building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc7 news. i am kristen sze. we are asking experts your questions every day to get answers in real time. we hope you had a great fourth of july. this holiday is an excess peschel time for immigrants to be naturalize. they have to pass a test and one that we wonder if most americans can past. we will test your knowledge along with spencer christian. now we're going to talk about masks and the delta variant. lots of headlines including the shifting battleground against the coronavirus in california.

there is a lot to get to, but here is dr. patel who is here to answer the questions. you can ask them on facebook. good to see. how was your weekend? >> it was great. there was a lot going on in the embarcadero. and it looked like 2019. >> party like it is 2019. so we will have to talk about that. right now i know you want to kick things off in terms of learning with two truths and a lie. >> it has been a couple weeks and everyone knows how to play. which is true. immunity from the j&j vaccine last for at least eight months and protects against the delta variant. or is a b. 67% of u.s. adults are partially vaccinated, which narrowly missed president biden's fourth of july goal. wears a c. in a recent poll, 30% of americans are vaccine

hesitant, which means that they don't want the shot or might be undecided. which one is not true? >> there all good ones because they all seem plausible but i am so a little skeptical as well. i'm going to pick one and i will pick b as the light instead of going through my usual logical rational. not think that we are at 67% partially vaccinated. i think we are in the 50s, unfortunately. i think we missed the target by more than that. so jenny says c. keep voting on facebook live. daniel, you are saying c as well. >> that is only one i'm going to give you. >> yes, the audience always knows. it is c. >> i am still going to stick with b only because i just think we are not at 67%. >> so the light is c and maybe

70% fully vaccinated is the number. the goal was partially vaccinated 67%. that is something to be optimistic about. but the reason why c is a lie because of the pole became a ascetic, 30% of americans were vaccine hesitant. in the subgroup, 70% felt the delta variant threat is exaggerated, saying that it is fear mongering. >> while. there is a lot to overcome. is not just that they are hesitant because they want to know more about the vaccines and have more time to evaluate the potential side effects, but really it is just that they do not see the threat and danger to themselves. >> it is multi fact they don't think they're going to get the coronavirus. but one thing that rubs me the wrong way is that it doesn't make sense. people from lester said you knew the threat wanting to do

more. now they're trying to be preventative and they say we do not believe it because the cases are not rising. >> sounds like education will be a big part of the campaign going forward to get more people vaccinated. >> we should have gone with our viewers. but i just came back from vacation so there is no excuse. i do pay attention to the news and i saw it come out yesterday that the dominant strain was going to be the delta variant and how dominant is it right now in california? >> i don't know if i could quantify it. but, now, just last week, we were reporting one out of four new cases is a delta variant. it is now present in 50 states and before it was near the 49 number. we know that it is the dominant strain, but we are looking pocket it is affecting to pay attention to what is happening, if it is causing more

hospitalizations. >> why is this variant knocking off the one that came out of the uk and why is it more worrisome. is a because of the more transmissible actor? >> there competing not only with one another, but with the defenses out there. there try to find a way to be more contagious and spread from community to community in a faster fashion. if it is more adept at getting people sick than the other variants, it will become the dominant strain. >> we need to keep upping the vaccination rate. i would like to ask what we need to get to nationally to make you feel good about it. i see the number 85%. does that refer to vaccinations only? or does include people who have immunity to the antibodies because they have it already and if you count the, are we almost there? >> i feel like i'm smiling because that is an insightful question. >> you are proud. >> i am proud! when we say herd

immunity, we mean any type of immunity it is safer. when people got and get covid-19 , and possibly get sick and recover from it, we have hospitalizations and deaths.'s of the 80% number that we want for heard immunity, may not happen from vaccines alone, but will be the result of naturally acquired fax immunity and vaccine acquired immunity. >> you will be proud of our viewer mike moss know if the moderna vaccine is effective against the new variant. what you know about each of these against the delta variant? >> there are multiple studies coming out and it is early because it has not been going around that much. both pfizer and moderna show good effectivity. these are

