urkth. this is abc 7 news. >> hi there, i'm kristen sze. welcome to the daily program called getting answers. we are asking questions to get answers for new real time. today we're excited to have on joe lieberman who has run on al gore's ticket. he is trying to help america with future pandemics, and joe torma with a storm in the bay area. first, new covid strains that

are contagious, and people are asking about masks. how can you hack yours to be more protective. we are happy to welcome in co-founder of mask for all, jeremy howard. hi. >> hi, again. >> a quick background for viewers. we met jeremy in march when the pandemic was reaching the u.s. jeremy was advocating universal mask wearing, truly ahead of his time. so welcome back, jeremy. if you have questions about masks and you're wachg us on the facebook live stream, post your question for jeremy. i have a question to start. questions are popping up about mask, and most people have i guess cloth masks by now, different colors and styles but

are they really adequate right now? >> it depends on the cloth masks. it has a couple features. there is room to put in a filter material. it has similar quality to n-95 filter material. the second thing, it has a nose wire, and a mold to push it in place. the mask doesn't do a lot to protect the wearer you did it do it does protect others from you. >> and this one, i put in the filter, it doesn't have the wire but i started to use a twisty from a grocery bag. but i want to ask you about a

cloth. the most common. if i'm jooutdoor, and let's asse that is okay. should i double up? should i wear one and then another? would that help and be stronger, more protection? >> let me jump back for a moment. you assume it's okay outside. i'm not sure what we can assume anymore. we don't know anything about the new variants. and the vary yanlts actually modify the spike on the variant. and that changes how va transmissible it is. it probably needs you need a lower dose to get infected. can you get infected outside, how long do you need be near someone for? how close? we don't any know any of those things. and what i carry is an n-95 mask.

i really want to make sure that i'm safe and these are very great. they have a strong fit, elastic, fantastic material. >> let me pause you. i have one too, left from my wildfire coverage days before the pandemic started. these day, i know it's easier to buy the kn-95 and the n-95? >> this theory, the kn-95s have ear straps. but kn-95 is a chinese certification, and n-95 is a u.s. certification. the u.s. is a washington with fraud lant educations of that, and some of that, as little as 1% effective. you have to be careful you are not getting a fraudulent one. the second one, they really do

provide a much better fit. so personally, these are actually not that hard to find. they are pretty widely available. you know, the manufacturer has ramped up specials online to get them for cheap. so there's -- you can get decent masks nowadays and. >> you suggest wearing that in a public place? >> absolutely, if i'm in an indoor place, i would wear this mask. this is -- they look odd but this is the best you can get. they are reusable and they are not used in medical facilities so there is no issue you are taking stuff away from doctors. >> i don't know a lot about that particular one. i don't think i have someone season with that one. would you mind putting this on? >> i'm going to put on this,

it's my daughters. it's a little small for me. these two parts here have filters in there, they are replaceable. and it really covers the full face. they are designed for a wider range of matter, including oil. >> does it felter out the stuff i'm breathing out? i wouldn't want anybody else to breathe in what i have? >> what we do is remove the value of so it does filter the air coming out and in. in general, i would be caution of double masking because when you have a second mask, it makes it less breathable. >> can i ask you a question? what if i wore a cloth mask and

put a surgical mask on top of? it? would that give me a protection of an n-95? >> no, this is a double masking i'm talking about. i don't think it's a good idea. it's not very well studied be my concern is two layers of mask is less breathable so that means when you breathe out or in, rather than the air coming through the mask and getting filtered, it's more likely to come around the edges. so i would be nervous about using multiple masks together. >> okay. and if we have a viewer asking about three, if two is not good, three is not better. >> i'm in the sure about this. it's something that hasn't been studied but i would be pretty cautious of it. >> amy wants to know if you are outside hiking or walking, do you need to double up or is a

simple mask okay. >>? we don't know with the new variants. you want to protect your family and yourself, wear a high quality mask even outside. because it seems pretty likely that a small dose, the kind you can ask get in a passing breeze, can actually infect people now? >> this is a kn-95. i think i paid about $2 a piece in a box. and do you have to throw it out after each care? >> we do have good news about that. the concern with the kn-95 masks and the other masks is part of the filtration comes from the electrostatic charge that disappears over time. a recent study shows that even when that charge disappear, they

