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The Global Coronavirus Infections Number Passes One Million, Experts And Leaders Warn Not To Let Up On Social Distancing Now; Spain's Science Minister Says There Are Hopes For A Vaccine By The End Of This Month; Facemask Policies Shifting Around The Globe. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired April 03, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:10]
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. We're coming to you live from London on this Friday. I'm Hala Gorani. Here is a look at the top stories
we'll be covering for you.
The global coronavirus infections number passes one million. Experts and leaders warn not to let up on social distancing now.
Also, this hour, Spain's Science Minister says there are hopes for a vaccine by the end of this month. We'll explore that story.
And face masks, the big question, are they or are they not helpful? I'll speak to the Health Minister of one country making them obligatory.
Now, the health of Americans and the health of the American economy are at risk now. For the first time in a decade, pretty much, the American economy
lost more jobs than it created because of stay-at-home orders aimed at battling the coronavirus pandemic.
Numbers released just a short time ago show the unemployment rate hitting 4.4 percent from a near 50-year low of 3.5 percent. But those numbers do
not really fully reflect the second half of the month when nearly 10 million Americans filed for unemployment for the first time. For hard hit
hospitals and the economy, the worst is yet to come.
Nick Watt begins our coverage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDY SHERIDAN-GONZALEZ, PRESIDENT, NEW YORK STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION: We are dying. We are getting sick. It doesn't matter how many ventilators we
get, if we are dead and cannot run the ventilators.
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over) Twenty one thousand healthcare workers are now flocking to New York to help in their hour of need.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NY): Lives are going to be saved because these reinforcements came.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT (voice over): Still latest projection, 16,000 people could die across this state and --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): At the current burn rate, we have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT (voice over): Sunday, officials say is New York City's crunch day for masks, gloves and gowns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA UCIK, REGISTERED NURSE: I was given one disposable yellow gown to reuse all day taking care of COVID patients and I would hang it up on an IV
pole in between patients and put my single N95 mask into a brown paper bag. Every day when I go to work, I feel like a sheep going to slaughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT (voice over): A spike in Louisiana, cases up 4,000 in two days according to Johns Hopkins University.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS (D-LA): The current increase in cases appears to be less a sign of exponential growth over the last couple of days, and more a
sign of the logjam.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT (voice over): A testing logjam now clearing. Supplies from the national strategic supply shipped out to hospitals by the National Guard.
But that Federal store is now nearly dry and 2,000 ventilators in the stockpile are unavailable because they weren't maintained properly while in
storage by the Trump administration.
And now --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. STEVE BULLOCK (D-MT): They're bringing these big planes from supplies overseas. Immediately then everything that's brought, 80 percent of it is
just dumped in the private market. So then governors are competing against one another and at times the Federal government to try to get these
supplies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT (voice over): The Defense Department is now looking to procure an extra 100,000 body bags. Last week alone, 6.6 million more Americans filed
for unemployment, and more than 90 percent of Americans now under stay home orders
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE BUCHANAN, HUSBAND DIED OF COVID-19 COMPLICATION: Just stay home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT (voice-over): Nicole Buchanan's 39-year-old husband, Conrad just died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUCHANAN: Our life has turned into this horrible nightmare. You guys have to take this seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT (on camera): With some experts now saying that this virus can be transmitted not just by coughing or sneezing, but by talking and perhaps
even breathing, the mayors of Los Angeles and New York are now telling us if we go outside, we should wear some sort of covering on our face.
And also here in Los Angeles, the mayor has told the utility companies that they can cut the water and power to any nonessential businesses that are
still refusing to shut down.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: And we'll get back to the situation in the United States with the terrible jobs numbers, but also the fact that the death toll -- the daily
death toll has hit a level not seen in any other country hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
And here in the United Kingdom, health officials are saying that eight percent just about of healthcare workers in the National Health Service are
absent due to concerns that they may have the coronavirus.
They say, they simply don't know whether their illnesses are as mild as the common cold or as serious as COVID-19.
