Hello and welcome to PBS.

39 in WLVT Arts Community Update on coronavirus.

It's presented by Capital e Cross and brought to you wh help from our community par Lehigh Valley Health Netwo.

We are coming to you live m the Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

I'm Zoom callsBritny Sween.

This is our final week for community update on coronas through lockdown surges ane development of vaccines.

We've asked the experts hoo stay safe in the fight agat Covid-19 significant progrs in containing the virus is bringing our show to a clo.

But there's more to cover before our final episode on Friday.

Our guests today include an intensive care physician.

And with schools winding dn after a year like no other, we'll welcome a representae of Pennsylvania largest Our guests will b with us n just a moment.

If you have a question, yon give a call.

The phone number is four et four eight two one zero zeo zero eight.

We'll answer some of your questions live.

Plus, for the latest coronaviruses updates, youn sign up for our newsletter.

Do that at our website coronavirus Lehigh Valley .

There you'll find helpful information in Englis and Spanish.

Now let's take a look at today's top headlines.

Today's the fifth straight.

The state reported fewer tn 500 new coronavirus cases across Pennsylvania.

The percentage of positive Covid-19 tests has droppedo 2.9%, the seventh consecute week of declines.

Hospital patients also are down.

The state recorded 496 new cases today and 22 more de.

The death toll now from Covid-19 is 27,400 and 17.

A vote by the state House f Representatives has brought Governor Tom Wolf Sal Panto disaster emergency one step closer to ending.

The Republican controlled e voted alon party lines to t the disaster declaration.

It now goes to the sentencr consideration.

Senate approval would put regulations that have been suspended or waived back io effect.

It also could affect certan food subsidies.

Also half of the US populan ages 12 and up are now fuly vaccinated, according to te CDC.

The data comes just a month after the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine was authorized in children as young as 12.

The CDC says over 140 milln people, about 50.1 percentf the eligible population are fully vaccinated.

More than 171 million peopn the US have received at lea first dose.

It is time now to meet our guests for the day.

Dr Jennifer Ravella is chif critical care medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Netwo.

The past 16 months have bea roller coaster ride.

We're also joined by Chris Lilienthal.

He's a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Educatin Association.

Thank youoth so much for joining us.

Mr Lilienthal, we will be h you in just a few minutes.

We're going to begin todayh Dr Ravella.

Doctor, first off, I want o thank you and your colleags for all that you do and ale time spent helping us out n this show.

Giving us the information e really need.

Thank you.

It's our pleasure.

It's really been a pleasure throughout this past year a half to have that voice of reason throughout this pandemic.

Now, we've spoken to you be your hospital capacity abot your hospital capacity anda crush of Covid-19 patientsn the past.

It's been a while since wee talked.

So let's start there.

What's it like now?

Give us an idea of what's happening in the hospital d especially how the intensie care units are managing the caseload right now.

I'm happy to report that or numbers continue to declin.

Our hospital missions in particular for ICU as well.

It's really nice to not hao focus energy solely on Covd patients.

We are still seeing our rer critically ill patients, bt Covid numbers have declined significant.

So the most severe cases ae these older folks right no.

Who were you seeing come through the intensive caret at this time?

We've actually seen a chane from when one last year whe we were at to this year wee two.

We had previously seen a lf elderly folks coming in and this time we've actually sa lot more.

The younger population, 30, 40s, 50s, So we've had ourr share of younger patients coming through the ICU this time, which is really time, which is reallydishe.

But the numbers again are n the decline.

And are these people who require a ventilator or may have to go on one?

Yes, even with the younger, we always try to avoid the ventilator if needed and we could.

But of for some reason peoe will still progress and ree ventilation.

So whether you were 30, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90, we've actuy put any of the ages on ventilators to support them through dlls.

Dr Ravella, across the stae there's about 170 people iU statewide.

What does that look like?

What percentage of that orw many people are there at LN LVHN in the ICU at this ti?

Currently across all of our campuses, we probably havea few dozen hospitalized pats and of those less than hale in the ICU.

And of those just maybe tw, three, four patients are on ventilators at this point.

Dr Ravella, a lot of information is learned abot Covid-19 in a relatively st amount of time the past yer and a half.

So what we know now about treatment of Covid-19 when people are in the ICU thate didn't know a year and a hf ago, we you're right.

We changed a lot of how we approach care for our pati.

We continue to treat them w with antivirals and steroi, which is the mainstay treat we have monoclonal antibodo help take care of Flemingta response as well.

Different techniques usingo AstraZeneca ArtsQuest ventilators to help our patients.

Convalescent plasma was paf that therapy for a while we learned what didn't work as well, including Hydroxychloroquine, which s what you how we started ova year and a half ago.

And Dr Ravella, I know that because of your line of wo, you were one of the first person here in the people e in the Lehigh Valley, I shd say, to get vaccinated.