doses. one does end alone is not as effective as it was with the other ones, but that is okay because we want you to complete the full dose. johnson & johnson just came out with information showing that it is also preventing severe illness against the delta variant. we saw that study several months ago that show that johnson & johnson was preventing serious illness in south africa. at the time, the delta variant was the dominant strain there. these vaccines are doing a great job. if you get a breakthrough infection, which means that you still get the coronavirus and covid-19, that is okay. in some situations, it is expected to have some breakthrough infections. means that you are less likely to get sick. >> and here's another question. how soon until we know if we need booster shots. >> i'm going to one up that question, which is, what if we

mix. what if we mix the vaccines and you have the j&j then go out and get pfizer or moderna or vice versa, because i did read that oxford researchers found that mixing could make it more effective. what you know about that? >> we have three questions in one. we have no evidence right now to say that we should be looking up for the booster shots. right now, all of the vaccines are working really well at keeping people out of the hospital. referring to mixing and matching, that was astrazeneca and pfizer. with a mixed the two they had increased antibiotic response. is important to know as we try to increase vaccine access to rural areas across the world. regarding what is happening here will we talk what mixing johnson & johnson, the reason there is talk about that is because the johnson & johnson vaccine has been shown to protect us against getting sick from the delta variant but not necessarily from reduced transmission. we are waiting to see that piece of data. there are early thoughts that

say if we have the johnson & johnson and a mrna vexing, would we get the double protection. however, the near times reported that a nurse in oregon has immune problems. they got the pfizer and then the moderna. that gave her extra antibody immune response. the actually measured it and it did get better. does that make sense for some people? maybe people who are immunocompromised or who have certain issues? >> it is possible in erie. i don't know this particular case. these are mrna vaccines. theoretically it makes sense. i do not think that the average person needs to worry about that. if you do have any particular condition, talk with the doctor about it.

>> is it unethical, because i have heard people talk about since we do not have a supply issue now in this issue, that is not true for the rest of the world, why not go out and get the others as well because if i am less likely to get sick, less likely to transmit it, aren't i helping my society by using less resources from a medical standpoint? >> i think it is overkill, especially looking at the community you are in. if we are in vermont or san francisco where there is a very high vaccination rates, don't think it's necessary to do it. just like i think it is not necessary to wear a mask when you're walking outside. >> as far as unethical, i would not say it is unethical, i will say it is necessary. the ethical issue that we are hoarding the vaccines and they're not going throughout the world. i do not think that this will promote the sharing of vaccines. i think we need to put her foot down and say that we need to share. >> we are going to take a short

break. you can still leave questions for dr. patel on facebook . we have a story about a 13-year- old boy who died just after getting his shot. and hey, i just got a text from my sister. you remember rick, her neighbor? sure, he's the 76-year-old guy who still runs marathons, right? sadly, not anymore. -what, you mean-- -mhm. -just like that. -wow. so sudden. um, we're not about to have the "we need life insurance" conversation again, are we? no, we're having the "we're getting coverage so we don't have to worry about it" conversation. so you're calling about the $9.95 a month plan -from colonial penn? -i am. we put it off long enough. we are getting that $9.95 plan, today. (jonathan) is it time for you to call about the $9.95 plan? i'm jonathan from colonial penn life insurance company. sometimes we just need a reminder not to take today for granted. it could be the death of someone you know

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♪ hello, colonial penn? and we are back with abc7 special correspondent dr. alok patel . the investigating the death of a 13- year-old boy who died days after getting a second pfizer shot. he had common post vaccine symptoms. could the vaccine have been a contributive factor? >> first and foremost, this is a heartbreaking case. he did have the symptoms afterwards. a little bit of abdominal pain

and there's nothing else that we know about it. he did not wake up from his sleep. it is possible that it could have been a contributing factor. we have seen the cases but it is important that people do not to freak out and parents do not jump to conclusions yet and that we let there be an investigation. what i hope happens is that i hope there is transparency. with whatever is found out or discovered, that there is a very clear discussion that goes on nightly news and everyone sees it and that there are no secrets and that everyone can hear. >> i know parents are saying, does that mean that johnson & johnson could be better for my kid? but then you have the rare clots cases. how do you weigh that? >> what i way right now is that even with what we are seeing right now with rare episodes, it is extremely rare. in the order of

