this is abc 7 news. >> hi there, i'm kristen de. welcome to our daily program called "getting answered q. we get answers for you in real time. today we will do a deep dive on the latest news. the u.s. case total is now more than 2 million with the death toll topping 166,000. in california, we are closing in on 600,000 cases with over 10,800 deaths. so with that as backdrop, we have abc 7 special correspondent with us now to give us the latest developments and separate fact from fiction. hey, dr. patel, welcome back

interest thank you. separating fact from fiction is what we do, kristen. >> it is what we do what you do, i understand you found a fun new way to do that. i think it's called the quiz, which has me really scared. okay? >> no, it will be awesome. i also secretly wanted to be a game show host. you tell me when you are ready. >> we'll do it. we'll run through a few headlines quickly. part of that is catching up with that backlog do you you to the computer glitch we had. so given all that is california trending in the right direction? >> overall, the bay area is what we can focus on. we'll separate the northern and southern, the bay area, it is moving the right direction. hospitalizations are actually down in all nine areas, ranging from 16 to 17% in san francisco

to places like san san san ss they're still dead center every day, we saw over 100 deaths in the bay area as well. we need to see with tests back logd. this is good news, it tells everyone the caution everyone has had right now is working. >> okay. democrat and presidential candidate joe biden called for a mask mandate in every state. how many have them right now? >>-it-over 30 have them right now. i don't know the exact number. i'm tempted to say they should be mandated across the state. think of it like steve bells, drinking and driving laws. these laws are designed to keep you safe. we know for a fact that masks are going to save lives and get our economy back up and running faster than we weren't to wear them so they should be mandated. >> okay. i am ready. i am taking a deep breath.

i am ready for this fact and fiction game. what do you call it? >> listen, the name of the game is going to be food truths and ally covid-19 edichlths we played this game before. i will tell you three things. two are true. one is no round one, the theme on round one will be on masks. are you ready for this. >> yes, i think i know this topic. >> fact number one, masks should be two layers. anything more than that doesn't make a difference. statement two, masks with valves should not be used. in fact, if everyone wore a mask, we could save 60,000 lives by tend of the area. >> i will enter masks with valves, you can actually have droplets come out and you are not protecting yourself either. i will rule that one out. i did hear the democratic

nominee biden in the last your saying if everyone wore masks, then if you say 60,000 a year that makes sense to help. so i will say the lie is the first one. a. >> you are excellent when it comes to masks. you are right. studies have shown that three layers is better than two layers when it comes to masks. you can sometimes see the masks split into three layers. that's better than two, which is better than one, which is better than no layer at all. you are absolutely correct. the institute of metrics, health safety and evaluation predicted 50-to-60,000 lives could be saved by december. 95% of the population and masks, those valves cancelled particles. you should not be wearing them. first of all, i am impressed. are you ready for round two? >> yes, i wore this for style points in case i missed.

ready. let's do it. >> i can't see it. i know have you styles, i trust you. so round two, the covid-19 edition is the theme that will be children. so statement number one, we've seen a 90% increase in covid-19 cases in kids in the past month. statement two, children can spread the virus as easily as adults. statement number three, given how well the risk is in children, it is safe to say children are immune from covid-19. >> okay. i feel like that one is like when you took the s.a.t.s. there is two easy ones, like two plus two is five. at least anybody can get a few points. i will say if we put that back up there. the third one is a lie, even children, it's okay to say children are immune. because we certainly have reported on children who have caught it and sadly even children under 10 who have died from it. am i right? >> you are correct. you are making this so i should

have made this harder. you are 100% right. people have said out there, children are immune. others argued, oh, they're using immune as a colorful word. either way it's wrong. children can get sick. they can get hospitalized can get in icu or worst. according to the american academy of pediatrics and data coming out, we've seen a 90% increase in cases in the last four weeks. places are crazy. >> that's crazy. but, wow! >> there is a huge surge. you have to think about the fact children were kept at home largely during spring and summer. now they're starting to get back out into the real world. summer can be a little more than oughts. cases are being spread. in the last fact, which you correctly identified as the actual fact, kids can spread the virus as easily as adults. especially kid at the age of 10. there are a couple studies showing this. other studies show younger children from birth can harbor