So how have vaccine change?

How you do things in the It this point and the amount f people coming in?

I think vaccines have realy changed Tower City anyone coming into the hospital.

We're not seeing any paties in the ICU at this point.

If we do it, maybe even onn a severe case with a lot of immunocompromised states.

But vaccines work.

I believe in this Lyons I We are not seein patients coming into the requiring y level of care like that.

I was just going to ask abt that.

Are you seeing vaccinated people come into the ICU?

You said maybe one person y once in a while.

So what should people be sd know about that?

Does that prove that these vaccines are so effective vaccines are.

I truly believe in the scie of the vaccine and we knowt no, they're not 100%, but y do prevent serious illnessd that's the one thing we wat avoid.

No one wants to die from ts illness so we can get our vaccine.

Be sure it's going to prevt serious illness.

It's going to prevent hospitals.

And I would highly recommed anyone eligible to get a vaccine to go ahead and get that.

Is there any concern right?

You see, so many things returning to quote unquote normal at this point.

A lot of events that are happening, sports events, t kind of thing, school graduations, and in some cs a lot of cases at this poi.

A lot of people are if it's outside or not, wearing a k is there any concern about people letting their guardn at this point?

I think as health care wor, we were always concerned at every holiday or every gathering that was going to occur in large part becausf that reason.

We still we've made so much progress getting vaccines.

We've done a significant at of the population, but we l have a significant amount o go.

And I don't think to let or guard down to the vaccine patients be allowed to tryo drop our masks.

Of course they have proteco However, we don't know if everyone is unmasked, is ty vaccinated for unvaccinate.

So we still have to be carl with who we're hanging out with.

I think we can't really ten large crowds, for example,e just don't know.

And what have vaccines meat for you and the people thau work with?

I imagine the atmosphere rt now in the ICU, I'm sure is always you know, it's very serious there.

But at this point, with moe people vaccinated, did whas kind of the atmosphere throughout the hospital, I imagine it's different thaa year ago.

You're right.

I think if we're looking aa year ago when there were so much to learn, so much unkn factors, there is a littlet of fear.

There was a high level of having heard and a constand take care of patients thate is high levels of Covid saw that again for way to put e vaccines have changed that point.

We're not seeing the high levels in the ICU.

We're not only caring for d patients, we're caring for regular ICU patients and we seeing patients living thrh their illnesses which chans our Orale.

I think a lot of people are still feeling very it was t of emotional and physical physical aspects put forthd caring for patients.

And it's finally at a point where we can take a not taa break, but see that really where we're not inundated h Covid patients.

In a couple of minutes, wee going to be talking about schools, students, teachers from a medical standpoint,o you think in the fall studt are able to go back to clas five days a week, full in-person?

I can tell you my thoughtss both a mom and a physician having experienced the reme hybrid and nearly full schl for my kids as well.

As my experience with pati.

So I think I would love toe our children and full time.

I think it's going to be a collaboration for everybod, which I know the school sys have been Tower City to mae everything as best as posse for staff, teachers and students.

But I would love to see th.

And with guidance from theC or from asking and what's appropriate for socia distancing.

And of course we've learned throughout this past year a half that the coronavirus doesn't impact children as severely as it does at adus most of the time.

So why the big push to gets 12 and older vaccinated ats point?

I think we're still going o see potential changes, maye more variance and how that might affect children.

We still have children that live with their parents and maybe even grandparent.

So as much as we try to Bee Sanders don't I think that should be for children.

I had my 12-year-old vaccid second vaccine on June 5thd my other asking when can ty get theirs because they hae seen the news and they have seen the severity of Covid Campo's even if it's not te children as to what they co for their part to help pret illness from going.

Even so, Dr Ravella, you wt through the process of getg your children vaccinated.

Can you walk us through tht process, what you took into consideration?

What kind of things did you weigh and in making that decision?

Because there's a lot of parents, I think at this pt who are on the fence.

You know, they were eager o get themselves vaccinated,t now they're like, I don't , it's still only emergency .

I don't know if I should vaccinate my children.

What would you say to those people?

What was your process like?

I did spend time looking ae information available juste I did for myself.

Because it has to be rightr you.

You have to go shopping.

And I didn't want to suggey something that he didn't believe in or understand.

So I was open with him.

I explained what the vaccie was, how it was going or ht was going to feel because e are potential side effectst you can experience and I wd him to be ready.

Thankfully, he was ready.

So I was happy to support .

But I wanted him to undersd before making that final decision.

Sure, sure.

Absolutely.

And what do you think about masks in schools?

How do we approach that situation come the fall?

Do youhink that it should e mandated or should it be a school by Schuylkill a casr something?

That's a blanket for all schools?

It's a great question and I don't have the right answer you.

I think my comfort level ad knowing that there's not at of spread that we've seen.

