now, from last week to this week, omicron has gone from 3% of all the covid in the united states, from 3%, to 73%. 0.4% two weeks ago. 3% last week. 73% this week. so, bye-bye delta? omicron is now leaping ahead, becoming the dominant strain in the united states of america, enlightening flash. this is what the new omicron pandemic is going to be like compared to the delta pandemic compared to the original strain coronavirus pandemic before that. well, what we know about omicron thus far for sure, is that it is massively contagious, it's just massively transmissible. we know that vaccinations help. when it comes to omicron, it helps preventing you from becoming infected and helps you avoid serious illness, hospitalization and death. vaccinations do, help even if you are already vaccinated, we know in the case of omicron, you need a booster. if you're not vaccinated yet, my god, now is the time. , the big question is we do not know yet why exactly this new variant, and it's massive transmissibility, the huge case numbers are already generating. we do not know what that means for hospitalization numbers. and death numbers so far for example new york city which has highly vaccinated, they are seeing the largest daily case numbers they have ever seen. more new infections per day in new york city right now than they have ever seen ever before. but that's the case numbers. hospitalization numbers still like the same. hospitalization numbers are not rising to. as huge numbers of new infections are reported. this wave of omicron infections in new york city, is sudden hospitalizations always come a little bit after the new infections pop in. so it's optimal we have some leg time issue here in the hospitalizations will go up. it's also possible that an overwhelmingly vaccinated population can sustain significant numbers of new infections without crushing the hospital because the vaccines do that type of good work against this type of variant. we will see. as the new omicron variant overtakes the country and again appears to be way more contagious and transmissible than delta and the original strain, as we are supposed to have a new crush of infection sweep the country. the problem even as we don't know exactly how it's going to affect hospitalizations. the problem right now is we're about to get huge numbers of new infections. is that the hospitals and much of the country are already being crushed right now. even before a massive new omicron infection numbers are hitting everywhere. rhode island emergency room doctors have just put out a statement, saying that that states health system quote, is currently collapsing. quote, no one who is practicing medicine alive in this country right now, has ever experienced what we are going through right now. again, that's emergency room physicians in rhode island. national guard has been called out in large numbers and two additional states as of today, indiana and ohio getting hundreds of guardsmen and women, to help staff in the hospitals. rural new hampshire hospital in boston, today they have a list of 30 hospitals, 32 which they refer their own patients. who need more serious care. 30 different hospitals in five different states. they said as of today, there is not a single bed available in any of those 30 hospitals. in those five different states. not a single place, they can send their patience. and that's in new england. which has a high vaccination rate for the country. even with the minority of people deciding not to get vaccinated, that unvaccinated population that is stuffing the hospital, so nobody else can get in. and that is before this massively transmissible new variant spikes case numbers all over the country. again 70%, 70 plus percent of the covid in america now is already on omicron. two huge case numbers, they are coming. huge numbers of daily infections from a huge daily transmissible and variant, that's coming. we'll have a report from the front line in just a minute. i will just say, before we do that, just as a personal plea from me. if you have been putting off being vaccinated, for whatever reason. don't agonize about, it don't let anybody make you feel bad about that. get you defensive about. it just, make a fresh decision now. take a fresh look at the issue, now looking at what's going on now. no matter why you put it off in the past. no judgment. now is the time to actually go do it. because we really cannot afford you having to go to the hospital right. now if you are unvaccinated. you have a much higher chance of getting this newly-transmissible variant that we have never seen before, before a couple of weeks ago. and it's the unvaccinated people who is going to make sick. and we really just cannot afford for you to have to go to the hospital right, now looking all around the country, depending where you live, there's a very good chance there is no room for you in the hospital right now. if you need to go. and if you can somehow get a bed, because you got covid, and you got sick from it, and you are not vaccinated, if you are able to get yourself into a bed, you will be feeling a bed that someone else really needs. so, even if you did not feel like you could do it before, even if you have been holding off for whatever reason, look at it freshly now. now would be the time. even if it was not okay for you before, it's okay for you to do it now, honestly. your country needs you. and if you are vaccinated, but you have not been boosted yet, and you're eligible for a booster, make your point before the booster. now is the time. i know from anecdotal experience, in the country where i live, signing