♪♪♪ SUPPORT FOR NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON IS PROVIDED BY SENATOR WILLIAM H. HERNSTADT AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING SPONSORS.

>> KIPP ORTENBURGER: THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN FOR MONTHS, AND IT IS STILL HAVING A DEADLY IMPACT.

DR. SHADABA ASAD HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF NEVADA'S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19.

SHE IS UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER'S DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SERVED ON THE GOVERNOR'S MEDICAL ADVISORY TEAM DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND IS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT THE KIRK KERKORIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UNLV, A POSITION FOR WHICH SHE WAS AWARDED OUTSTANDING CLINICAL FACULTY.

DR. ASAD, WELCOME.

-THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

-IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.

WE'VE DONE A LOT OF INTERVIEWS ON THE SHOW.

IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE WANTED TO HAVE YOU ON HERE BECAUSE REALLY, YOU STARTED OUR CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE COVID PANDEMIC AND WE'RE OBVIOUSLY CONTINUING THOSE CONVERSATIONS OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.

I WANTED TO COME BACK TO OUR FIRST INTERVIEW THAT WE HAD IN JANUARY OF 2020.

WE DID A SHOW THAT WAS "IS THIS GOING TO BE A LARGE PANDEMIC?"

WE SPENT MOST OF OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT COVID-19 BECAUSE AT THAT STAGE, WE DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE ANY MORE THAN WHAT SARS WAS BEFORE H1N1 WAS; OF COURSE THE SCOPE HAS BEEN MUCH GREATER.

I WANTED YOU TO REFLECT ON THAT, AND LET'S COME BACK AND REVISIT THAT MOMENT AND WHERE WE ARE NOW.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR REFLECTIONS?

>> DR. SHADABA ASAD: YOU KNOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN THAT MUCH TIME, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PANDEMIC FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF NOW.

WHEN I THINK BACK TO THAT INTERVIEW, I HONESTLY DO CRINGE AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SAID BACK THEN.

I THINK WE ALL HOPED THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO BE MUCH MORE.

FRANKLY NONE OF US HAD EVER SEEN A PANDEMIC, THAT WAS A CENTURY AGO, AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SHORT-LIVED, AT THE WORST SOMETHING LIKE THE FIRST SARS PANDEMIC WHICH LASTED FOR A SHORT TIME, DID NOT RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT MORTALITY, MORBIDITY.

BUT BOY, WERE WE WRONG ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW.

SO MANY MONTHS NOW, AND WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDST OF IT.

WE'RE IN A BETTER POSITION THAN WE WERE, BUT WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH IT.

-WHAT DO YOU THINK WE MISSED WAY BACK THEN?

I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON IT NOW, ARE THERE CERTAIN INDICATORS THAT MAYBE WE COULD HAVE LOOKED AT AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE MUCH BIGGER THAN SOME OF OUR OTHER POTENTIAL PANDEMICS HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST?

-YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE ACTUALLY MISSED ANYTHING, BUT MAYBE SOME OF THE MESSAGE.

THAT'S THE IMPRESSION A LOT OF PEOPLE GET BECAUSE THE MESSAGES THAT WERE PUT OUT BY POLICYMAKERS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, EVERYBODY, THEY INCLUDED MEDICAL INFORMATION BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO ALARM THE PUBLIC THAT MUCH.

THOSE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD KNEW THAT INFECTIONS CAN GET WORSE, BUT BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE HAD AT THAT TIME, WE WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING WE COULD DO TO CONTROL WHAT WAS GOING ON AND YET NOT ALARM THE PUBLIC THAT MUCH.

I THINK THAT'S WHY THE MESSAGE SOUNDED MILD.

-LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND LET'S MAYBE LOOK IN THE FUTURE.

-YES, MUCH BETTER.

-AND I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHEN THAT MIGHT HAPPEN ACTUALLY, TOO.

BUT LET'S LOOK AT WHEN THE PANDEMIC IS OVER.

WHAT'S CHANGED?

I MEAN, ARE THERE CULTURAL ASPECTS YOU THINK OF HOW WE APPROACH PUBLIC HEALTH IN GENERAL BUT SOMETHING LIKE AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DIFFERENTLY NOW?

-I THINK ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT NOW, PEOPLE HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPACT A GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM CAN HAVE ON A COUNTRY, A STATE, A CITY IN GENERAL.