But again, and it depends n what is the positive rate n your communities, what is e spread rate in the communi, what areas are so well, kis wear masks most likely untI see what the fall is goingo bring us.

Do you think masks are hero stay in general?

I mean, they've done a numr not only on containing coronavirus, but the numbes when it comes to the flu ad flu season basically being nonexistent proves that mas have worked.

So do you think that they e here to stay?

I would love for them to be here to stay in the winter months because I think if d simultaneous flu cases, Cod cases, I think that would e really bad.

Health care workers Gracede the masks didn't work.

We didn't see the half of e virus that we normally see.

And when we're going back n our homes or in our stores where there's going to be larger, larger amounts of people and that spread cane been my thought is it woule very helpful to have mask n the winter months.

We know that these respiray viruses come out.

I know that we've talked at helping during the allergy season.

So those masks help duringe allergy season as well.

Dr Jennifer Ravella from Lh Valley Health Network.

As always, thank you so muh for weighing in today.

And we continue this commuy update on coronavirus on P. And you can hear the rebroadcast on the radio tonight at nine 30 on 91 te WLVT.

Now let's bring in our next guest.

Chris Lilienthal is assistt director of communicationsr the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

A group that represents 180 teacherstatewide.

Chris, thanks so much for joining us.

Thank you so much for havig me.

It's great to have you the.

So much to talk about whent comes to schools and safet.

The PSEA obviously has a lf influence from a board perspective.

What are PSEA priorities ar a year unlike anything we'e experienced before?

Let's start there today.

Well, there's no question s has been a year like no ot.

Let me tell you, our top priorities really continueo be two things.

One is making sure that students and staff continuo be safe in their school buildings and the second io make sure that students academic learning as well s the mental health and emotl needs are met in the school setting another big priorie have as an organization gog into the new school year is making sure that we are ina place to be able to back be back in school, in the classroom, full in person,a safe way at all.

The signs are pointing to t being a very real possibily and that's a top priority r our organization.

As we go forward.

Sure.

And at this point, it tooka while to get students and teachers back into the classroom over the past yer so.

How is that being going now that most schools are backo in-person learning?

What have you heard from te teachers?

Well, you know, as we lookt April, May, when more schos were shifting from a remote instruction to hybrid or fm hybrid to more in person, e reaction we got from so maf our members was was just j.

They were just really happo be back in the classroom, u know, in-person with their students to be able to see their faces even even thouh they were wearing masks, te able to see them face to f, to look them in the eye ano work with them.

I really think it and I knw you talked a lot about this with Dr Ravella.

The vaccine availability wa game changer.

It was a huge turning poin.

It created an environment n our schools where we could bring more studes back.

We could do that in a safey and we keep our staff and r families safe.

And that was really the crf of what we were focused onl year.

How do we how do we maintan this learning environment a way that keeps everyone san terms of masks?

Big debate right now over s in school.

Of course, many schools requiring them right now, t some places, some districts which is close to here, the opped those masking requirements.

So what is PSEA have to say about that?

What where do you kind of n that?

Is it a school by school decision?

A district by district or s there a blanket ruling for that?

Well, what PSEA all along throughout this pandemic is that we really need to folw the guidelines and the adve that we're getting from our public health experts.

So we look to the CDC, we k to the Pennsylvania Departt of Health and we rely on te scientists to tell us whats the right course for our schools.

And right now, the CDC has recommended that schools continue to maintain their requirements through the ef this current school year.

Additional guidance is expd over the summer and we look forward to reviewing that.

We look forward to seeing further guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

But right now we would stry urge school districts to continue to keep math requirements in place per e CDC recommendation.

And just yesterday, state guidance emphasized kids between the ages of two an1 should wear masks with so y schools.

I think most schools goingk to in-person learning in te fall.

Do you think this is goingo be a larger issue as we moe throughout the summer?

Well, again, we look forwao seeing what the CDC says.

We also know the governor s set a goal for lifting the statewide mask mandate.

You know, we're certainly watching what the vaccine s are.

You know, now now we've opd it up to children 12 to 15.

Dr Fauci recentlyaid that e hopefully by the end of the year a more children will e access to the vaccine.

So we really need to see wt happens and to follow those guidelines.

I do think that no matter t happens when we return to school in August and Septe, we will need to continue to follow mitigation practice, whether that's asking socil distancing, blending the t, it isn't over.

We're moving closer to norl and think we're striking e right balance.

But we cannot take our eyef the ball at this point.

We cannot put our studentsd staff at unnecessary risk.

Of course, local districtst the local level, of course, have the wherewithal to sa, you know, we're going to do this, we're going to do th.

They have that decision mag power.

Do you think that that's te right way to go or do you k there should be more of a d and fast rule?

The state says everybody ho do this at this point.

Well, Pennsylvania is a lol Well, Pennsylvania is a lo.