up for a booster right now is hard to find an appointment, and the only reason i'm saying that is not because you should be discouraged from trying to get one, but because if you know you need to get your booster, you should try to make your appointment now, because you may have to make it in advance in order to get into a vaccination site. it's time to do it. this is it. okay, we'll have more on that talking with frontline physicians in just a couple of minutes. i also need to tell you some breaking news, the january six investigation has a request, not a subpoena, a voluntary request. to a member of congress. from whom they are now seeking testimony and documents about his involvement in the january 6th plot. it's republican congressman scott perry of pennsylvania. who does appear to have been involved in the efforts to use the two u.s. justice department, to falsify the election results. the january six investigators wrote to congressman perry tonight, very politely, and say that they that they do not take it lightly, but they're requesting testimony from a serving member of congress, but there is an implicit threat that appears to be, there that if he does not choose to comply with their voluntary request, they could potentially serve him with a subpoena. we shall see. that's a big step for the january six investigation, we knew that they were looking at some members of congress, in terms of therein legit involvement in the plot, here's the first one that's actually getting targeted communication from the investigation. asking him to come in. the new york times is reporting tonight that the january six investigation is considering making criminal referrals to the prosecution. along a couple of different lines. this is not just for contempt of congress, refusing the subpoenas or whatever, this is crimes related to january six. according to people briefed on their efforts, investigators from the committee are looking into whether a range of crimes were committed, including two in particular. number, one whether there was a wire fraud, by republicans, who raised millions of dollars off assertions that the election was stolen, despite knowing the claims are not true. number, to the question of whether mr. trump and his allies obstructed congress by trying to stop the certification of electoral votes. that is new reporting tonight in the new york times. about the january six investigation, turning toward potential referrals for criminal prosecution. we should've seen this coming. multiple trump world figures including two lawyers, and one longtime trump, advisor have already invoked or said they plan to invoke their fifth amendment right against self incrimination. you don't do that unless you think there's going to be a prosecution, so, like i said, this is a chain we've seen coming. but, two to, here it comes. into the station. again, both of those stories about the january six are breaking late tonight, we will keep eyes on both of those through the course of this hour. but we are going to start tonight, with live interviews, with the top progresses in the house. congress movement -- caucus in the house. vermont senator bernie sanders, both of them are our gas right off the top here tonight. as democrats in congress in the biden white house appear to have had their proverbial tires slashed over the weekend. by west virginia senator joe manchin. republicans are unified in their opposition to the build back better, bill that's the bill that includes most of biden's economic agenda. almost everything he wants to do with climate as well. with the unified opposition from republicans, democrats need all 50 democratic senators to vote for that, bill if it will pass this weekend, after strong everybody along for a better part of the year, supposedly a no-show gating toward something he would vote, yes and something he had agreed he could support in principle. senator joe manchin went on fox news this weekend and said none of these negotiations and made any difference to him, and he's a no no matter what. the white house put out an unusual blistering statement, in response. calling his reversal inexplicable. basically saying that senator manchin had not exit in good faith, and he had not been honest. the progressive caucus made the same, point both in print, a statement from, them in their uyghur congresswoman jayapal, saying that she spoke with senator manchin this morning, she did take, his call but she also did not mince words. in describing her view of what he has done. she said quote, that lack of integrity, is stunning. that lack of integrity big stunning. in a town where people say the only thing you have is your word. political dot com is reporting tonight that senator manchin and president biden have spoken personally. since the fox news. thing and this is not over. they are still talking, something could still happen. leading progressive senator bernie sanders, saying today that he wants a vote on the bill, before the senate and he wants is soon because at the very least, senator manchin should have to stand and account for what he's saying. where does this stand now? where are there possibilities remaining, if any? and how will the progressives both in the senate in the u.s. house, chart a path forward toward getting at least some of this done? joining us now live as vermont senator bernie sanders, who of course is chair of the senate budget committee, senator it's a real pleasure to have you with us tonight. thanks for making time to be here. >> my pleasure. >> let me just start by asking you the big picture, if this is done, or do you believe there's