, has been a board-certified infertility specialist since 1999 and is currently the medical director of the Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists.
More information on the coronavirus