still work really well. so i'm not really aware of any study that suggests it's not okay to revuse them. my suggestion is to have three masks and use them in rotation and that really should be fine. >> without even cleaning? you just let whatever virus is on and die out? >> yeah, exactly. the virus will become inactive. if you did want to sanitize it, you can put it in an oven at 160 fahrenheit? >> just a low oven. >> i wouldn't bather with that. after three days there is nothing left to worry about. >> what about cotton masks. how often would you wash them after wear? >> you know, it really depends. i don't personally think this mask sanitation thing is really big deal myself. but you can just dump it in

soapy water when it looks birdie basically. the more important thing is the filter material you have inside. if that is starting to get moist, you should think about replacing it. >> i want to go back to the clothe mafsk with the pocket tht you stick the filter in. i still get confused. which side of the filter goes against your face and which side goes against the outside of the mask? >> you know, now, i buy these fitters, they are sewn into a shape. it's from a company called outdoor research. and they are nice fitters and you don't have to think about it. >> i'm telling my

eyes are too old to tell which side is which. one side is shinier. >> where do you buy the outdoor research? >> just from the web. they have their own website. >> you mentioned n-95s are easier to get. and i see questions where do you suggest they get them? >> the most recent clas i got is clinical supplies usa. you can google that and they sell them in boxes. spent about 100 bucks to get 20 of them and hopefully that will last me pretty much forever. >> that is good to know. one last question, can putting polyester inside and cloth inside cotton masks protect people more from the viruss? >> there is no particular new things with the old cubs or the new ones. the droplet size will be imbedded much the same. in general, those materials are okay. they are not as good as nano

fiber materials. they are much better. >> all right, jeremy howard, always great talking with you. i learned so much about masks each time. i really appreciate your time. >> all right. >> all right, take it easy. all right, folks, coming up, we're going to have a break down of the storm that is threatening mud slides and strong winds and up next, former senator joe lieberman to talk about how we can eliminate future pandemic threats by t

now. if not, are we talking to drew? okay. all right, coming up next, is it possible to end the threat of future pandemics by the year 2030?

we're talking about nine years. former u.s. senator from connecticut and democratic vice presidential nominee joe lieberman says yes. he is co-chair on the commission on die obio. we are connecting with him right now to talk about all this. is senator lieberman available? not yet. i'm told we will have him momentarily. if you have questions, go ahead and put them on facebook live. and there's senator lieberman. good to see you. >> good be with you. thanks very much. sorry about the technical difficulties. >> it's okay. it's a way of live. we have gotten used to it in ten months. your commission just finished years of research to how the ugs can defend itself against biological threats. what are we talking about? >> well, this commission was formed in 2014 by tom ridge, the

former secretary of homeland security and me. it's bipartisan. six members in total. we talked to a lot of experts because we were worried about the threat of infectious disease, outbreaks and pandemics. they all today us it's not a question of whether they be an infectious disease and pandemic, but when. we put out a report in 2015. got a lot of sympathetic hearings and very little was done. it don't seem real at that point. of course right now, it's painfully real. hundreds of thousands of people of dying from covid-19, enormous disruption of the companeconomy. this is a lessons learned report. we can conclude that infectious diseases are inevitable. but pandemics are not.

if we are smart enough to use the license that get rid of the next report. and this apollo program we're recommending, building on a grand goal of -- and the resourcefulness of the wound shot program in the '60s can really make sure that we never again face a pandemic like we're suffering through right now. >> the moon landing. of course that is where apollo comes from. yeah, as part of that report, the apollo program for biodefense, what are the key recommendations. you said never again would we have to face this. if we invest in the right things. what are they? >> here, we did a lot of things wrong in the last year, and weren't ready in a lot of ways. but one big success, i think, was the miraculously quick development of the vaccines. that was a public provide

partnership using the science and technology that is now available to develop the vaccines. and that's really what we're proposing in the program for biodefense. it's the science technology that exists and to put a lot of federal money behind it leadership. to have it produced. next time-out there is an infectious disease outbreak, we're going to be ready with the vaccine, with testing people can do at home. we think the vaccines can be infection free. you can take them in a spray or a pill. you don't have to rely on other -- they have demands from their own citizen. in my opinion, a bold program

but it's a practical one to make sure we never suffer again. >> well what you're calling for, no doubt, would cost a lot of money, and it would take a lot of bipat srtisanship in washing. i'm bipartisanship do you expect to see on anything? >> unfortunately, it's a rarity. if you look back over the last year, there was encouragement. 2020 was a very bitter political year, deeply divided presidential election, and yet when the covid-19 struck, congress crossed party lines with the president, adopted some major covid response program. so i think that gives us hope that if we give members of congress and president biden this program, that they'll gol for it. yeah, it will cost some money