any chance of passing what this bill contains? either in a single bill or in pieces? >> i think, nothing is done until it's done. and i think our job right now, is to lay out to the people of west virginia, what is at stake here. the people of america what is at stake here, west virginia is a beautiful state. but it is a state that economically is struggling in a really bad place. the people of west virginia, have got to understand, that if we lower the outrageous cost of prescription drugs, we have to pass this legislation. if we are going to have the kind of home health care that we need in west virginia, vermont, in america, we have to pass the bill. if we are going to expand medicare, west virginia, vermont they are all this for a lot of people walking around without teeth in their. mouth they need hearing aids. that's in this bill. we have to pass this bill. and everybody in america, must understand, that the scientists are telling us we have very little time, in order to transform our energy system, if we are going to present future absolute disasters, in terms of climate change. and that is in this legislation. this is enormously important bill. and the american people have to stand up and demand that every member, of the democratic caucus, and it's pretty pathetic i have to say, that this one republican has the guts to stand up to the trump company, in the insurance companies. or the fossil fuel industry. but it least all of us have got to work together. the last point that i would make on this rachel, is in the caucuses, everybody knows, there's a wide diversity of opinion. but what is troubling to me. is that you have two senators, who are not just prepared to fight for their ideas. but they have said you noah, it's my way or the highway, if you don't do what i want mister president members of the democratic caucus, i'm walking away. that is an arrogance that i think is unacceptable. any member of the democratic caucus can do that. as you well know. i happen to believe the current health care system, is dysfunctional. i believe in a medicare for all system. and i could walk away, if that medicare for all is not in this bill amounted here, but i don't do that, because not everybody in the caucus agrees with me. so a bothers me, is they have people like mr. manchin, turning their backs on the working families of this country, allowing the big money to win once again. and basically saying, if i don't get everything i want, i'm not going forward. that is not acceptable to me. senator sanders, a lot of democratic senators, and new democratic members of the house have tried to negotiate with senator manchin in good faith. including talking with him away from the cameras. having private conversations. having multiple teared conversations with him to try and get him to say yes. pulling him into the correlation. you and a lot of the others that we have talked to on the show, have tried another approach. have tried to push him on the outside with direct action and talking to west virginians and supporting their own activism around this sort of thing. neither of those two approaches have appeared to work on him. he has complained sort of bitterly on the last one. strategically, what do you think is left to try? >> look, i just think that we have got to bring this bill to the floor. i think frankly, we look like fools to the american people one month after month, quote unquote, negotiations are ongoing. and finally you either have to fish or cut the bait. and i think either we bring the bill to the floor or else joe manchin will have to tell the people why he is supporting all of the powerful special interests in the country. the fuel companies, the tax companies, and those who do not want to play more in federal taxes. but you have to bring that bill to the floor. and if it goes down, we can decide what the next step is. but we cannot keep talking and talking. we have to do something to bring that bill to the floor. and by the way, it has to be a strong bill. a clear bill that makes it clear to the american people. we are substantially reducing the cost of prescription drugs that we are expanding medicare. that we are building the affordable housing and affordable health care that the american people want. we have to do a better job in getting the word out into what is in this bill and what it will mean among other things. the 300 dollar per month for working parents that are getting for those who have kids, that is going to end by almost 40%. >> what you are seeing there, particularly at the end, really echoed by the statement that was put up at the white house in response to senator manchin's pronouncement. we will continue to press him to see he will reverse his commitments and be true to his word. but in the meantime, senator manchin will have to explain to those families paying $1,000 for insulin why they need to keep paying that instead of $35 for that vital medicine. hopped explain to nearly 2 million women to women who have kids why they need to return to work. maybe senator manchin will explain to the million of children have been lifted out of poverty due to the child tax credit, why he wants to end the program that is helping to achieve this milestone. maybe he can explain to those millions of children, we cannot. covering this from the outside it has felt from a chronicle death foretold. it has felt like senator manchin has been sort of feeding the prospect that this would pass and that he could get to guess. just enough to keep the attention on himself, frankly, and i don't need to speak derogatory in personal terms. but it felt like he has