April 22, 2022
Dear Members of the Baylor College of Medicine Community,
It likely will not surprise you that the first topic in this week’s video is masks, or more specifically, the politics of masks. Some places are reinstating mask mandates and airlines are following a federal judge’s opinion that mask mandates are not needed. I have some opinions as well.
The world now has surpassed half a billion known coronavirus cases. That number probably represents 20 percent of all cases. About 11.4 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, including 1.7 billion boosters or additional doses. That half the planet is vaccinated and a lot of the world’s population has been infected is likely the reason for the case numbers falling.
The U.S. is having a small spike and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is not predicting a surge here. I still think we will see an uptick in a couple of weeks.
There is plenty of news this week concerning vaccines, treatments and a potential new treatment for seriously ill COVID patients.
I hope you have a great weekend. Stay safe.
Paul Klotman, M.D.
President & CEO
Executive Dean