[10:05:10]
GORANI: That's because there is not enough testing for medical staff -- that has been an issue from day one. There is not even testing for the rest
of the country for that matter for people who are showing symptoms sometimes.
The government has been facing tense scrutiny over the lack of supplies for those battling the pandemic on the front line.
And meanwhile, a temporary morgue is being built in East London to keep up with the growing number of deaths. Our Nick Paton Walsh went to the site.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Behind me is a site frankly which is surreal to imagine on the outskirts of London in 2020.
Hastily erected behind this fence is a makeshift mortuary. Tents inside there to store really, in the worst case scenario, excess bodies of the
dead from COVID-19.
The U.K. possibly right now beginning to see the peak here in London according to some projections. I have been told up the road, a crematorium
and this -- the more negative side of a message from the government that is we are ready for the worst.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, that was Nick Paton Walsh there ready for the worst.
Britain's Prime Minister says that the U.K. is going to review these stay at home orders after Easter. Are measures like that and social distancing
working? That is going to be a big question of course as we analyze and break down the numbers of those infected and those tragically have lost
their lives.
Let's bring in Dr. Samir Bhatt. He is a Senior Lecturer from the School of Public Health at Imperial College-London. So the U.K. curve that
illustrates how many people have lost their lives to COVID-19 is still very worrying. Why is that?
DR. SAMIR BHATT, SENIOR LECTURER, SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT IMPERIAL COLLEGE-LONDON: Well, interventions have only been implemented recently,
and so it is still quite early for us to tell what the efficacy is like.
We released a report recently from Imperial College-London where we tried to determine what effect these interventions are going to have on
infections and then subsequently what those infections would have on -- and what we find is that if interventions are working, like we observed in
Italy and Spain, then hopefully these interventions will suppress the rate of transmission to something reasonably low.
But the uncertainty is huge and so we just don't know whether these interventions have worked sufficiently well to completely suppress
transmission and if they're not completely suppressing transmission, whether they're bending the curve and how much that curve is bending.
And so until we know that, we have to be prudent in our decisions.
GORANI: Sure. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, the U.K. Prime Minister, who contracted COVID-19 is still in isolation. He still has a fever. And he
is pleading with Britons not to start forgetting about the social distancing rules, the weather is getting a little bit better, people have
been cooped up for a while.
I want our viewers to listen to what Johnson had to say today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I just want to say one crucial thing, one quick thing to everybody thinking about this weekend and what
may be some fine weather, because I reckon a lot of people will starting to think that this has been going on for quite a long time.
And they would rather be getting out there and particularly if they've got kids in the household, everybody may be getting a bit stir crazy. There may
be just a temptation to get out there, hang out, and start to break the regulations and I just urge you not to do that.
Please, please, stick with the guidance now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, in the beginning, you'll remember the Prime Minister was a little bit more relaxed about these social distancing rules. Is he right to
urge Britons to continue to abide by them?
BHATT: In my researcher's opinion, completely. Until we have large amounts of testing and new interventions of vaccine, we -- everything that we know
from the research community tells us that the number of lives that can be saved by these interventions is huge.
We can't risk crippling, you know, health infrastructures by allowing unmitigated epidemic to just rise. So I think very much echoed in the
research that the interventions need to be in place until we have the evidence that informs from many lines of research, from clinicians on the
ground, from researchers, and from modelers.
GORANI: Yes. So one of the big issues is essentially you and even people who believe that perhaps these measures are too strict all agree on one
thing, it is that we don't have the data.
So in other words, we don't know how many people are actually infected, some of them may not be showing symptoms. You may have seen this. Dr. John
Lee wrote in "The Spectator," he is a Professor of Pathology.
He says the world has possibly overreacted, that because we don't know how many people are infected, the death rate may be vastly overestimated. How
do you respond to people, and even countries like Sweden for instance who are not mandating that people stay-at-home? What would your response be to
those who are saying this may be an overreach?
[10:10:29]
BHATT: I mean, we have a lot of -- yes, we don't have a huge amount of data, we have quite a bit from looking at unique events like Diamond
Princess and what has happened in China.
