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Where we're at and what's next in the coronavirus pandemic

There are still so many questions about COVID-19 - where we are at in the pandemic and where we are going.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Even eight months into the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, there are so many questions about where we're at and what is next. WFMY News 2's Maddie Gardner took some of those to Wake Forest Baptist Health's infectious disease expert, Dr. Christopher Ohl.

Are we in a second wave? Are we still in the first wave? Where are we at?

"If you look at the overall curves of the pandemic since it started in March and you look at the first wave coming up going back down and then another one in July, a little one, and now we have this bigger right now, yeah I would say we’re in a second wave," Dr. Ohl said.

What did you think when you saw the efficacy data for Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines?

"My initial thought was, 'Wow, that’s really good,' because if you look at other vaccines that we have, you know measles, mumps and rubella or MMR, it’s at right about 95% protective and it basically eliminated measles mumps and rubella from our hemisphere," Dr. Ohl said. "I really like it. What still has to come in is we need a little bit more safety data because that id still being analyzed but the early safety data looks good too. The Pfizer vaccine has a little bit of fever with it and then a little bit of soreness in the arm, but I think most of us would be more than happy to take a half a day of fever and a little bit of Tylenol in order to get vaccinated."

If you look into your "crystal ball," at this time next year, what does it look like?

"We’re going to start vaccinating here right around Christmas - healthcare workers, long-term care people and long-term care staff first, and then we will move into people who have other medical problems and the elderly, and then after that, everyone gets it and that’ll be sometime in the early summer," Dr. Ohl said. "About the time we get into the fall, yes, we will still be wearing masks we will still be personal distancing but it’s going to be a lot better."

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