1 million shots and we know that there is a defined risk with covid-19 itself, not only acutely with kids but with the long hauler symptoms. >> the main thing is the main thing. let's not forget that. you are much better off with the vaccine. >> with the delta variant spreading, there so just that even the fully vaccinated start wearing masks indoors again, even if they had stopped wearing them. l.a. county urging the same. what you think? >> in certain situations, it is necessary to put the bulletin out there and this goes back to what happens when the cdc made the recommendation but no state or local guidance recommendations. if you are a business owner in a busy city and you have something like a grocery store or a venue where people crowd together, it might be safer to say that everyone should wear masks because i don't think that the vaccine hesitant are now going to magically wear a mask is a i will follow the

restrictions with a hadn't been before. >> i think we are in a confusing situation. yesterday i was on an outdoor shopping street and what to do three different places. the bubba shop said no mass, no service. the clothing store said if you are fully vaccinated, you could choose. there was one more store where it said that if you're walking in here without a mask, then you are self attesting that you are fully vaccinated. three different signs on one block. i can see how that adds to the confusion. i just came back from hawaii where indoor masking is the mandate. it seems like there's a lot less potential friction or misunderstanding and is like that. >> of course. you want to pay attention to your local surroundings. what does the community transmission rate look like? when business owners left to their own devices, you should follow the guidance of your not sure. if you do have an increased risk and live with people who are not yet vaccinated or have a comorbidity, it is safer to wear a mask a public setting or

in a place you cannot guarantee if everyone around you is vaccinated. >> another debate what i saw that triggered a lot of questions for me is that we are starting to see two classes emerge because the folks who are serving you in the stores all masked and then the customers are not. and i wonder if as a customer, you should just do it out of courtesy. >> absolutely. in some situations, i think there is, i don't know if it is a courtesy per se, but the situation. in a restaurant, it is reassuring to know that employees are wearing a mask. they go from person to person and handout food. you cannot wear a mask in the restaurant consistency. you have to eat and drink. in an uber, wear a mask. a movie theater., you should probably wear a mask. >> you mentioned the two classes and i hope that we practice compassion. >> lastly, do you expect to see a fourth of july surge when might that materialize?

>> i do not expect to see a fourth of july surge here in a highly vaccinated area. but unfortunate, we are seeing an increase in cases in some parts of the country where vaccination rates are low and restriction to lifting. if we see surges in places like florida or missouri, i will not be that surprised. we are waiting to see if there is an increase in hospitalizations. right now, we are seeing an increase in the delta variant in young people and other people who are young people. we are yet to see what will happen and if it will spread and create a larger outbreak. >> you mentioned that we might be fine here because we have a high vaccination rate. have you defined, when you say here, you do not meet all of california, right? that what we are doing pretty well in the metro area, battleground is shifting into rural parts of california where we're seeing some cases. >> when i sit here, i'm talking

about our lovely studio in san francisco. >> where we seeing more cases in the rural areas? >> we do not have the same vaccination rate in rural areas but we are seeing the lifting of restrictions. people getting together and acting like there was never any pandemic. there are still house parties and gatherings and people going to stores, while there is a more contagious variant running amok. it is like a one-two punch for causing localized outbreak. i don't think we will see national surge like we had at the potential of last year. >> we have 30 seconds. want to know if you think anyone should get tested after this weekend. if you have been doing this or if you did that or traveled there. >> the same rules apply. if you're around people who were potentially exposed, especially if you are not vaccinated. if you can't make a claim that everyone had a vaccination. the safe thing is to get tested. you could pass it on to everyone. >> alok patel, it is great to learn from you. glad we got to spend out of the holiday weekend with you. >> coming up next, i will take another test. >> will you pass this one?