And so I think it is -- it is not likely -- I don't think so that it is going to be likely that this that there is vastly more infections than
people think there are.
I mean, our paper suggests they, for example, in the U.K., it is about 2.4 percent infected. That's not a huge number when you think about what you
need for herd immunity.
And so for everything we know about infections, fatality rate, how someone dies once they are -- the probability they die once they are infected, it
does seem like there is a very big risk and looking at Italy and Spain and countries with advanced epidemics, really do give a window into the future
in what could happen.
So as a humble researcher, I can't comment on government policy, but I would say that prudence is definitely warranted in this time.
GORANI: All right, Dr. Samir Bhatt of Imperial College-London, thanks very much there. Looking at those numbers and giving us an expert take on where
we are and what we might expect. Thank you very much indeed.
Well, Italy and Dr. Bhatt mentioned Italy has the world's highest number of coronavirus deaths, not cases, but deaths, approaching 14,000. It is after
all a country with a large elderly population and the flood of COVID-19 patients is inundating hospitals.
Thousands of Italian healthcare workers have been infected and dozens of infected doctors have tragically died, mostly in the northern part of the
country, the Italian region worst hit by coronavirus.
Now volunteer doctors are heading there and to other hot spots in Rome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I'm Barbie Nadeau in Rome where the situation in Italy remains critical, especially in the north of the
country, where we have seen a record number of doctors, nurses and other emergency technicians become infected with COVID-19.
We've also have seen a generous outpouring of volunteers. Doctors and nurses, traveling to the north of the country now, trying to alleviate the
pressure on the healthcare system there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, in Germany, the number of coronavirus deaths there has passed the 1,000 mark. It comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel heads back to
work after going to self-quarantine two weeks ago.
She is facing a stark warning from health officials that the country may not have enough intensive care capacity to cope when cases peak and here's
more from Berlin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Fred Pleitgen in berlin where the German government has actually received some
praise for the way that it is handling the coronavirus crisis so far.
About 93 percent of Germans say they favor the measures that are currently in place for social distancing, and the German government says from the
very early stage, they started mass testing for COVID-19, and they say that's helped them to identify cases fairly quickly and to keep the death
toll low despite the fact that Germany has one of the highest rates of coronavirus confirmed cases in the world.
The other thing that the Germans have done is they have drastically increased the amount of ICU beds here in this country. The latest number is
that it has gone up from 28,000 to around 40,000 and the Germans have also, by about a third, increased the amount of ventilators here in this country.
And that's led to a situation here in Germany where they cannot only treat the patients here in this country, but they can also bring in patients for
instance from Italy and from France and the Germans say that's something they are going to continue to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, well, in Spain, as we have been telling you over the last several weeks, the situation is rather dire there. Nine hundred and
thirty two people died on Thursday. This pushes the total number of coronavirus deaths closer to 11,000.
That being said, there is a sliver of "positive news." Because the government believes it will have a coronavirus vaccine candidate by the end
of the month. Scott McLean is live in Madrid with that side of the story.
What is a vaccine candidate exactly?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Hala. So they are hoping to have this candidate as you say by the end of the month, which means that they
will have a vaccine that has gone through the laboratory process, and then is ready to be tested, approved and then put out to the mass market.
And so it still will be some time before this is actually something that you'll see sort of mass produced available to the country.
[10:15:06]
MCLEAN: It really cannot come soon enough, though, for this healthcare system, where find healthcare workers, doctors and nurses complaining of a
lack of protective equipment, sometimes chaotic situations in hospitals and elsewhere, though the situation has undoubtedly improved thanks to some
good news like 58 tons of medical supplies arriving from China yesterday, also a shipment of ventilators arriving from Germany.
We have heard from doctors who have said they had to take ventilators away from older patients to give them to younger patients, more likely to
survive.
In fact, in Catalonia, around Barcelona, they have published official guidelines recommending to doctors that they take patient's age into
consideration, that those over 80 should be given oxygen, but not actually a ventilator -- Hala.