enjoyed all the intentions and all the attention every single day. i don't know how you plan to get around that. but i also don't know how putting him on the line and making him vote for it, i am sure he's going to vote no when it comes to the floor in january. i don't know how will move him either. >> this is not only mr. manchin, it's not only these policies which are so important to working families. it is about the democratic party trying to restore faith with the american people. that they actually stand for something. but it has been really painful through this whole process, rachel, it's not only the dragging on of the so-called negotiations. it is that the american people don't know where we are at. do we have the guts to take on the drug companies who are spending over $300 million in lobbying right now? is that the democratic party? do they have the guts to take on the private insurance company who do not want us to expand medicare and dental? do we have the courage to do what the scientists are telling us has to be done and transform our energy system away from fossil fuel? so the issue is not just mr. manchin. it would be really said if someone worked really hard on this and we were not successful. but it would be even sater if the american people said, these people stand for nothing. not only can't they get anything done, they don't believe in anything. they don't have the guts to take on the powerful special interests. and i would prefer for us to be on a sense a, we tried. that we had all the republican spot up by the big money interests. we have two democrats that couldn't stand with us. give us more democrats and in the first week of the new congress, we will pass this. that is better to me than just to be negotiating forever and standing for nothing. >> vermont senator, bernie sanders. the chairman of the budget committee. sir, thank you for your time tonight. it has been too long since you have been here with us. i really appreciate you making time for us tonight. >> thank you very much. >> all right, let's bring into the conversation one of the central players in the effort to craft this build back better deal. washing ton congresswoman primala jayapal, chair of the progressive caucus. in that role she has led progressives in the house in their many negotiations with other people, senator manchin and the white house. i should tell you congresswoman jayapal and senator manchin also spoke directly by phone this morning. the senator called her and she took his call. congresswoman primala jayapal, official optimists of the rachel matter show. thank you for joining us. i'm going to say hard day to be the perpetual optimist. >> it is really true. but i am not giving up the role. but you know i always tell you the truth. and i think the truth needed to be told here, rachel. which was that senator manchin did make a commitment to the president on the framework that the president unveiled to us the day before he went to comp. and that framework, rachel, would have never happen if the progressive caucus in the house did not stand up and refused to pass the infrastructure bill until we got that framework. and then until we got the legislative text. but i do believe that senator manchin has said many things. and he is a nice man. i has got good conversations with him. but i had to be clear that your word is everything around here. you can't enter into negotiations if you are not going to be an honest negotiator. and if you are not going to keep your word to the president of the united states. the president told me that senator manchin committed to that framework was. and if there were things that were matching that framework then you wouldn't go on fox news the sunday before christmas and make a case that the build back better act is done and that is reshaping the country in a way that is untruthful, frankly, but is reshaping it in a way that is not beneficial to the american people. rachel, we are in the midst of covid. i think you're sitting in new york somewhere where omicron is hitting hard. and the build back better act is about making sure we have elder care. so that when people are suffering from covid they can be taken care of at home. it is about making sure we reduce the premiums for people to be able to get health care coverage in a country where i agree with senator sanders. we are the writers of the top -- line for all bills. but at least we should bring down the cost of being able to get health care for people. the build back better act is about making sure we pay $35 for insolent instead of hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth that we are dragging across the american border. it is about giving people the ability to have childcare. this is a time where we had a she session. women have been pushed out of the economy and they are waiting. these are real people. and the child tax credit, which is now not going to go out in january or february or probably march, is the meaning that millions of americans are going to be pushed back into poverty at a time when the virus is back on the surge. so yes. it is a tremendous frustration. because we all thought we were negotiating in good faith. and the optimist and chief of the rachel maddow show said that the things that we are working on our hard. if they were easy they were be done. they are not. they are hard. and we can't give up and we won't give up. and that is why we will pursue a two track strategy now to vote push for the build back legislation to pass the senate. and we are also calling on the president to take some significant executive actions that will make