So what that means is we he 500 school districts in eah school district, has its on school board and its own sf leaders and the approach oe governor is taken is that h school district is response for implementing safety protocols.

And we do think that is the right way to go.

We have been very clear throughout the year.

Our local leaders working closely with superintendens and other administrators, y have made it very clear the need to be following the guidance that we get from e state Department of Health, from the CDC.

We need to be maintaining social distancing, having d sanitation practices in pl, enforcing those mandates sr members will continue to py that role and be that voicr safety.

But that is how our system works.

And we do think that is the right approach.

And at this point, are all teachers still wearing mass because kids are wearing ms or if they're vaccinated, n they takthe masks off?

What's kind of happening t?

And what are you hearing fm teachers along those lines?

Along those masking lines?

Are our students even follg well to your first questio, yes, teachers are continuio wear masks.

That is the guidance and actually the mandate from e State Department of Healtht this point that those mass requirements continue to bn place in schools, even for those who are vaccinated.

And to your second questio, when we started the school year,any of our members and myself included thought, oy gosh, we're going to have h a difficult time getting students to keep their mass on.

But what we found is that students get even the very young students, the first graders, the second grader, they understand how signift this is and what we've head from members of the studens have been very cooperative about wearing masks.

They recognize that it's intended to keep them safeo keep their friends safe, to keep the teacher safe.

Great student performance d learning los It's something we've hearda lot about throughout this pandemic.

Is there any way to to quay that, to take a look at th, the impact of that?

It's had remote learning ad kids not being in the clasm for so long.

Yeah, well, first there's o doubt that this pandemic hs had an impact on student achievement and that's recognized not just here in Pennsylvania but nationall.

The American rescue plan, e stimulus package passed by Congress earlier this year signed into law by Presidet Biden, provides significant federal resources to schooo address this issue.

What I would say is that Id encourage people to think t it more along the lines of delayed learning and learng loss, students continue to learn this year, teachers continue to teach.

There is no learning loss t occur.

But what did occur is that because the disruptions ofs pandemic, we didn't get the cover as much material as e normally would.

So students are behind.

So we need to be focused ow we bridge those gaps, how e accelerate learning.

So many districts are lookg at summer programs, summer learning programs.

They're putting into place programs for the fall after school programs, one on one tutoring where students nea little extra help to kind f bring their skills up to ge level in.

It's a huge, huge endeavord it's not something that's g to be fixed in a day or wer a month.

It's going to take time and that's the good news ishate have an American rescue pl.

We have these plans taking shape and educators are plg a role helping to shape the learning programs that stus of course, with that come summer school, a lot of kis enrolling in summer schoole than ever before because of that learning delay here ad more funding going toward summer school as well thano federal funding.

So the question is, do you foresee year round school n Pennsylvania ever happeninn our future?

Yeah, you're absolutely ri.

There is more summerearning programs happening this yer than ever before and we thk that's a good thing.

I do think there is a difference between year rod schooling and talking about summer learning programs.

There's a lot of things tht happen during summer break where students learn when y go to camp, when they go swimming, when they camp ot with Boy Scouts or Girl Sc, all of those types of activities are great.

Just being outside with friends.

These are all opportunitier students to learn.

So I think we'll always hae our summer breaks with us.

But we don't have to.

You don't have to be mutuay exclusive.

We can have summer fun and summer learning happening alongside each other.

A couple of years ago, onef our members, a teacher from outside Philadelphia, forma group called Teachers in te Park where you got it getsa few of his colleagues toger over the summer and they mt up with students in local a parks and they do little lessons and they play game.

And it's just an opportunio kind of get together and kp that learning happening ovr the summer.

I think that's going to be really important beyond and beyond the pandemic.

Chris, we only have a litte bit of time, but I would be remiss to not mention the mental toll that has been n on teachers, of course, our health care workers, but or teachers have been throughe wringer as well.

Could you just quickly menn that what have what the teachers are going through right now?

Yeah, this has been you kn, the teachers I talked to, s has been the toughest yearf their careers, no doubt abt it.

And one of the things thatA has tried to remind them is self care.

And it's hard to make timer self care, but we've triedo provide webinars and opportunities to gather together from remote locats to to just exchange ideas d of vent a little bit and jt hear each other out and be there for each other.

And that's really importan.

Chris Lilienthal from PSEA, thank you so much for joing us today.

Thank you.

And we want to thank our gs for being with us and you r joining us for Community Ue on Coronavirus will be bacn Friday, four o'clock with r final show catching up wh e of our very first guests to Covid-19 survivor who spent eight days on a ventilator.

If you have a question, yon leave it on our website, PBS39.org.

On social media or give usa call and leave it there.

The phone number is 44 eigt two one zero zero zero four PBS39 and WLVT hour news.

I'm Zoom callsBrittany Swey