GORANI: And when you look at the curve, and I hate to talk about numbers here, because obviously I'm aware we're talking about people's lives, but
you have to be able to assess whether things are improving one way or the other, and one of the ways is to look at the number of daily deaths.
And I guess the encouraging thing here with regards to Spain is despite the very high level, it appear as though the curve is flattening. In other
words, that the number of deaths every day go high, that number is declining.
What does that tell us about what authorities will do with these social distancing measures? Will they keep them in place for much longer?
MCLEAN: Yes, that's a good question. It seems like the Spanish authorities are finding reasons to be optimistic despite the fact that death toll has
more than doubled in last week.
As you mentioned, the increase in new confirmed cases is the lowest that it has been in last two weeks, so there are good signs there that the curve as
they say is flattening.
As for the state of emergency here, the stay-at-home order from the government is due to expire on April 12th. There is talk right now as to
whether or not that should be extended. But you have to imagine given what we have seen in China, in Italy and other countries that that is going to
be pretty likely scenario for Spain given the fact that they don't want to just have this virus reemerge once they let everybody out of their homes en
masse.
GORANI: All right, Scott McLean, thanks very much for that.
All right, we're going to take a quick break. We're going to be talking about the Czech Republic among other countries where there is a mandate now
for people to wear surgical masks when they go out in certain public places.
We will also be looking at other cases around the world and how health authorities there are trying to confront the pandemic.
And going into this very short break, take a look at what Dr. Sanjay Gupta recommends in terms of washing your hands and also disinfecting your
groceries when you get them home. Here is what you need to know.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT Okay, people do need to grocery shop obviously. Try and limit the number of times you go to the
grocery store. That will just allow you to keep better social distance and keep in mind, this is not a foodborne illness. You're not going to get it
from eating the food.
It is very unlikely you'll get it from packages. But we do know the virus can live on surfaces, for example, stay on plastic for up to three days.
I've used a little glitter here for my kids to show you what the virus might be like.
We know it can live on cardboard for example up to 24 hours. So what I've done here is I've created a dirty area and a clean area. This was a
suggestion from Dr. Van Wingen out in Michigan, here is my dirty area. I'm just going tto clean all the virus off here. I don't need to do too much,
it is a pretty sensitive virus.
You don't need to use any kind of specific wipe either, any household cleaner will do. And then once I'm sure I got this clean, I put this in the
clean area.
Again, for cardboard, it is typically going to be closer to 24 hours. Just get all those surfaces pretty well. Once you're confident about that, I get
all the glitter off in this case, then I put this in the clean area.
Now, one thing I do want to show you, if you are wearing gloves, you don't need to wear gloves. The biggest key is how you take them off. You want to
make sure you don't contaminate yourself.
So you grab the inside of the glove here and pull it over itself, and then I grab with my finger over here from the inside and pull that over as well.
And I drop that into the dirty area also.
Finally, I clean my hands one more time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:21:34]
GORANI: Welcome back. Well, at this stage, you may be a little bit confused about facemasks. Should you wear one, should you not wear one?
Well, in the Czech Republic, the government is telling citizens to do this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone who has to leave their house has to wear a facemask. Everyone. I know. They maybe told you that masks wouldn't protect
you, but there are studies proving even a homemade mask can be partially protective.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, the Prime Minister, the Czech Prime Minister is so confident about this that he even tweeted this ad to the U.S. President Donald Trump.
We're joined now by Czech Health Minister, Adam Vojtech. Thanks for joining us. So your numbers are actually pretty encouraging compared to other
countries where I understand according to Johns Hopkins, Minister you have 3,869 cases of coronavirus and 46 deaths.
Do you believe this is due to the face mask usage in your country?
ADAM VOJTECH, CZEK HEALTH MINISTER: Well, I think this is one of the reasons and this is very important because facemasks prevents transmission
of this disease because it is not about protection of myself, but it is about protection of other people which we that this disease is spreading
through contact with other people.
And my facemask protects the others and the others' facemasks protects me. So this is very important and I think that one of the reasons we have such
good numbers is this.