peoples lives better today. and it will also put pressure on continuing to get legislation through instead of doing it through executive action. so, we will have a two track process here. we are not giving up. but it is a hard day. i'll be honest. rd dwhat is it that you think te president can do by executive action? let pieces of this or what goals do you think he can get to by executive action before any legislation could pass? >> well you know we would love to see -- we are looking into all of that. we just had an executive board meeting of the progressive caucus in the house, and i think that there are some things that he can certainly do around health care. i think that we should look at what we can do on insulin, epipen's and making sure that people can get the prescription drugs that they need and not given to big pharma and those big industries that have been lobbying for months. those are great of supporting senator manchin as he does what he does. that is one area. but i also think we want the president to look at things that are going to reduce cost for americans. at a minimum, he should continue the moratorium on student debt. because people can't afford to pay that right now. but we also want him to look at canceling student debt, at least $50,000 in student debt. so that people who are struggling right now with the surge of omicron can continue to lower the cost. because that is what build back better would've done. it would've lowered costs. and if we are not passing build back better, then we better look at other ways than we could lower costs. and finally rachel, i think the president has to consider taking serious action on fossil fuels. also on climate. because if we are not passing build back better anytime soon then we still need to address the fact that the world is looking to us for our leadership, the leadership on climbing and taking that action. all of that being said, i don't want anyone to think that we are giving up on passing build back better. we have to continue to push that forward. and we have to make sure that we are getting the kind of assistance to people that we promised. and that will be transformational. >> washington congresswoman, primala jayapal, chair of the progressive caucus and a person who has never have a non constructive word to say about an intransigent problem. that is a testament to your overall approach as a public servant, congresswoman jayapal is part of the reason i like talking to you about the stuff. you are always talking about the way ahead. thank you for your time tonight, i know this is a really tough time. thank you for being here. >> thank you rachel, i appreciate that so much. >> all right, we got much more ahead here tonight. stay with us. ht stay with us if you're washing with the bargain brand, even when your clothes look clean, there's extra dirt you can't see. watch this. that was in these clothes... ugh. but the clothes washed in tide- so much cleaner. if it's got to be clean it's got to be tide hygienic clean. no surprises in these clothes! couple more surprises. are you taking a statin drug to reduce cholesterol? it can also deplete your coq10 levels. i recommend considering qunol coq10 along with your statin medication. the brand i trust is qunol. ♪ limu emu... & doug ♪ ♪ 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their own emotions. so show up, however you can, the state with the most covid for the foster kids who need it most— at helpfosterchildren.com cases per capita right now is rhode island. over the last two weeks cases are up 53% in rhode island. hospitalization is up 61% in rhode island. you can see how steep those slopes are on the right side of each of these graphs. that is new cases on the left-hand side in the right. emergency room doctors are now warning that the state health care system is quote currently collapsing, the rhode island chapter of the american college of emergency physician says, quote, any added strain right now will lead to collapse of the state health care system. we, a collective group of emergency physicians are terrified for the future of health care in the state. quote, imagine patients dying while waiting to be seen by a doctor who is 50 feet away. and because of lack of staff and capacity, the doctors simply unable to treat that patients. this is a true tragedy that is currently unfolding for citizens of rhode island. this is a true tragedy. and while it is by the number worst right now in rhode island it is not just happening there. it's not just happening there. half of the ceos, and even business eoc, indiana, ohio, and been sounding alarm bells about hospitals failing now in those states. mostly because of unvaccinated people contracting covid. leaders of six health care systems in the cleveland area, signed on to a full page ad on the sunday edition of the cleveland newspaper. this is with the ad looked. like see the big box, there is one word in bold letters in the middle. help. says the bottom quote, we now have more covid-19 patients in her hospitals than ever before. we have overwhelming majority are unvaccinated. this is preventable. we need you to care is much as we do. that was the cleveland ceos begging the population, in ohio, to please get vaccinated. as you can please stay out of the hospital, because the hospital cannot take more. ohio and indiana, in particular are both getting big new national guard deployments right. now 13 hospitals in indiana are getting national guard personnel to help them with their latest patient surge. in ohio more than 1000 members of the national guard started to pour into hospitals