monica gandhi. good to see you. your colleague was pretty fired up yesterday about the fact that it is being used to treat covid-19, where talking about ever becton. a judge ruled that a hospital they had to administer some to a patient because the wife wanted it. what is your reaction to all of this? dr. gandhi: it would be great if we had some treatment. we do have steroids for for for inpatients. i go back to it does not work in clinical trials. where it worked or what it looked like is what is called in vitro. it looked like it would have activity. the right thing to do is to study it in clinical trials. that was done. it did not actually affect the disease and we have to abandon the hopes for either -- for that, just like we got past hydroxychloroquine a year ago. kristen: right, it is an antiparasitic deworming drug often used in animals. how did that start as a thing, like a covid therapeutic many people think of? >> the interesting thing is you can take a bunch of medications and look at them in vitro. so an

monica gandhi. thank you for being here with us and just shedding light on this big information we just got today about the pfizer vaccine getting thef full fda approval. i want to talk about hospitalizations as it appears we are seeing a huge surge. do you have a percentage when it comes to people hospitalized that are vaccinated versus unvaccinated at ucsf or statewide order across the country right now? >> yes. this is a great question because i have to say the cdc is not tracking this as well as canad a is. in general, what they say at their press conferences is overall 99% of people in the hospital are unvaccinated eligible adults. i have seen that in san francisco, even though they do not break it down for us and give us the data which way think out -- which i think would be helpful. it is overall above 90% unvaccinated. this idea that vaccines prevent severe illness is persistent, meai meaning it has to do with t cell immunity ,t cells prevent us from getting severe disease. and so, it really

monica gandhi, infectious disease expert at ucsf. good to see you again. now that we've got the delta variant taking hold, certainly, how should people be approaching their travel in the safety beyond vaccination, of course wearing a mask, anything more we can do than stay at home? >> you can still travel. so essentially planes are extremely safe in terms of ventilation, so you want to have your mask of course, and it's mandated anyway. i always turn on the ventilation above the seat, and there's been study after study that shows there's quite a bit of air circulation and ventilation on planes, so it really is a safe way totravel. and then you don't need to test to go most places but you actually need to test to come back into the country if you go international. so plain safety at this point, even with the delta variant, people should feel comfortable traveling. you can see a lot of people are. >> once you get to stination, ke every indoor masks. severywret w is >> in the past there has been some hesitancy. you included i think about many people needing b

monica gandhi is joining us now to answer some of those burning questions we all have. thank you so much for joining us this evening. the cdc thing the delta variant is even more dangerous than first thought so can you explain why that is? >> this is a newly transmissible variant and what that means is they have really high viral loads in the nose which could pass easily to other people. unfortunately, it is not just from unvaccinated people. le whove tomatic breakthroughs which are also more common, they are mild but still more common among vaccinated people, can also pa in is a rotation of the study but nonetheless it is happening. and so because of that, we have to wear masks again inside which is a setback but it is necessary. >> that leads to my next question. we were talking about mask guidelines. san francisco was talking about mandates next week and possibly in other counties. so what do you see coming in the next days to come? >> so i do think that it is likely that counties are going to increase including our own mask mandates. now all that means is that indoo

monica gandhi from ucsf. i thought the fall of 2021, we've been talking for more than a year now, things were supposed to be much better, maybe golden, where did we go wrong here? >> the delta vafrts. basically, it's just soap more transmissible. it came to us after that golden six weeks when things were getting so much better between june 15th and, you know, the end of july, and it came, and it's very disappointing, but it's here, and because of that, we need higher vaccine rates to on get on top of this. >> will this actually prompt people to go get those shots? >> i think it's not, i think it's way more than symbolic. there are two things that will happen. the kaiser foundation had a survey that at least 30% of people who weren't getting vaccinated before, they at least wrote in the survey that they were waiting for the approval to go and get vaccinated. because signing a consernts form to get a vaccine is a psychological impedestrianment. people needed the approval. second is what you just said. there is

