MARIA: ALWAYS A LOT OF COVID-19 HEADLINES TO DISECT AND TO HELP US SORT THROUGH IT ALL IS DR. ROBERT FINBERG FROM UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> THANK YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU. MARIA: IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, GOVERNOR BAKER SAYS ALL SCHOOLS IN THE STATE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO POOL TESTING TO HELP QUICKLY IDENTIFY POSITIVE CASES AND AVOID OUTBREAKS. PLEASE TELL US HOW POOL TESTING WORKS, AND THE ADVANTAGES IT MIGHT OFFER? >> POOL TESTING AS YOU TAKE SAMPLES FROM SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS, PUT THEM TOGETHER, POOL THEM INTO ONE TEST. YOU MIGHT TAKE SAMPLES FROM EACH PUPIL IN A CLASSROOM, PUT THEM TOGETHER, AND IF THAT TEST IS NEGATIVE YOU CAN CLEAR THE ENTIRE CLASSROOM. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF IT’S POSITIVE, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS POSITIVE. POOL TESTING WORKS VERY WELL IF THERE ARE VERY FEW POSITIVE TESTS BECAUSE YOU CAN CLEAR PEOPLE MORE RAPIDLY. ED: PRESIDENT ELECT BIDEN IS EXPECTED TO RELEASE ALL AVAILABLE VACCINE DOSES ONCE HE’S IN OFFICE, WITH THE GOAL OF SPEEDING UP DELIVERY. RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS HOLDING BACK SOME OF THE SUPPLY TO GUARANTEE PEOPLE GET THEIR SECOND SHOT. SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STRATEGY. IS THERE A DANGER OR ADVANTAGE TO EITHER STRATEGY? >> YES, THERE’S DANGERS AND ADVANTAGES TO BOTH. THE DANGER WOULD BECOME OF THE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE ARE BASED ON GETTING TWO DOSES. THE DANGER WOULD BE IF WE HAVE ALL OF THE AVAILABLE VACCINE OUT NOW, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT GET THE SECOND DOSE. ON THE OTHER HAND, I’M CONFIDENT, BASED ON THE CHOICES THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE THAT THEY WILL CONSIDER EXPERT ADVICE. MARIA: THE PFIZER VACCINE DOSES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN 21 DAYS APART, BUT A GROUP THAT ADVISES THE WHO WHO SAYS IT CAN BE DELAYED FOR AS MUCH AS SIX WEEKS. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT AND WOULD ACCEPTING A DELAY LIKE , THAT REQUIRE NEW GOVERNMENT APPROVAL? >> NO, I THINK WE WOULD ALL AGREE WITH THAT. THE CURRENT CDC GUIDELINES DO NOT HAVE A MAXIMUM DELAY BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND DOSE, SO THAT WOULD BE -- ED WE HAVE HAD NUMBERS RISING WITH THE HOLIDAYS. CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN THE WORCESTER AREA? IS THERE ANYTHING PARTICULARLY CONCERNING? >> HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING UP IN WORCESTER, LIKE MANY PLACES. WE HAVE PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19 IN OUR MEDICAL CENTER AS WELL AS THE DCU FIELD HOSPITAL AND WE ARE CONCERNED. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. ED: JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, HAVE YOU BEEN VACCINATED? >> I WAS IN THE MODERNITY TRIAL AND I HAVE BEEN VACCINATED. MARIA: YOU FEEL OK, NO ILL EFFECTS? >> I FEEL OK. I STRONG