the virus in such a high amount. they can be an important part in spreading it like they do with the cold, influenza and diarrhea. kid can spread diseases. >> dr. patel, that is one of the concerns with reopening schools in person. right. even if you could argue and see that most children tend to be okay and not be huge vectors. what about the teachers? many of whom are over the age of 50 who could be in contact with them. right? >> absolutely. everyone is hopeful that children will continue to have a low risk. as much as we care about kid, i'm still a pediatrician. we need the think of everyone else, the teachers, the vendors, these children can spark an outbreak in every school district or community. so you are two for two. >> if there are only three, i know i have earned as a passing grade, 66%. let's do it. >> you have earned a d so far.

that pretty good. >> that's not okay. we got to boost this up. all right. the last one. >> the last one, round three, topics, vaccine, one of my favorites. so first statements, there are now eight vaccines in phase iii trials. statement two, the vast majority of americans have said they will get a vaccine, but then it comes out. surveys have shown there. statements say anti--vaxxers are making claims about the coronavirus vaccine. >> leave that up there. anti-vaxxers are making claims i know that is true. eight vaccines in phase ii trials, i think that sounds about right. because i have been looking at those numbers all this week on abc 7. we are reporting on vaccines. so i will say the lie is the vast majority of americans say they will get the vaccine. >> so you are correct and. >> oh. >> i just need all the viewers

to know this was not staged and kristen actually is a very well red. this is not staged. i am impressed. >> thank you, no, it was not staged. you know, but we talk a lot. i talk a lot with you and other experts. so i get a little knowledge through osmosis. but explain those three options. >> you know, in a nutshell. [ inaudible ] they are now being zrinlted distributed to a lot amount of people. astrazeneca, biotech and modernas. that is great news, more shots on goal. no pun intended. the third one of the vast americans will get it. surveys show 50% will actually get the virus when it becomes available. a cnn poll in may was as low as 30% so that number has to go a lot higher than that. we have a vast amount of people. >> don't we need some 70 or 80

people who are immune or have defenses against it, either from the vaccine or having been exposed previously and had the anti-bodies? >> we are estimating about 60-to-70% of people who need to have immunity to this coronavirus in order to have herd immunities is what you are referring to. the problem is scientists don't yet know if getting anti-bodies from a natural infection is as strong as it will be from the vaccine. in earlier trials, the vaccine produced more antibodies than severe infections did. it will be safer than to go out and get coronavirus and potentially get hospitalized for it. but the last one i have to bring up, because it's ludicrous. you know, there is anti-vaccine propaganda out there already saying these things about the coronavirus vaccine. they're just not true. things like-it-being used as a cia plot to spy on to people or that it's made with monkey brains. this is not indiana jones and the temple of doochlt they're

not made with monkey brains or they're using invisible tracking devices in vaccine. none of this is true. that's why there is a process to make sure they're safe and effective. >> thank you. i learned a lot. i think i earned an a, yes? >> maybe like a mango grand prize gift of some variety will be headed your way. >> okay. i'll be on the lookout for that. we'll take a short break on air. when we come back -- [ inaudible ] if physical, social and emotional

would think about your setup is. >> all right, coming back on air. >> all right. we are back with our special correspondent dr. patel. joining break, we were over on facebook live answering your questions.

a big announcement in the past hour, dr. patel, stamford walked biback on plans for first year transfers to live on campus and winter would be the earliest if conditions allow. a few students with special approval will be allowed to stay on campus i want to ask you if you think that is the right idea based on what dorm living is like? >> i, unfortunately, do thing at this time right idea. i do say unfortunate. because living in a residence hall is a part of the xeerns. if experience. if the university can't come up with another plan, i don't see another option. i do hope there is a program for kids who do need a place to stay. what i read, they are taking individual circumstances into account. but i think by and large it's a save move to keep them closed or stagger them or do something to