monica gandhi about possible mask mandates. >> i do think it is likely that counties are going to increasingly put in the own mask mandates. doesn't you can't do the things were going to do. the difference is now you do it with a mask. >> ford is the nation's covid hotspot pick of the state shattered records reporting more than 21,000 new cases in one day. nationwide, new daily covid infections are up 481% since mid june. daily case numbers are now higher than this time last year. however, she thinks we could see some improvement over the next few months. >>> this has been such a roller coaster and keeps going back and forth. this is a good thing, so the uk had about seven weeks ahead of us. their cases started plummeting about 10 days ago so the same modeling that has been done there is being done here and we're hoping may be to late september that is in the cases will plummet. let's get through another month and a half of pandemic and it will start coming down and we will get back to a better state. >> vaccination rates are rising across bay area counties. they've even been higher than the s

monica gandhi explains. there's now a glimmer of hope moderna will begin the first human trials of an hiv vaccine that uses mrna technology. >> the same technology to develop the effective covid-19 vaccines. she says this hiv vaccine is expected to work in the same way idea. mrna technology is to take a piece of the virus, you know, for covid it's the spike protein and for ha be it's a little piece of the hiv virus and you yourself make the protein. >> in your body which makes you have high levels of that protein. and then you raise an immune response against it next month. moderna will begin the hiv vaccine trials and 56 adults ranging in ages from 18 to 50 years old. all of whom do not have hiv. the participants will test to combinations of the vaccine and be monitored for signs of immune response in any adverse effects this idea it would. you've already started primate looks good and not will moving over trials is the hope is that we, the person who gets the vaccine makes their own immune response. but cl

monica gandhi says it could remove one of the key reasons people haven't got their shots yet. >> there's a psychological barrier to taking it for some people. this is great. a lot of people hopefully take it when it's approved. >> reporter: full approval means more businesses, schools and other organizations can mandate them without any concern for legal challenges. it also means doctors will have broader license to prescribe some patients third doses. >> there's more leeway for me as a prescriber to say, you know, i think you're immunocompromised, you may not fit exactly into the definition the cdc or the fda laid out. >> reporter: full fda approval could allow pediatricians to consider doses for some children who are just under 12 but dr. gandhi warns pfizer is about to release data on dosing for kids between 5 to 11. >> even though it's true so many pediatricians will say you look like a 12-year-old or weight is higher, generally as an 11-year-old i think your weight is on a side i can give a dose. i doubt many will do that for the lower weight. >> reporter: the side effects such as h

following state and local guidelines and we've formed a medical advisory committee with bob walker and monica gandhi. and so we're following advice. if you're outdoors in the stands or outdoors, right. we have an open air building. if you're indoors, whether that's in a restroom or whether that's in a club space. you're really indoors and you should have your mask on. on saturday. the niners will welcome back. some 20,000 fans inside the squeaky-clean stadium. >> for a practice on boyd clarke day and then 70,000 fans a week later for the first pre season game. >> there are no rules per se about physical distancing. but the indoor mask mandate will be enforced as general manager jim or cure. yeah, i mean, we listen. this is a highly technical stadium, right. there's cameras everywhere this personnel everywhere. but let's i would not like to have to go to i really appreciate people. >> having the respect of each other and mindful of just putting on your mask and in the u.s. where we don't have to go to those levels. the forty-niners are no doubt hoping new attractions. like the reopening of the team m

following state and local guidelines and we've formed a medical advisory committee with bob walker monica gandhi. and so we're following advice. if you're outdoors in the stands or outdoors, right. we have an open air building. if you're indoors, whether that's in a restroom or whether that's in a club space. you're really indoors and you should have your mask on. on saturday. the niners will welcome back. some 20,000 fans inside the squeaky-clean stadium. >> for practice on dwight clark day and then 70,000 fans a week later for the first pre season game. >> there are no rules per se about physical distancing. but the indoor mask mandate will be enforced as general manager jim mercurial. yeah. i mean, we listen. this is a highly technical stadium, right. there's cameras everywhere this personnel everywhere. but let's i'm not like to have to go to i really appreciate people. >> having the respect of each other and mindful of just putting on your mask and in the u.s. where we don't have to go to those levels. the forty-niners are no doubt hoping new attractions. like the reopening of the team muse

