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Dr. Joneigh Khaldun talks about grim Michigan milestone of 1M Covid cases

By and David Komer online producer
Updated  September 22, 2021 8:56pm EDT
Coronavirus in Michigan
FOX 2 Detroit

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun 1-on-1 talks Michigan milestone of 1 million Covid cases

She said the reality is, we have more cases in Michigan than just what we know about.

FOX 2 - Forecasts show infections could drop from 140,000 per day to around 9,000 by March 2022, and deaths would fall from 1,500 a day to fewer than 100. In Michigan, our state reached a grim milestone of one million Covid cases.

"It certainly is sobering that we have reached this point of one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 here in the state of Michigan," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun.

Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive, spoke with FOX 2, 1-on-1 Wednesday.

She said the reality is, we have more cases in Michigan than just what we know about.

FOX 2: "How many cases do we have currently in Michigan that we may not even know about?"

"It’s hard to say if you remember in the very beginning, the federal government had limited numbers of tests and you had to be very sick or be in the hospital to even get a test," she said. "We’ve come a long way since then.

"We actually don’t know how many people have had COVID-19, but we know it is likely many more than what we have confirmed in the state."

More than 67 percent of Michiganders over the age of 16 have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. The US reached the goal of 70 percent of American adults getting at least one shot a month, which is what the Biden Administration had hoped for.

Khaldun said Michigan is still slightly lagging behind as emergency rooms battle on more than one front - emphasizing that the best way to battle the coronavirus is to be vaccinated.

"It is concerning, our hospitals are becoming overwhelmed and it is different than previous surges," she said. "The main issue right now is staffing. Not having enough staff, not enough nurses to take care of patients - not just those patients that have COVID-19 but also patients that have other critical health issues."

FOX 2: "Do you think it’s possible for us to end this pandemic or are we going to see a seasonal Covid as variants pop up?"

"I do expect that this pandemic will end and we will see our cases go low enough so we don't have outbreaks in our schools, such that people can go back to - by and large - back to normal from before the pandemic."