statewide. hospitalization there, just about matching their previous record. all three of those states that i just mentioned, as far as we know, the delta variant, of covid, is still the dominant strain they don't seem to have had a big new omicron driven surge there yet. if you want to look down the tunnel and what might be coming, for parts of that country, have a look at new york. for the past few, days new york has each day, broken its record for daily new covid cases. cases are rising beyond sharply in new york city, the surge shows no sign of letting up anytime, soon it's a very right side of your screen, the most recent dates. you see how that number is spiking. that's new daily infections. thus far, though hospitalization in new york city, have not -- that is, daily average hospitalizations in new york. you see how hospitalizations basically followed along with case numbers, in the earlier peaks, that is not happening yet. in terms of this omicron driven surge, of new cases in new york. i mean. we are not sure if that trend will hold steady. the new york city health commissioner just told my colleague on msnbc, he expects the hospitalization rate in new york city to rise eventually. they're preparing for that but we will. see what we do know is that omicron now counts for 92% of the new covid cases in new york in new jersey. that's based on cdc data for the past. week last week the cdc reported that delta was the dominant strain, now the ctv says omicron is not only dominant there, and accounts for more than 73% of new covid cases nationwide. last week that figure was 3%, this week it is 73%. omicron is spreading like wildfire, we don't yet know what this means for hospitalizations. but already, in many parts of the country, there is no room in hospitals for anyone else, in fact, the people who work in those hospitals are begging for relief. how do these two trends come together. you have a frontline report on that coming up, stay with us. that coming up, stay with us that coming up, stay with us keep your laundry smelling fresh waaaay longer than detergent alone. pour a cap of downy unstopables into your washing machine before each load. and enjoy fresher smelling laundry. if you want laundry to smell fresh for weeks make sure you have downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters. shop online for downy unstopables, including our new, lighter scent. when it comes to autism, finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org wow... that's so nice! is that a photo of tepechitlan? yeah! the gift of ancestry®, is a walk through your history. do you remember who this is? it's a gift that surprises you, moves you, and bonds you. ...papa? i can see the nose and everything. she was the original strong woman. i know. right now in indiana, the head this holiday, give the gift of family. give the gift of ancestry®. ♪ snapping cognitive dissonance is very real. hospitals are on their knees right now in indiana. grappling with a flood of mostly unvaccinated covid-19 patients. simultaneously the republican dominated legislature decided that now is the right time to advance new legislation to have prevent employers to require their employees get vaccinated. the mismatch between that reality and that proposal, inspired one frontline icu doctor in indiana, to go to the state capital, to plead with lawmakers to please not do this. watch this. watch what he says. >> our hospitals are bursting, the state of indiana had 14 maximum icu beds before the pandemic. we surged when the viruses coming, in order to deal with what we are going to be facing. today there are 1884 people in icu beds in indiana, almost 40% above, our usual maximum and christmas eve if, this continues. we will have more covid-19 patients in icu beds. or in hospital beds in the state of indiana, than any point in this pandemic. we are, tired. we have been able to scale up icu beds in ventilators. but we have not been able to scale up people. there are no more of me. there are no more nurses. today, we -- in order to care for nine more icu patients at the hospital. it means i won't be home for christmas. which is fine. i can deal with that. this is what i signed up for. when i did not sign up for is making people die needlessly. how do i know the people are dying needlessly? because vaccines work. how do i know vaccines work? i'll tell you how i know. this week and i were outed in the icu. this is an icu that normally holds 22 patients. we had 35. we can handle. have those 35 patients, 15 have had covid-19. one of those people were vaccinated, with a single vaccination, back in february. none of them are fully vaccinated. i can count on one hand, 100 covid 19 patients, the number of that been vaccinated. so why should you get vaccinated? you should get vaccinated because you all know people, who despite their efforts at vaccinating protecting themselves, cannot be protected. they are people who have had transplants, they are people who have auto immune diseases. they are people like my wife who had cancer. these people can take the vaccine, but their immune system may not protect them. what do they need? they need the rest of us to step, up and protect them as well. i'm tired. and if i seem frustrated, i am. because we have been doing this for almost two years, and we cannot do it much longer. i just want this to end. i submitted to the committee, a letter that has been signed by over 460 physicians. was because we almost unanimously, rejects the language in this bill regarding vaccines. why? because the message this bill sends, is that vaccines are not important. vaccines are