following state and local guidelines and we've formed a medical advisory committee with bob walker and monica gandhi. and so we're following advice. if you're outdoors in the stands or outdoors, right. we have an open air building. if you're indoors, whether that's in a restroom or. >> whether that's in a club space. you're really indoors and you should have your mask on on saturday. the niners will welcome back. some 20,000 fans inside the squeaky-clean stadium. >> for a practice on boyd clarke day and then 70,0 0 fans a week later for the first pre season game. there are no rules per se about physical distancing. but the indoor mask mandate will be enforced as general manager jim or cure. yeah, i mean, we listen. this is a highly technical stadium, right. there's cameras everywhere. >> this personnel everywhere. but let's i'm not like to have to go to i really appreciate people having the respect of each other and mindful of just putting on your mask and in the way we don't have to go to those levels. the forty-niners are no doubt hoping new attractions. like the reopening of the team museum and c

dr monica gandhi of ucsf says. bottom line the country needs more immunity. i don't think anyone thinks that we can mask our way out of this pandemic. or socially distance or ventilate because we did all of that many bay area bars, restaurants and theaters are already requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination at the door at three below theaters in san jose, business boomed after implementing it. we had people attending the movies coming to dine at the cafe writing to us saying i'll see you this weekend. you wanna shut down, get vaccinated at tony and alba's restaurant in san jose. this customer forgot his vaccination card not able to dine inside it so okay. i didn't get offended. i mean, it's the right thing to do. and the businesses i spoke to say they haven't received much pushback, but support and the hope is that more establishments will do this on their own, so there won't be a need for mandates. heather alright, azenith smith reporting live for us tonight as nothing. q two more major employers are requiring their workers to be vaccinated against co

dr monica gandhi from ucsf, says other religious leaders should follow the archdiocese of new york. she says, those applying for religious exemption must show it's a long standing belief and the leaders of the religion endorse it. the burden of proof is really high for your apply for religious exemption. and i asked that u. c s f expert for an example of a religious exemption in the past. she says that jehovah witnesses have declined blood transfusions because it's against their religion. frank as a smith live for us tonight, azenith smith. thank you. sonoma county is joining others and requiring many public workers to be vaccinated for the coronavirus. the county issued a health order today calling on all fire law enforcement. emergency medical service workers and others to prove their vaccination status if proof of vaccination cannot be given, workers will be required to undergo weekly coronavirus testing. the new mandate is set to take effect on september 1st san francisco is requiring all 35,000 city employees be vaccinated once the cove. vaccine gets permanent approval from the

ucsf infectious disease specialist monica gandhi says a puff mask with a filter. >> they provide double blockage. >> or a double mask. >> a combination of cloth and surgical mask. >> cloth against your skin and surgical on the outside, adding a third more protection. >> 65% blockage with one to up to 94% with two. it was significant. >> j.r. stone. abc7 news. >>> an ohio grandmother and grandson claimed they made the world's largest oreo. the creation from ross smith and his grandmother weighs 175 pounds and measures 4 feet wide. that is 7000 times larger than a regular oreo. it has 65 pounds of butter and 56 pounds of sugar. >> do you think you can eat at all? >> i'm starved. >> you will need a glass of milk. >> hopefully we can finish this off in a few months before it goes stale. >> the creation was part of granny's birthday celebration. she turned 95 on sunday. they have been creating social media content for nine years and have 2 million instagram followers. >> i am one of the followers. i love to see what granny is doing. >> why are you keeping granny to yourself? >> they are so f