GORANI: Yes, and I see you're wearing -- I didn't realize you would be wearing one for the interview. Where are you now and why do you believe you
need to be wearing one at this stage? Is it because you're surrounded by people? Is it to illustrate the fact that you encourage all Czechs to wear
a facemask?
VOJTECH: Sure, this is one of the reasons that I am an example for Czechoslovakians, so as the Minister of Health, I think a need to wear the
facemask.
But it is also obligatory for everyone. If I'm not at home, I have to wear a facemask. And, of course, now I am at the Ministry in my office and I
meet my colleagues, so everyone in the Ministry wears facemasks and it is very important.
GORANI: Now, one of the things that experts say, this is why there has been a bit of confusion about this, is some experts say including the
European Center for Disease Prevention that the facemask could provide a false sense of security, so people won't really respect the two-meter rule.
And also that there could be increased contact, so for instance, if you have the face mask on, you might touch it with your hand and you might
touch your eyes and the virus could be on the outside surface of the mask, so, in other words, this is not necessarily a protection, the kind of
protection that people believe it is. What is your response to that?
VOJTECH: Well, I don't think so. Once again, if I'm infected, the facemask prevents the infection to be transmitted to other persons. So that is the
main reason as to why we all wear the facemasks. It is not only the protection of myself, it is protection of other people if I am infected.
So this is very important and I believe this is really one of the reasons why our curve is -- our epidemiological curve is flattening right now.
There are also other measures adopted, but this one is one of the most important.
[10:25:33]
GORANI: How do you police this? What happens to someone who walks around without a mask? What happens -- how do you enforce this?
VOJTECH: Well, fortunately, almost everyone obeys these rules. So if you walk down the street, you see everyone wearing a face mask. It is
punishable, so mainly policemen, if they see a person without a facemask, this person may be punished up to around 20,000 crowns, which is around
$1,000.00.
GORANI: And where did you -- I mean, there is a shortage of masks. What if you can't find one? What if you can't buy one? Where do you get them?
VOJTECH: Well, you can make your own one and that's what happened here. Of course, you can buy a normal facemask, but of course, for myself, I have my
homemade one and it is also protecting the transmission of the disease.
So basically most of the people are now sewing their own masks and it works pretty well and it is also a sign of solidarity because people make masks
for the others -- for other elderly people and so on.
It is also a sign of our society's solidarity.
GORANI: All right. Thank you so much. The Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech joining us live from Prague. We appreciate having you on the
program.
All right, we are going to take a quick break. When we come back with the latest research on the coronavirus points to and how that information can
help prevent transmissions. We'll be looking at that.
But first, Britain's Prince Charles officially opened London's Nightingale Hospital for coronavirus patients a short time ago, and this is the first
time this has happened in history, like many things, in the last few weeks. A historic first.
The Prince of Wales was not there in person, since he himself has tested positive for COVID-19, but he spoke by video link from his home in
Scotland, calling the hospital which was built in record time an unbelievable feat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE CHARLES: This hospital therefore, offers an intensely practical message of hope for those who will need it most at this time of national
suffering.
As the wonders of modern technology can only do so much, and I can't quite reach perhaps I can invite Nightingale's Head of Nursing, Natalie Gray on
my behalf to unveil the plaque to declare N.H.S. Nightingale Hospital open.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:54]
GORANI: Well scientists are telling the White House that you can spread the coronavirus not just by coughing or sneezing, but unfortunately by
talking and possibly even just breathing.
Anthony Fauci who is on the U.S. Virus Taskforce explains how.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: There was a letter I believe to "The New England Journal of
Medicine" in which they showed when you just literally speak, you don't have to cough, you don't have to sneeze, there is an aerosol that goes out
just a short distance, just a couple of feet.
And I think that's one of the things that is putting a red flag for people, why people who are completely asymptomatic, not coughing, not sneezing, we
know now are transmitting the virus, which brings up a number of issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, let's discuss the latest findings to keep you informed as you watch us. Many of you confined in your own houses and apartments to
discuss this, I'm joined by Dr. David Heymann.
