New models from UB show flattened COVID curve in Erie County

GOOD EVENING ONCEAGAIN -- NEW DATASHOWS SOCIALDISTANCING ISKEEPING PEOPLESAFE IN WESTERNNEW YORK... DESPITEERIE COUNTY SEEINGA NEW HIGH INHOSPITALIZATIONSTHIS WEEK.DOCTORS AT U-BRELEASED THESENEW MODELS TODAY --SHOWING HOWIMPORTANT SOCIALDISTANCING IS TOKEEPING THE CURVEFLAT.AND EXPERTS SAY WEMUST REMAINVIGILANT IF WE WANTTO CONTINUE TO STOPTHE SPREAD OFCOVID-19.HERE'S 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS SENIORREPORTER EILEENBUCKLEYDR. PETERWINKLESTEIN."BASICALLY WE'REFLAT...WE'RE NOTFOLLOWING THISEXPONENTIAL CURVES- THOSE SCARYCURVES."' ''ONE DAY AFTER ERIECOUNTY EXECUTIVEMARK POLONCARZSTATED WE WERE"GOING IN THE WRONGDIRECTION" WITH ASPIKE IN COVID-19HOSPITALIZATIONS....UB'S DR. PETERWINKLESTEIN JOINEDERIE COUNTY'SHEALTHCOMMISSIONER TOSHOW UPDATEDMODELS...WITH AFLATTENED CURVE...PETER WINLESTEIN."WE BASICALLY DODGEBULLETS HERE.

WE DIDNOT FOLLOW ANY OFTHESE EXPONENTIALRISES AND WE DID NOTOVERWHELM - SO FAR -DID NOT OVERWHELMOUR HEALTH CARESYSTEM."STILL, AS THIS PASTTUESDAY...THERE ARE253 PATIENTSHOSPITALIZED WITHCOVID IN THECOUNTY... A SLIGHTDROP THE RECORDHIGH 258 THE DAYBEFORE.BUT THE SEVERITY OFTHE ILLNESS REMAINSA BIG CONCERN...DR. WINKLESTEIN."UNFORTUNATELYMANY OF THE PATIENTSWHO ARE ILL AREQUITE ILL AND ABOUTHALF OF THE PATIENTSTHAT ARE IN THEHOSPITAL WITHCOVID-19 - IN ANY ONETIME - ARE IN THEINTENSIVE CARE UNITAND MOST OF THOSEARE ON VENTILATORS."THE UB RESEARCHERSAYS A FLATTENEDCURVE SHOWSPEOPLE GOT THEMESSAGE ABOUTSOCIAL DISTANCING....I ASKED HEALTHCOMMISSIONER DR.GALE BURSTEIN IFWESTERN NEWYORKERS AREGETTING DIFFERENTMESSAGES...EILEEN BUCKLEY.

"ITHINK PEOPLE AREGETTING A MIXEDMESSAGE.?"DR. GALE BURSTEIN."WE'RE GOING TO SEEBLIPS AND WE'REGOING TO SEE FLATDAYS...WHERE WE AREABOVE THAT LINE."THE MODELS ALSOINDICATED THREEIMPORTANT POINTS TOMOVE FORWARD...DR. WINKELSTEIN.

"OURBUSINESSES HAVE GOTTO BE SAFE FOR US.WE HAVE TO BE VERYSAFE IN OURBEHAVIORS AND WENEED THE RESOURCESFOR GOOD TESTINGAND CONTACTTRACING."WHILE THESE MODELSARE CONSIDER GOODNEWS... THE EXPERTSSAY IT WON'T GETBETTER UNTIL AVACCINE IS CREATED.AND THEY WARN --YOU CANNOT LETYOUR GUARD DOWNWHEN YOU LEAVEYOUR HOME...DR.WINKLESTEINDEMONSTRATED HOWWEARING A MASK WILLBE PART OF OUR NEWNORMAL...DR. PETERWINKLESTEIN.

"THIS ISTHE KIND OF STUFF WEHAVE TO GET USE TO..."IN BUFFALO, EILEENBUCKLEY, 7EWN.