monica gandhi explained to us some of the reasoning behind the mask mandate today. >> why we put back masks and why the cdc put back masks isn't because they don't think the vaccines work, it is because there were a lot more breakthrough infections that were being seen right now with the more highly transmissible variant. they are trying to? those of vaccination from breakthrough. the transmission rate luckily, will be able to go back to not wearing a mask . >> it is frustrating for a lot of people who believe they have done their part because they got vaccinated. we now have tips from a psychologist about masking up once again. >> it is way more scary now. >> reporter: here, the manager brenda perez will comply with the indoor mask mandate due to a rise in the delta variant. her customers are tired. i am tired of it too, it is for our safety. >> i have my mask ready to go. >> reporter: adam cook said mask teague fatigue is real. >> we have all been sacrificing. >> reporter: like it or not, face masks a big part of our lives again. i never thought i would be the owner of a face mask c

monica gandhi explains. there's no glimmer of hope. moderna will begin the first human trials of an hiv vaccine that uses mrna technology. >> the same technology to develop the effective covid-19 vaccines. she says this hiv vaccine is expected to work in the same way idea. mrna technology is to take a piece of the virus, you know, for covid it's the spike protein and for ha be it's a little piece of the hiv virus and you yourself make the protein. >> in your body which makes you have high levels of that protein. and then you raise an immune response against next month. moderna will begin the hiv vaccine trials and 56 adults ranging in ages from 18 to 50 years old. all of whom do not have hiv. >> the participants will test to combinations of the vaccine and be monitored for signs of immune response in any adverse effects this it when you've already started primate looks good. and now moving in over trials. >> is the hope is that we, the person who gets the vaccine makes their own immune response. but called due to rising antibodies and

and we've formed a medical advisory committee with bob walker and monica gandhi.ollowing advice. if you're outdoors in the stands or outdoors, right. we have an open air building. if you're indoors, whether that's in a restroom or whether that's in a club space. you're really indoors and you should have your mask on. on saturday. the niners will welcome back. some 20,000 fans inside the squeaky-clean stadium. >> for practice on boyd clarke day and then 70,000 fans a week later for the first pre season game. >> there are no rules per se about physical distancing. but the indoor mask mandate will be enforced as general manager jim mercurial. yeah. i mean, we listen. this is a highly technical stadium, right. there's cameras everywhere this personnel everywhere. but let's i'm not like to have to go to i really appreciate people. >> having the respect of each other and mindful of just putting on your mask and in the u.s. where we don't have to go to those levels. the forty-niners are no doubt hoping new attractions. like the reopening of the team museum and custom t-s

following state and local guidelines and we formed a medical advisory committee with bob walker and monica gandhid so we're following advice. if you're outdoors in the stands or outdoors, right. we have an open air building. if you're indoors, whether that's in a restroom or whether that's in a club space. you're really indoors and you should have your mask on. on saturday. the niners will welcome back. some 20,000 fans inside the squeaky-clean stadium. >> for practice on dwight clark day and then 70,000 fans a week later for the first pre season game. >> there are no rules per se about physical distancing. but the indoor mask mandate will be enforced as general manager jim mercurial. yeah. i mean, we listen. this is a highly technical stadium, right. there's cameras everywhere this personnel everywhere. but let's i'm not like to have to go to i really appreciate people. >> having the respect of each other and mindful of just putting on your mask and in the u.s. where we don't have to go to those levels. the forty-niners are no doubt hoping new attractions. like the reopening of the team museum a

monica gandhi of ucsf says. bottom line the country needs more immunity. i don't think anyone thinks that we can mask our way out of this pandemic. or socially distance or ventilate because we did all of that many bay area bars, restaurants and theaters are already requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination at the door at three below theaters in san jose, business boomed after implementing it. we had people attending the movies coming to dine at the cafe writing to us saying i'll see you this weekend. if you want. shut down, get vaccinated at tony and alba's restaurant in san jose. this customer forgot his vaccination card not able to dine inside it so okay. i didn't get offended. i mean, it's the right thing to do. and there are questions surrounding implementation and enforcement. some businesses say they've had some challengers, but for the most part, they've received broad support what could be problematic is this if this isn't a regional mandates, alex alright as in the smith live for us tonight. thank you, as in it, and today was the first day ma