Professor Heymann was the former Head of SARS Policy at the World Health Organization. Thank you for joining us. Largely, do you think around the
world these containment strategies, these stay-at-home orders, how effective have they been so far?
DR. DAVID HEYMANN, FORMER HEAD OF SARS POLICY AT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Well, thanks, Hala. These measures have been successful in
many countries in slowing and flattening the curve if you would, in slowing the number of people who require hospitalization and making it possible to
treat patients in a better way.
It happened originally in Italy where they were not able to accommodate all the patients.
GORANI: What do you make for instance of the approach of a country like Sweden where people are encouraged to stay two meters away from each other,
encouraged not to expose each other to the virus if they have symptoms, but not giving mandatory stay-at-home orders. What do you make of that? What is
the best approach in your opinion?
HEYMANN: I've just come out of a meeting, at W.H.O., which was held on internet, where we discussed these issues and it is clear that in Sweden,
the people have begun to social distance and to physically distance because they're working with the government to do that.
In other countries it has been difficult for people to do that, and there has had to be some kind of a lockdown and that's occurred in many countries
and it has flattened the curve.
GORANI: So essentially you're saying that where we are now in a country like the United Kingdom, where we're encouraged to stay home, only, you
know, one form of exercise a day, all of this should be kept in place. For how long? At what point will we know when we're able to relax some of these
rules?
HEYMANN: Well, the rules will become clear when W.H.O. provides guidance, which is coming along very soon. And in addition, when countries begin to
do the serological testing in communities to see what the extent of spread has been and where it has spread.
Once all of this information comes together, countries like the U.K. can do a better risk assessment and decide which sectors might be unlockable first
and then they will have measures in place to make sure that the reproductive rate that is the transmission rate doesn't increase when they
do leave the measures off.
And if they do, then they'll have to clamp down again.
GORANI: What about the United States because over 1,100 deaths in 24 hours, that's a terrifying number, that's the highest death toll of any
country that had to face this pandemic. What is going on there?
HEYMANN: We don't really like to hear about such high levels of death anywhere or about any death in particular. So it is very bad news in the
U.S. and in other countries where this virus is causing death.
What needs to be done is basically people need to be helping governments in stopping this outbreak. They need to understand how they can protect
themselves by physical distancing, social distancing, hand washing and how they can protect others by wearing a mask if they're coughing or sneezing,
and paying a special attention to the elderly.
That's what we all need to do to help governments. We can do this on our own if we have the solidarity to do it.
[10:35:05]
GORANI: Yes. How does this compare to other pandemics? SARS, for instance that you worked on so hard and so closely. Is this the worst you ever have
seen in your career?
HEYMANN: It certainly it is the worse than anyone has ever seen. SARS was a different type of a virus, it was a coronavirus, but it was lower in the
lungs whereas this one is very high in the respiratory system and therefore, it is easier to transmit.
So SARS was contained and it has gone from human populations. This virus at least, at present appears to be destined to stay on for some time.
GORANI: Professor David Heymann, thanks very much for joining us. We appreciate having you on the program.
So, of course, this all started in Asia, in Wuhan, in China. In Hong Kong, almost everyone wears a mask, by the way, we were discussing the mask issue
with the Health Minister of the Czech Republic. So should we all be taking the lead of some of these Asian countries where everyone pretty much is
wearing a mask, despite the fact that some experts say perhaps they're not as effective as we would like?
Kristie Lu Stout has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Amid the coronavirus, there is creativity, wearing a mask, a Hong Kong artist, Tik Ka From East
shows me the art he has created on his iPad. It shows a Hong Kong worker in a surgical mask fighting a demon virus like a superhero.
From the beginning, Hong Kong and many other Asian governments have recommended the wearing of masks in public whether they're showing symptoms
or not.
In early March, Hong Kong had only 150 cases of the virus despite being one of the first places to report confirmed infections outside Mainland China.
The city has only seen a spike after people returned from Europe and the U.S.
STOUT (on camera): Here in Hong Kong, wearing a mask has been a fact of life since January. Now, with clean hands, I put on my mask like this.
