PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, America and many parts of the world are experiencing another major spike in cases and hospitalizations.
KYW Newsradio In Depth’s final special of 2021, “Facts Over Fear” which is presented by Independence Blue Cross, delves into the knowledge and wisdom we've gained about what to do about the deadly virus and the wisdom we haven't gained yet, in a conversation with Dr. Perry Halkitis, the Dean of Rutgers School of Public Health.
Listen to the full interview in the player below:
He said that what we've learned over these 24 months of coronavirus is that many of us understand the necessity of vaccinations, boosters and mask-wearing, but not all of us.
"There's about 30% of the population that don't think this disease is serious anyway, and that's just started from the very beginning of the pandemic," said Dr. Halkitis.
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"For many people, it's not serious. For some people, it's completely deadly."
He believes without a doubt that America will reach a million deaths due to COVID-19, and that the lesson we need to learn involves making the COVID-19 vaccination a requirement, but it won't solve everything.
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"You're required to cross the street at a green light. You're required to get a mumps vaccination before you go to school, right? You're required to file your taxes every year. You're required to get a COVID-19 vaccination before you go into a public place. I think it is absolutely a great idea. It is not the only solution, though," he said.
"People just need to make logical, safe decisions...either we fully engage everybody in vaccination and get everybody vaccinated, or we're going to continue to live in a space where we're gonna have to wear masks."