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July 7, 2020 - Dennis Prager Show
06:50
Dr. Briese: What is the Best Treatment for Covid-19?
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So I asked you, Dr. Brees, a tough question, but if you were emperor of Texas, what would be your policy?
First thing, I get a really nice hat so I fit in.
I think the key thing to do is to isolate the vulnerable and those who are with them and then open up the economy, otherwise.
Because we're seeing some really ill effects to a strategy of basically trying to shut Texas and America down in many, many ways.
We know that the people who are really at risk of dying of COVID, and there are certainly populations that are folks like asthmatics, folks like those in nursing homes, older folks with a lot of comorbid conditions, and those people and those who interact directly with them.
It should take voluntary steps to self-isolate.
And then I would encourage everything else to open up because we're seeing a tremendous number of ill effects of the current strategy.
Even if you just look at health, forget about economics.
I've seen patients present late for heart attacks in ways that we didn't have the same strategies available to reduce their weakness and shortness of breath that they're going to have for the rest of their lives because they were afraid to come in and they were afraid of COVID.
I've seen strokes present late when we don't have the opportunity to give them good treatments.
I've seen, I had a patient present late for a leg infection that we ended up having to recommend amputation for because they were afraid of this one disease that has a mortality rate.
I mean, it's important to put things in perspective.
It's a significant issue.
COVID-19.
And it has a lot of...and I think 130,000 people, plus or minus, have passed away.
It's a very significant illness.
But in the United States, you know, 2.8 million people die every year.
And the mortality rate, if someone gets COVID, the mortality rate is perhaps, you know, 0.1 to 0.5% overall.
Once we get all the data back, once we do surveillance studies of antibodies, my guess is that's where it's going to be.
In Texas, it's going to be about 1% of people.
If you get a heart attack, your chances of dying are 14% in the United States.
If you get cancer, your chances of dying of that disease are 30%.
So while it is important and we need to do everything right for the patients and do intensive therapy on those that need it, a strategy of isolating everyone is very ineffective and has so many ill effects.
The rate of suicide goes up if you cause an economic crash.
And we're seeing so many others arrive late for diseases that we could have prevented and could have intervened with because they're so afraid of a disease that is far less risky to them.
Well, obviously I'm in agreement.
Let me ask you two things that I have no idea what your answer would be.
What is your take on hydroxychloroquine?
I think the data is mixed.
I don't think it's clear whether it is effective or ineffective.
I've seen studies going both ways.
And I would neither suggest it nor go after anyone who did, because we just don't know enough to know if it's helpful.
Well, I'll put you on the spot, which is not a problem, but I admit it, I am.
So if a loved one had it in the first five days, would you recommend it or not?
I probably wouldn't.
I'd go with steroids.
I think the data is better for steroids at this point.
If you'd asked me that two or three months ago, I would have said let's try the hydroxychloroquine because the early studies looked more promising.
And that's the sort of dynamic situation that you're in with experts.
And experts only know as much as humanity knows.
And we don't know a ton about this disease.
We know more than we did.
And so we're all, you know, you have to keep changing what you're going to be doing, which is why people should be very tolerant of a whole range of strategies that people are trying because everything is experimental until you've done.
Many clinical trials.
My other question was, did you have any young patients who got very sick?
Yes.
I had a couple, but not very many.
Asthmatics have a hard time with the disease sometimes.
Because their lungs are compromised to begin with?
Yes, and the way that the disease works is particularly difficult for them and a few others.
Certain long-term respiratory conditions.
But the mortality from this disease is, and these are trends, like there's obviously exceptions to everything I'm saying, but it's much more disease of the old in terms of mortality, not in terms of people getting it.
Right, exactly.
And much more disease of people with lots of hormones.
Which is why you would open up Texas.
Absolutely.
If you crash the economy, so many other things go badly.
I worry about the rate of suicide.
We're starting to see more people come in.
By the way, I know that.
I am curious then.
What is the most effective drug that you're now using?
Oxygen supplementation.
I know that sounds like a cop-out answer, but really it's about oxygen supplementation is the most effective thing that we're seeing.
Doing things to sort of prevent this sort of...
Small lung collapse that happens with pressure in the lungs.
That's the most effective strategy.
So when you send these people home who do have it, you're not giving them any prescription?
No, I'm giving them stuff so they feel better.
I was, you know, I was answering in terms of, you know.
Right, no, no, I understand.
I was just curious.
Oh, I give them, oh yeah, I give them ibuprofen and Tylenol to make them feel better.
I'll give them cough suppressant.
I'll give them, you know, stuff like that.
Most people, for the vast majority of people, the disease is uncomfortable and will not be a big deal.
For a narrow but significant slice of the population, a significant slice that for the most part we can predict, it is a significant disease and they need to be careful.
And we should adopt strategies that reflect that.
We shouldn't shut down all of America.
Yes, exactly.
That has a tremendously negative effect.
You just look at the health effects.
As I said, we're having people not show up for diseases that really need intervention, that have much higher mortality rates.
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