reduce the crowd that could be hanging around in areas, bathrooms, et cetera. >> yeah. that's obviously a transmission risk. but i want to ask you. what do we know about cases in young adults right now? i just saw a study out of europe showing people between the ages of 20 and 39 now account for about 35-to-40% of new cases in england, belgium and the netherlands. i want to ask you if we are seeing that trend mirrored here in the u.s.? >> we, unfortunately, are. you know, we have been, since we have been talking about this since memorial day. there are still cases driven by young people. the latest information is coming out of the southeast and florida and that's not to say that the case is being driven by young people is a good thing or hospitalizations are going to increase. i think the important thing is young people will potentially keep the pandemic here. they're going to keep the community spread at a high level. they're going to keep the risks of shutdowns, of growing back

reopenings and of hospitalizations happening again. remember, if young people are out and about spreading this, people at higher risk will stay at risk of catching this. so young people, i was about to say, it's on us. i'm in my mid-30s. >> i thought you didn't want to stay because you realized i was not a young person. that's okay. i'm not offended. >> no, not at all. i'm looking at the 20-somethings. >> i got you. you know, hey, the older i get the more i appreciate being older, too, so it's all good. marty has a question, says do the levels of melatonin have you get over the virus? any indications? >> no indication of that. and you know if that were true, i would be one to jump at it. because i have a nice high level of melatonin. but there is no indication of mel loanen being related. now, there might be something about vitamin d and the immune system which people have read about. again that is not related to our

abilitiability to fight you off or prevent this coronavirus. >> okay. >> so i will not confuse it with vitamin d if that's where that thought process went. >> adriana wants to know if u.s. doctors are giving hydrocolor quinn? >> i can't see. there are some unfortunately doctors prescribing hydroxychloroquine or trying to prescribe it for themselves. but it is not recommended and no study out there, no credible, high quality study is recommending that doctors use hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent coronavirus coronavirus and this has been debunked several times. it is not recommended. i can't say for sure no doctor is doing that. >> one says dr. patel is the best. so knowledgeable and great sense of humor, positivity. i just wanted to tell you. >> i appreciate that i appreciate that i think we have to have a little bit of levity

right now because we are all in this together. >> yeah, absolutely. i concur. so there. i want to address the issue with younger kids. many starting with distance learning. we just did a story today. amy hollenfield, lafayette, those schools starting today. i want to ask you how do you ensure kid' success? do you have some tips for parent? >> it's a broad question. around i think what it comes down to is parents really understanding their individual children or teen's needs i have been doing a lot of talking to parent and teachers to understand what it is like for kid at home. one thing across the board, regardless, parents can implement is structure. you know, if your child's school is doing distance learning or a hybrid model, structure is really important. that means waking up at the same time at a school, making sure your child is changing. trying to create a designated

area, a dining table, anything, where the child can set up their make-shift classroom. i'm talking to high school students, in my home state of arizona, they're saying they have kid on zoom, some in bed still. some are actually in the shower when the first class starts. some are playing video games. that's not structure. soif think the beth method is for kid to do their best to pre tend they're at school. eighth tall order. -it-kind of what we can work toward. >> i think the structure thing is israeli hard. i mean over the summer, especially. right? i was letting my kid go to bed way too late and letting them scrip breakfast and stay in their pjs. i think because every day feels the same from one day to the next, it's hard to flip that switch. because are you not putting on that new backpack and the new back-to-school clothes. that hard for parents and for kid. >> it really s. but i think

indirectly, you are already describing something that all parent can do. that's acknowledging the situation and not acting like things are going back to normal. hey, it's now time for school just like last year. i think acknowledging this is an unknown time. this sucks, for lack of a better word for everyone. but we will get through it. children read a lot about their parents' behavior. if parents are trying their best in this situation, adapt, kids will follow. parents are stressed out, kids will be stressed out as well, parents should also think about the age of their children and how much information they are able to talk to them about. young kid have a little more abstract thinking and may not understand everything with a pandemic. that okay. you can still give them boundaries and teach them how to do the big four as outlined by the cdc director. wash hand, avoiding crowd. you know, in teens, hear them out. if your teen is anxioused,

stressed. doesn't like the new zoom program. they're human. i have promised you, i will be paying attention on zoom for six hours a day either. i will probably be playing mario cart with 13s. i will admit that. i think-it-important as people have an open dialogue what these teens are going through and they talk about it. >> my son appreciates the fact that you said that see poll, see mom, dr. patel does it. he's a doctor.