SO I THINK ONE THING THIS PANDEMIC HAS TAUGHT US IS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM WAS NOT ROBUST ENOUGH TO IMMEDIATELY DEAL WITH A PANDEMIC LIKE THIS, SO THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE DURING THIS PANDEMIC HOPEFULLY WILL BE CONTINUED INTO THE FUTURE.

I THINK IT HAS CHANGED OUR PUBLIC IN GENERAL AS WELL ALSO.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT IS THAT THE NEXT TIME-- HOPEFULLY IT WON'T HAPPEN FOR A VERY LONG TIME-- BUT IF IT EVER HAPPENS THAT THERE WAS AN OUTBREAK OF A NEW VIRAL INFECTION, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BEFORE WE EVEN HEAR IT FROM ANY PERSON IN AUTHORITY IS WE'RE ALL GOING TO WHIP OUR MASKS OUT AND PUT THEM ON AGAIN.

THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK WE'VE ALL LEARNED.

WE'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT THINGS CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY WHEN IT COMES TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

WHAT MIGHT BE RELATIVELY MILD IN THE BEGINNING AS TIME GOES ON WILL CHANGE.

I THINK WE LEARNED TO BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE, NOT JUST THINK IN TERMS OF THINGS BEING BLACK AND WHITE AND FOCUS ON THE INFORMATION, THE CLINICAL DATA THAT IS AVAILABLE AND MAKE BETTER CHOICES.

-YES, IT'S A GREAT POINT, AND BACK TO THE MASKS.

I MEAN, I DO THINK WE ARE IN A PERIOD NOW WHERE THE MASKS WILL COME ON RIGHT AWAY.

IT IS SO MUCH OF OUR CULTURE AND SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE'RE JUST GOING TO SEE IN GENERAL LIFE MORE ON PLANES AND IN PLACES WHERE WE ARE CLOSE TO PEOPLE, WE MIGHT SEE MORE OF THAT.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT VACCINE HESITANCY.

-CAN I JUST ADD ONE MORE THING.

-YES, ABSOLUTELY.

-I DON'T THINK WE'RE EVER GOING TO GET COMFORTABLE SHAKING HANDS ANYMORE EITHER.

I THINK WE'RE ALL GOING TO DO FIST BUMPS FOREVER FROM NOW.

THAT'S SAD, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE OTHER THING.

SAME FOR SPONTANEOUSLY HUGGING SOMEONE.

THERE IS THAT HESITANCY EVEN NOW WHEN HAVE VERY CLOSE FRIENDS WHO I KNOW ARE VACCINATED, SUDDENLY WE FORGET ABOUT IT AND WHEN WE GET CLOSE AND IT'S ABOUT FOUR INCHES, WE'RE LIKE OKAY, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH.

SO THINGS HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH.

EVEN LITTLE KIDS KNOW THESE THINGS NOW.

-IT'S TRUE, AND EVEN HAND-WASHING.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE BECOME SO MUCH MORE OBSESSIVE ABOUT HAND-WASHING, WHICH IS A GREAT THING.

-HAND SANITIZERS.

-NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT, MY HANDS FEEL DIRTY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I HAVEN'T WASHED THEM IN 15 MINUTES SO THAT'S A NEW THING TOO.

I DID WANT TO COME TO VACCINE HESITANCY.

YOU WERE QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THERE ARE A GOOD AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AGAINST VACCINATIONS, THEIR QUESTIONS HAVE JUST NOT BEEN ANSWERED.

THAT'S AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE, AND I WANT TO GET MORE INSIGHT ON THAT.

AND TALK ABOUT WHERE THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY AND THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY MAYBE IS FALLING SHORT ON THAT, OR WHAT ARE WE MISSING?

-SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S LITERALLY A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF MAYBE 20 OR 25% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ADAMANTLY AGAINST RECEIVING ANY VACCINE, AND THESE PEOPLE WILL REALLY NOT WANT TO EVEN ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.

BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE APART FROM THIS GROUP ARE ACTUALLY HESITANT.

THEY ARE NOT-- I ACTUALLY HATE THAT WORD, ANTI-VAXXERS.

IT'S KIND OF DEROGATORY IN MY OPINION.

I BELIEVE THESE ARE HESITANT.

THESE ARE INTELLIGENT, THEY ARE WELL READ, WELL INFORMED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HESITANT TO RECEIVE THAT VACCINE ONLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE QUESTIONS THAT ARE UNANSWERED AS YET.

YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE WITH MY COLLEAGUES SEVERAL TOWN HALL MEETINGS TRYING TO HAVE A ONE-TO-ONE CONVERSATION WITH EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, AND MIND YOU THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE TO BE IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER TO NOT PATRONIZE THESE INDIVIDUALS.

MANY OF THEM MAY BE EVEN SMARTER THAN YOU, BUT THEY ARE GENUINELY ASKING FOR ANSWERS.

SO THE WAY YOU APPROACH THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR QUESTIONS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

IF YOUR INTENTION AS A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER OR A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSON IS TO ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE VACCINATION, TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY, RESPECTFULLY.

THEY'RE ASKING QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED.

INVARIABLY AFTER WE'VE DONE THESE TOWN HALLS, A LOT OF PEOPLE COME FORWARD AND GET VACCINATED.

I DO THINK IT'S BEING DONE, BUT MAYBE THERE'S JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE WITH TOO MANY QUESTIONS AND TOO FEW INDIVIDUALS ARE AVAILABLE TO ACTUALLY DO THAT ONE-TO-ONE CONVERSATION.

-LET'S TAKE THE NEXT STEP, AND OF COURSE WE'VE JUST DEALT WITH THE DELTA VARIANT AND WE HAD A LOT OF OUR UNVACCINATED RESIDENTS COMING DOWN WITH COVID.

THOSE WERE A LOT OF OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS.

YOU'VE ALSO MENTIONED A LOT OF REGRET WITH A LOT OF THOSE PATIENTS TOO, AND I WANT TO ASK YOU PERSONALLY, WHEN YOU'RE CONFRONTED WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST OR PHYSICIAN OR ANY PHYSICIAN OR ANY NURSE OR ANY HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, WHAT IS THAT LIKE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A PATIENT AND A FAMILY THAT HAS THAT REGRET AT THAT STAGE?

-YOU KNOW, I'LL BE HONEST TO YOU, KIPP.

I LITERALLY FEEL SPEECHLESS IN THOSE MOMENTS, RIGHT?

YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING IN THE FACES OF THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS AND UNFORTUNATELY EVEN IN THE FACE OF THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO IS DYING, AND YET THE LAST TOPIC YOU WANT TO BROACH RIGHT THERE AND THEN IS WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU GO GET VACCINATED, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY'RE ASKING THAT QUESTION OF THEMSELVES MANY TIMES OVER.

BUT AT THAT POINT, IT'S JUST SO HEARTBREAKING TO SEE THE LOSS OF LIFE THAT IS SO PREVENTABLE.

IT'S ALMOST HEARTACHING.

THERE'S JUST NO WAY TO DESCRIBE THAT FEELING, AND LATELY WE'VE STARTED SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE, RIGHT?

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WHEN AN ELDERLY PERSON PASSES ON THAT'S NOT A HUGE LOSS, BUT A YOUNG PERSON WHO HAS NO MEDICAL PROBLEMS, WHO LITERALLY JUST THOUGHT HE OR SHE DID NOT NEED A VACCINE, TO SEE SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL DYING.

WE'VE SEEN PREGNANT MOTHERS DIE.

YOUNG WOMEN WHO WERE HEALTHY, PREGNANT, CAUGHT COVID, DIED OF THAT DISEASE.

YOUNG MEN, NO MEDICAL PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER DYING, AND JUST TO SEE THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IS JUST BEYOND HEARTBREAKING.

-I WANT TO GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE MOTIVATIONS TO BECOME AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN.

I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME VERY HARD THINGS THAT YOU SEE.

OF COURSE THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVES I'M SURE, TOO.

WHY THE INTEREST IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES FIRST OFF?

-YOU KNOW, THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION HAS CHANGED OVER THE SEVERAL DECADES.

WHEN I WAS ASKED THIS THE VERY FIRST TIME WHEN I WAS GOING FOR AN INTERVIEW FOR A FELLOWSHIP POSITION IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES, MY PROFESSOR ASKED ME WELL, WHY ARE YOU COMING INTO INFECTIOUS DISEASES?

AND AT THAT TIME, I DIDN'T COME UP WITH A VERY ELOQUENT ANSWER, AND I ASKED HIM WELL, THE SKY IS BLUE, RIGHT?

WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?

I WISH I COULD HAVE EXPRESSED MYSELF BETTER AT THAT TIME.

BUT AS TIME HAS GONE ON I HAVE ASKED MYSELF WHAT HAS REALLY DRAWN ME TO THIS, AND BEFORE THIS PANDEMIC, IT WAS SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS I FIND IT INTRIGUING.