>> it is the

if spencer can write down his answers so i can cheat off of him. welcome back. many of you are off for the fourth of july holiday and many people became u.s. citizens over the weekend. we are following the lead from a "new york times" article and we want you to take a citizenship quiz to see how well you know our country. the one we celebrated this weekend. joining us now is the law professor david levine. happy fourth weekend. thank you for joining us. >> happy fourth to you. >> i brought the brains along with spencer. before taking the oath of allegiance, what did the citizens have to pass? it is a civics test, right? what is the purpose and what does it entail? >> the purpose is to make sure that would be citizens have basic knowledge of civics. currently the test has 100 questions, but what happens is

that the person who is quizzing you will give you 10 to answer orally and you have to get ticks out of the 10 correct. but you do not know which ones the person is going to ask the would be citizen, so you have to be ready on all of them. today we do not have time to go through all the questions, but i have picked out a few to see how you and spencer can do. >> lovely. i cannot wait to take this. full disclosure, i am a naturalized u.s. citizen, so i did take that test in my teenage years but i think it was easier than because i was in high school studying u.s. government and history. i am sure that i would not do as well now. so without further ado, spencer, are we ready? >> well i was wrong when they wrote the declaration of independence. let's see how we do. >> take it away. >> we will see how we do.

>> all right. i see this as, if you don't mind, this is my audition for jeopardy. if you're watching in l.a., i am ready. >> years number one. i will give you a question and then some options. then you pick the option you want. we elect a u.s. senator for how many years? 4, 6, 8, or 12? >> this is easy. six years. >> you got it. that was just to get you started. all right. very good. number two, when was the constitution written? 1492? 1776? 1787? or 1865. >> let's confer. it is not 1492. it is not 1865. 1776 is the declaration of independence. >> and they had the articles of confederation before that. i'm going to go was 1787. >> all right. perfect. very good. well done. well done.

>> you got it right. congratulations. let's get in on this last one. >> this is tougher. how many amendments does the constitution have? 14? 21? 25? 27? >> i want to say 25, but i'm wondering if i have missed a couple. i'm going to go with 25. >> i think so but with multiple choice if you just gave us c, would it be another c? from my s.a.t. days, i am leaning no. >> all right. good guess, but it is 27. 27 currently. oh well. currently. this is harder. >> i am told that we have time for one more. do you have one more? >> let me give you one more quickly. under the constitution, which of these powers does not belong to the federal government?

ratify amendments to the u.s. constitution? printed money? declare war? make treaties with foreign powers. >> it is ratify a memo to the constitution. >> that is the one that the states have to be involved with. yes. a. >> you have got it. very good. three out of four, you are on track to pass the citizenship test. congratulations. >> they don't revoke the citizenship. you have to get 60%. what if you don't get that threshold. is it like the dmv where you study more and come back? >> you can try again, but i think you have to pay each time. but if you do not pass, you can come back and try again. >> you know, we are wondering, what is the pass rate, if you give it to natural born american citizens. do they tend to do better or worse? >> worse, i will bet.

>> that i have to take the test. my understanding is that when the test is given to people who are applying for citizenship as you were years ago, it is slightly over 90%. people do not take the test until they are really ready. i do not have a figure ready like a random sample of natural born united states citizens, how well they would do on the test, but i will bet it is lower. >> civics is important for all of us to unders

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thank you. that was great. it was wonderful talking with you. >> lots of fun. thanks a lot. >> thank you so much for joining us today on this interactive show, getting answers. we covered the delta variant

with dr. alok patel. then we took a citizens tonight, tropical storm elsa taking aim at the florida coast. watches and warnings now in effect from the florida keys to the western coast and up along the panhandle. you flash flooding and winds in- gugsing up to 60 miles an hour. the deadly storm making landfall in cuba today. roughly 180,000 people forced to higher ground. ginger zee with the timing and the track. also tonight, a demolition crew using a controlled explosion to bring down the remaining tower in surfside, florida. officials forced to work quickly ahead of tropical storm elsa. the implosion opening new paths for rescuers searching for possible survivors. the death toll climbing. several more bodies recovered. america emerging from the pandemic, traveling in record numbers for the long holiday weekend.