>> all right. here we go, coming back on air. all right. we are back with our special correspondent dr. patel. a couple more viewer questions. then i have rapid fire, another game to play with you. i've already won once. so i'm feeling confident here. i heard this weekend is going to be a heat wave in the bay area. true. mike miko also said that. is there any study that shows heat can kill the virus? >> there is no study that heat can kill the virus. at least not the type of heat we would be experiencing with

temperature. there were predictions that it would go away through the summer. that has not happened. we've seen that cases are still rising. with heat waves, people are going outdoors, probably e possibly restaurants and businesses, i would urge everyone to stay safe and use common sense. >> okay. this is actually where i put you in the hot seat. but because this is our rapid fire round. so if you don't answer in like two second then i hit the eject button and you fly out of your seat and something terrible happens. i don't know why. >> that's kind of a violent visual. but okay. >> i'm sorry, it's the stress. the heat, it's getting to me. okay. here we go. where is dr. patel in the statement of not going for regular dentist visits we heard from the w.h.o. this week? >> whew if, can, if you can, push book an elective procedure, it's a safer idea. one thing i would urge everyone and talk to your dentist and

what they recommend. don't make a decision on your own. >> i've set you up for failure. that was not a five-second answer. you win. next one, is it true russia has a vaccine already? >> yes. do we know-it-safe? >> no. . >> right. you did that under five seconds. this is where i got to drag that one out a bit. i was wondering. if you had a country of approveing a vaccine, but it cut corners and was sped up and didn't go through the usual process. you say that's a vaccine. wouldn't that discount the confidence the general public has and any vaccine that may come out even here in the u.s.? >> it would, actually. that's what people were concerned aren't. early reports are saying russia skipped phase 3 testing. the one thing the public should find reassurance in, is they're called out-it-not accepted as a safe way to introduce a vaccine. you know, health experts in the united states have said, where is your data? we need to see that's safe so that fact alone should provide

reassurance to everyone out there who is concerned. our process is different right now. >> dr. patel, back to the five second one. sharon batista s to know, is it safe from a risk perspective? >> yes, as long as you are taking the right measures, which i know are you doing. >> alexis lou, when will there be any event for people to go to, concerts, things like that? >> i would guess if that will be the last thing to open up. large scale events, people could be crowding. so i will not go over that for late year, early next year. i wouldn't say that, unfortunately. >> it is it okay to travel out of state? >> i would avoid unnecessary travel. if you have to go, i would look to see what county you are going to and take the fess precautions. driving is obviously safer. you will probably not drive to new york right now. take necessary precautions. >> don't forget, right, some states have quarantines right now from california without a

covid-19 test. i had a friend in that situation tomorrow. i texted to you, where can she get a same day covid test? otherwise, she had to quarantine when she arrived on the east coast. >> i wanted to say that, you are totally correct. with traveling, even with going back-to-school, potentially quarantining, people need to think how testing is in their area and the turn around time is. when they go to boston, they say you must have a test within 72 hours of landing, it's not that easy. you will get results back in three

difference between the two. >> thank you, dr. patel. see you next time. and thank you so much for joining us on this show, getting answers. today we did a deep dive on

covid-19 with our special correspondent. dr. patel. hopefully, you learned something new. i think i got three out of tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. the wildfires exploding out of control. thousands of structures threatened as the lake fire multiplies in. dramatic images of a firenado. hundreds of firefighters trying to beat back the flames in los angeles county. changing their tactics because of covid-19. nearby residents evacuated. a new crisis in the middle of a pandemic. also news tonight, the biden/harris ticket asking the nation's governors to mandate mask-wearing for the next three months to beat covid-19. >> that's just one issue playing out as america remains stressed over children returning to the classroom. what dr. anthony fauci said about temperature checks in schools and the funding fight

some schools are facing if they don't open. t