I FIND IT INTERESTING.

IN WHAT OTHER FIELD OF MEDICINE ARE YOU FACING AN ENEMY THAT IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND CHANGING, RIGHT?

MY HUSBAND'S A CARDIOLOGIST, SO NOTHING AGAINST CARDIOLOGISTS BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE SAME HEART DISEASE THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR DECADES.

NOW, WE GET BETTER AT TREATING IT, BUT THE DISEASE HASN'T EVOLVED OR CHANGED, RIGHT?

BUT LOOK AT INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

YOU CONSTANTLY SEE NEW BUGS.

THE THREAT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WAS LITERALLY JUST BUGS THAT WERE BECOMING MORE RESISTANT.

BUT THIS PANDEMIC I THINK REALLY CLARIFIED IN MY MIND WHY I BECAME AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE.

HERE WAS SOMETHING THAT NOBODY HAD HEARD OF BEFORE, I DON'T KNOW, SEPTEMBER OR AUGUST OF 2019, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE THING LITERALLY TOOK OVER OUR LIVES.

IT WAS FASCINATING.

I HAVE NEVER LIVED THROUGH A MAJOR DISEASE.

I HAD HEARD MY PROFESSORS TALK ABOUT THE AIDS WHEN IT FIRST STARTED AND HOW IT DEVASTATED THEM AND THE STEPS AS THEY GRADUALLY DISCOVERED WHAT IT WAS AND HOW TO TREAT.

I HAD HEARD ABOUT IT, IT SOUNDED FASCINATING BUT HAD NEVER SEEN IT.

BUT THIS PANDEMIC, I'VE LIVED THROUGH IT AND ONE DAY I'M GOING TO BE TALKING TO MY GRANDKIDS ABOUT IT.

SO THIS WAS IT FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES, TO A TARGET THAT IS EVOLVING, CHANGING, KEEPS YOU ON YOUR TOES, ALL THE INVESTIGATIVE WORK THAT GOES INTO UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS GOING ON.

THIS ASPECT WHERE YOU INTERACT WITH PATIENTS AND YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOU USE WHAT LITTLE KNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE-- BECAUSE I STILL FEEL I HAVE TONS TO LEARN-- AND HELP PEOPLE AROUND YOU.

SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

SO AS TIME HAS GONE ON, MY ANSWER HOPEFULLY IS GETTING BETTER.

-YES, AND I JUST WANT TO ASK REALLY QUICKLY TOO.

INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST HERE IN LAS VEGAS, HOW'S THAT BEEN?

-I HAVE LOVED IT.

I FELT WELCOMED IN LAS VEGAS, AND PARTICULARLY AT THE HOSPITAL I'M A PART OF AND THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE I WORK WITH IN A WAY I HAVE NEVER FELT IN ANY OTHER CITY.

AND THIS IS A VERY PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, NOTHING AGAINST ALL OF THOSE PLACES, BUT THIS IS HOW I HAVE FELT HERE BECAUSE I HAVE FELT NEEDED.

I HAVE FELT THAT MY CONTRIBUTIONS MADE A DIFFERENCE.

I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS IS A PLACE WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

THIS IS A CITY AND A STATE THAT IS YOUNG AND IS EVOLVING AND LEARNING.

EVEN IN THE EIGHT OR NINE YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, IT IS DAY AND NIGHT.

IT IS SO DIFFERENT.

I CAN'T EVEN WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT DECADE WILL BRING.

I BELIEVE NEVADA IS GOING TO BE AN AMAZING-- IS AN AMAZING PLACE AND WILL CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND AMAZE EVERYONE.

IT'S BEEN SO FULFILLING.

I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT.

-WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END THE INTERVIEW.

BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO END THERE.

WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.

WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME OF THESE RAPID-FIRE QUESTIONS.

FIRST OFF, FAVORITE PART OF THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY FOR YOU.

-OKAY.

IT'S A VERY SIMPLE ONE, ACTUALLY.

WHEN I DRIVE TO WORK IN THE MORNING OR I DRIVE BACK FROM WORK, WHAT I'M COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY WITH IS BY THE MOUNTAINS ON BOTH SIDES OF I-95.

IT IS STARK AND YET AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

I THOUGHT I WOULD MISS THE GREEN STUFF, BUT THIS IS MIND-BLOWING.

-YES.

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END OUR INTERVIEW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. ASAD.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

AND THANK YOU, OF COURSE, FOR JOINING US ON NEVADA WEEK.