but it will save a lot of money and a lot of lives. one thing, we mes nate program every year for ten years will cost probably billion dollars year. the pandemic, covid-19, is kes mated to cost between 15 and 10 trillion. president biden is asking for 1.9 trillion on top of the 4 trillion plus we already spent. and the main thing, if we do -- if the country does what we're recommending successfully in this apollo program, then there will be very few deaths. the infectious disease disease e turn into a pandemic. >> let's hope we can end

pandemics in the u.s. by 2030. senator lieberman, thank you so much

>> senator lieberman. i'm out of time. element's condition the conversation another day. thank you. we are back, we are following the strongest zorm of the season for you as it travels through the bay area. let's get the latest from meteorologist drew tuma. we will try to get some answers. i looked outside. the pavement is already web out of abc 7. >> yeah, we are just beginning to see the first rain drops from the storm. we welcome your questions. live doppler 7, we have green on the screen and it's mostly light rain right now. the storm will intensify. i want to zoom in to lake county, 2,000 feet, you have snow flakes flying right now. we are going to see peaks, and live doppler 7, we see see see

rain around mt. hamilton, the pink, the purple, the white, that is a wintry mix, and snow is foulialling as well. the strongest wind is well north of us. we have 12 hours we're going to be dealing with the storm. on the storm impact scale, level three storm. a 12-hour window, and a few minutes, starting 4:00 p.m. lasting through 4:00 a.m. heavy rains and strong winds. let geese hour by hour, time it out for you, light showers and watch what happens. once the sun goes down, you see the yellows, the oranges, that is heavier rain moving in, and by 11:00 p.m., we are tracking intense rain, strong winds in the heart of the bay area, and the heavy warain will transitio to the south bay. south flood, there is the high

threat of debris flows. we are going to watch it closely for you, and also, very strong winds. look at this over the next couple hur hour, you might feel a breeze. the winds are going to ramp up. you see on the coast, 50 or 60 miles per hour, and the bay area, 35 miles per hour. we have a high wind warning along the coastline. it does include san francisco. gusts over 50 miles per hour. likely over 60 miles per hour. the rest of us under a wind advisory. so we're all going to feel the gusty winds. it begins at 7:00 p.m. tonight. the south winds gusting upwards. it is a windy and wet night. and the forecast, it is a mess early tomorrow morning at the level three strong storm, and look at that, we have rain the next seven daps, on and off showers over the weekend and next week, still tracking

showers. >> hopefully it's not too damaging. we need the rain. we're in a drought. we want to know how much of a dent it will make in the rain deficit. >> right now, any where from 20% to 30% of the normal rainfall. so we are well below where we should be. and we are expecting 1 to 2 1/2 inches over night. that is going to bump up the numbers. i wouldn't be surprised if some areas get half of the normal rainfall for this time of year. but still, we need to make up ground work. in a drought and really the next six weeks are some of the wettest we experience in california. so the window for the storms, it is shrinking. we will get very heavy rain. >> ten seconds. i want to get to a question. how low will the snow level go? >> 2,000 feet. we are going to watch mt.

hamilton, snow in lake county and a chance for snow

all right, before we go, we have about 30 seconds. one more question for drew. only because so many people want to know, how do you tell the difference between snow, and hail? >> it's a great question. hail will only form in a thunderstorm. you need fast moving up drafts and downdrafts. that is just turbulent wind in a cloud. snow, you just need temperatures between freezing and rain falling. we are seeing snow right now. >> yeah, interesting weather

coming our way. thanks, drew. and thank you for joining us today on this interactive show. we will be tonight, the major promise from president biden late today when it comes to vaccines for millions of americans who are desperately waiting. but how much vaccine and when? president biden revealing his plan to deliver 600 million doses of covid vaccine by this summer, enough to give 300 million americans the two shots required. ordering another 100 million doses from pfizer, 100 million from moderna. and an additional 1.4 million doses sent out to the states starting next week. is it soon enough? governors already reacting tonight, with lines growing and countless families trying to get appointments and the vaccine and unable to find any. breaking news coming in at this hour involving former president trump's impeachment trial. senator patrick leahy, who will preside over the trial, hospitalized. what we're learning ri