monica gandhi explains. there's now a glimmer of hope moderna will begin the first human trials of an hiv vaccine that uses mrna technology. >> the same technology to develop the effective covid-19 vaccines. she says this hiv vaccine is expected to work in the same way idea. mrna technology is to take a piece of the virus, you know, for covid it's the spike protein and for ha be it's a little piece of the hiv virus and you yourself make the protein. >> in your body which makes you have high levels of that protein. and then you raise an immune response against it next month. moderna will begin the hiv vaccine trials and 56 adults ranging in ages from 18 to 50 years old. all of whom do not have hiv. >> the participants will test to combinations of the vaccine and be monitored for signs of immune response in any adverse effects this it when you've already started primate looks good. and now moving in over trials. >> is the hope is that we, the person who gets the vaccine makes their own immune response. but cal

approval from federal regulators for anyone 16 years and older, you csf infectious disease specialist monica gandhi says one expected change. more vaccine mandates will be on the way it's going to make it much easier when they're fully approved to mandate vaccines because before this you could have legal challenges. still saying it was. under an emergency use authorization and still at some level considered experimental in san francisco leaders said city and county employees would need to be fully vaccinated within 10 weeks of the first full fda approval in a statement the department of public health says we hope full approval of the pfizer vaccine will lead to more people getting vaccinated and further increase our cities vaccination rate of 79% of eligible san franciscans getting more people vaccinated on. their own doctors hope is the number one outcome of this full approval but what do we have now that we didn't have back in december? well in december we had what was called the phase troops three clinical trial data for the fighter vaccines which looks great. it was a big trial. but now what do

following state and local guidelines and we've formed a medical advisory committee with bob wachter, monica gandhind so we're following advice. if you're outdoors in the stands or outdoors, right. we have an open air building. if you're indoors, whether that's in a restroom or whether that's in a club space. you're really indoors and you should have your mask on. on saturday. the niners will welcome back. some 20,000 fans inside the squeaky-clean stadium. >> for a practice on boyd clarke day and then 70,000 fans a week later for the first pre season game. >> there are no rules per se about physical distancing. but the indoor mask mandate will be enforced as general manager jim or cure. yeah, i mean, we listen. this is a highly technical stadium, right. there's cameras everywhere this personnel everywhere. but let's i would not like to have to go to i really appreciate people. >> having the respect of each other and mindful of just putting on your mask and in the u.s. where we don't have to go to those levels. the forty-niners are no doubt hoping new attractions. like the reopening of the team muse

monica gandhi explains.pe moderna will begin the first human trials of an hiv vaccine that uses mrna technology. >> the same technology to develop the effective covid-19 vaccines. she says this hiv vaccine is expected to work in the same way idea. mrna technology is to take a piece of the virus, you know, for covid it's the spike protein and for ha be it's a little piece of the hiv virus. >> and you yourself make the protein in your body which makes you have high levels of that protein. and then you raise an immune response against it next month. moderna will begin the hiv vaccine trials and 56 adults ranging in ages from 18 to 50 years old. all of whom do not have hiv. >> the participants will test to combinations of the vaccine and be monitored for signs of immune response in any adverse effects. this idea it when you've already started primate looks good. and now we're moving in over trials. >> is the hope is that we, the person who gets the vaccine makes their own immune response. but club probably due t

he probably knows these people, monica gandhi is the university of california-san francisco, michael mena who's an epidemiologist at harvard, professor gandhi had brought up an issue, she -- one of her very important discussions has been surrounding the b-cell durability where the, from a nature magazine article from 2008 think had, i think it was 32 people they were able to sterile isolate the b-cells and show -- from the 1918 epidemic. and she was even able, they were able to show all the reactivity with more modern versions of the virus. and that was kind of interesting and made me think of you right away. and, of course, now we're seeing a lot of her work is coming down the pike right now as far as defending the pfizer vaccine against immediate requirements for boosters even though, of course, with the delta variant there will probably be thiess with immuno-suppressed subsidies sometimes soon, what israel's doing now. with dr. america ena, i think that one thing that hasn't been discussed very well and it's been kind of off the radar screen, but dr. eric to poll at scripps has br