‘It’s not the socializing, it’s how we socialize’: Weekly check-in with UMC’s Dr. Jose Burgos

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In an effort to deliver the most comprehensive coronavirus coverage, ABC-7 has started a weekly feature where we ask Dr. Jose Burgos, the director of internal medicine at University Medical Center, the same seven questions each week to track how the pandemic is changing.

Here's the Q&A for Thursday, September 10:

Mauricio Casillas (KVIA): How has this past week gone for you?

Dr. Jose Burgos (UMC’s Director of Internal Medicine): "We had steady numbers this past week. Even though we're seeing fewer new cases -- which is excellent, that's the goal -- in the hospitals we are seeing the same amount of people that we have been dealing with over the past month."

Casillas: Can hospitals handle the current number of patients?

Burgos: "Yes. We can definitely handle the number of patients."

Casillas: What should people at home be doing right now?

Burgos: "Remember a mask is a must. That will play a really important part in preventing further respiratory illnesses this winter, not only coronavirus. But remember, if you have any viral infection, it might be Covid. There's no way for any physician to rule that out until you get tested."

Casillas: What is the most eye-opening thing you’ve seen this week?

Burgos: "The report on this Astra-Zeneca vaccine that the trial had to be stopped because of an adverse effect. We were all hoping and rooting for that vaccine to come out as soon as possible, but what this is telling us is that we're following science. We're following the right steps. We're not going to jump any step to put a medication out there or to put a vaccine out there and at the end of the day just harm people."

Casillas: What is your prediction for next week?

Burgos: "Looking at the cases, we might have a bump. If not next week, then the other week based on this long weekend."

Casillas: What is giving you hope at this time?

Burgos: "People are behaving better. People are actually doing what they need to be doing to protect themselves and protect others. If we can learn something out of that experience when we reopened the first time, it's not the socializing, it's how we socialize that actually led to that huge increase in cases."

Casillas: What is your message to the Borderland?

Burgos: "My message is to stay positive. We're moving in the right direction."

Statistics for September 10:

• 21,335 total cases, 2,724 active cases, 452 deaths in El Paso County

Here's a list of earlier segments:

• April 9 Q&A: (225 cases , 1 death)
• April 16 Q&A: (451 cases, 7 deaths)
• April 23 Q&A: (675 total cases, 543 active cases, 10 deaths)
• April 30 Q&A: (924 total cases, 506 active cases, 21 deaths)
• May 7 Q&A: (1,190 total cases, 541 active cases, 30 deaths)
• May 14 Q&A: (1,607 total cases, 771 active cases, 43 deaths)
• May 21 Q&A: (2,046 total cases, 883 active cases, 57 deaths)
• May 28 Q&A: (2,569 total cases, 1,032 active cases, 72 deaths)
• June 4 Q&A: (3,069 total cases, 1,059 active cases, 89 deaths)
• June 11 Q&A: (3,650 total cases, 1,015 active cases, 97 deaths)
• June 18 Q&A: (4,088 total cases, 946 active cases, 119 deaths)
• June 25 Q&A: (4,984 total cases, 1394 active cases, 125 deaths)
• July 2 Q&A: (6,389 total cases, 2,223 active cases, 132 deaths)
• July 9 Q&A: (8,385 total cases, 3,085 active cases, 145 deaths)
• July 16 Q&A: (10,638 total cases, 3,708 active cases, 173 deaths)
• July 23 Q&A: (12,501 total cases, 3,564 active cases, 211 deaths)
• July 31 Q&A: (14,276 total cases, 3,311 active cases, 266 deaths)
• August 6: (15,596 total cases, 3,747 active cases, 285 deaths)
• August 13 Q&A: (17,378 total cases, 4,166 active cases, 330 deaths)
• August 20 Q&A: (19,057 total cases, 4200 active cases, 382 deaths)
• August 27 Q&A: (19,925 total cases, 3,102 active cases, 410 deaths)
• September 3 Q&A: (20,686 total cases, 2,822 active cases, 429 deaths)