important. they are the only way to end this. >> joining us now is -- pulmonologist in critical care medicine indiana university. doctor, thank you so much for taking time to talk about this tonight. i know that public advocacy as a doctor is not necessarily part of what you signed up for, in this role. i appreciate you talking to the state legislator and being willing to talk to us about it tonight. >> thanks for having me. first, let's just ask you, since that testimony. the prospects about legislation have pivoted it all, have changed at all? have you had any feedback about that very strong statement that you gave them? i've gotten a lot of feedback, i don't know what's going to happen much on the fact about any instate house. it is republican supermajority. they seem pretty set on setting this piece legislation to the senate. i don't know whether will be that well or whether it will become law. but it is frustrating. >> when you talked about your level of exhaustion and the fact that there is no way to scale up the humans that make our health system work, you can't make more of you, you can't make more nurses. you also talked about how so many people involved in the health system have burnt out, have washed out of the profession because it's been too hard for these two years. given that, i have to ask you what your mindset is. how you are thinking about all this news about the omicron variant and how transmissible it is. it does seem to be supplanting delta of mom the country. it does seem to be more aggressively contagious. that implies we are going to get a lot more case numbers and maybe unvaccinated people that won't transfer to more hospitals. but for unvaccinated people it seems like most likely will. >> yes. i'll be honest. we have been through so many rollercoasters of emotions during this thing. as i think back to last march or april, the original strings bearing down on us, everyone left the hospital. we started with really low rates of people in the hospital. so if i'm honest, i am more scared now than i was when we had no idea what was going to happen when the original virus happened. we are starting now with hospitalization rates that are literally higher than we have ever been in the state. we have never had 14,000 patients in hospital beds in the state. we normally range around 10,000. and that is where we are today. if omicron comes through and even if it is less severe than the delta strain, just a sheer number of people that are going to be infected could very easily overwhelm us very quickly. because we have no slack [inaudible] >> i apologize in advance to ask you to go to a dark place, but when you say we can be overwhelmed, overrun, what do you mean? what does that mean in practical terms? >> i don't know. rachel, i don't know what that would imply. it makes my heart race to think what that could imply. it could look like people dying because we don't have enough places to put them. and then just suffocating alone. it means putting people in ambulance space, which is happening in one of the hospitals here in conference rooms. that is what's happening here. people don't seem to understand what is going on in hospitals in states like indiana. and it is absolutely dire. i don't really want to think about what the worst-case scenario is because honestly, if we come to that will haunt my dreams for years. >> if you could wave a magic wand and have the indiana state legislature open it's hard, open its mind, think about these things differently, move forward with an understanding of kind of dire circumstances that you are talking about in the grave threat that is just around the corner, if you could get the state government to do all the right things right now, what would they do? >> the realist in me wants to just do nothing. from my perspective, if they just did nothing, than any businesses that want to have a mandate and enforce it the way that the business wanted to could have that. that is not what they are doing. they are trying to force businesses to basically -- they are micromanaging businesses, which is insane. the realist in me would want them to do nothing. the idea listened me would want them to say, look, we are going to support the mandates on places of business. and we are going to support mandates on even smaller places and businesses in the federal mandate. the idealism me would make them and hope that they understand how important this is. that literally the policies that they put forth will save lives, literally. and not only that but will save the economy. because we don't come really racing back until the pandemic is over. right? i am not going to restaurants now. i am not going to restaurants until this peak is gone. regardless of whether they are open. i just want them to listen to public health officials and not make public health decisions based upon, i don't know, political aspirations? i don't know what it is. >> doctor gabriel bosslet is a pulmonologist in critical care indiana hospital care system. sir, thank you so much for talking to us tonight. come back in coming days. i know that indiana's, as you said, in dire straits right now. but it's very warm what's coming around the corner. would love to have you back sir. >> thank you very. much >> all right, we'll be right back, stay with us. right back, stay with us don't pay for water. pay for clean. it's got to be tide. are you taking a statin drug to reduce cholesterol? it can also deplete your coq10 levels. i recommend considering qunol coq10 along with your statin medication. the brand i trust is qunol. 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