Making sure that this is under my chin and the wire is bent over the bridge of my nose and I wear this every time I go to a crowded place like a park
or a supermarket.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. IVAN HUNG, CHIEF, DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, HKU: It will not only bring down the cases of coronaviruses, it also brings down the
influenza. In fact, this is now the influenza season. And we've hardly have seen any influenza cases and that is because the mask actually protects not
only against coronavirus, but also against influenza virus as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT (voice over): To control the pandemic, Hong Kong has isolated cases, quarantined their contacts and encouraged social distancing.
But while Hong Kong continues to encourage mask use, U.S. officials largely have not.
In late February, the U.S. Surgeon General tweeted in all caps, "Stop buying masks. They are not effective in preventing general public from
catching coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can't get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk."
But there is growing evidence that masks are effective. According to a study of interventions used during the 2003 SARS outbreak, consistently
wearing a mask in publish was associated with a 70 percent reduction in catching SARS.
A recent study in "The Lancet" rounded up the contrasting advice from governments on the wearing of masks. The authors endorsed it, under certain
circumstances.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. BENJAMIN COWLING, HEAD OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: The top priority is to make sure we've got enough masks for
healthcare workers because they really need it and we have to make sure there is enough for them.
We know that wearing a mask is better than not wearing a mask. But at the same time, of course, staying at home is the best way to avoid infection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT (voice over): Cowling says a mask can help protect healthy wearers from breathing in infectious particles or touching their face with
contaminated hands.
But the greatest protection comes from covering the mouths of silent carriers, people already infected but don't know it yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COWLING: And that's a very good justification for using masks, particularly for COVID-19, where we do know that on some occasions people
can spread infection before their symptoms appear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT (voice over): Through public information campaigns, people in Hong Kong are taught how to properly wear a mask. And virtually everyone does.
It is a powerful symbol of solidarity as individuals protect each other to help end this pandemic.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: While the American hospitals are struggling with the pandemic, there was meant to be a U.S. Navy hospital ship that was going to come and
sort of alleviate some of the pressure on hospitals dealing with COVID-19 by treating patients not infected with the respiratory illness.
But it is causing a controversy for its lack of patients. Apparently there are 20 patients on board the Comfort, you'll remember it came to New York
with great fanfare.
One of the hospital officials quoted by "The New York Times" said this is a joke, basically, but officials are adding that they are fine tuning the
process to get patients on board because currently, you have hundreds and hundreds of empty beds on the Comfort, not providing much comfort yet,
hopefully that will change.
Still to come tonight --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The day is coming to an end, at least the 12-hour shift of the day shift is coming to an end. Soon I'm going to change back in my
street clothes and have a quick shower. Hopefully, scrub the coronavirus off my body, if not off my soul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Firsthand accounts from the front lines, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:42:49]
GORANI: Welcome back. We're broadcasting live from London, not from our usual studio location, obviously. Social distancing measures are changing
the way we come to you, but we are keeping you informed on all the latest headlines and developments related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, it is about how sick people are, it is about the tragedy that is affecting families around the world. And also about these everyday things
that have changed for everybody, including a city like London, where a usually vibrant art scene has gone extremely quiet.
Nick Glass has the very latest from the U.K. capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK GLASS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is eerily quiet on the streets of Central London, barely any traffic or pedestrians in and around
Trafalgar Square.
Over the shoulder of George IV, the Great Globe on the Coliseum still slowly rotates, a lot symbolically resting on the shoulders of a few.
And then inside London's largest theater, for a fleeting moment, lights up again. This is home to English National Opera. We talk to their chief
executive over the internet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STUART MURPHY, CEO, ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA: It is the strangest of times. I never lived through anything where we have been asked to self-isolate to
this degree before and where going through various scenarios that plan a three-month close down, a six-month close down and even a nine-month
closedown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GLASS (voice over): The Coliseum can seat nearly two and a half thousand people. Murphy says closure is costing over $1.5 million a month.
A revival of "Madam Butterfly" has been canceled along with everything else. Ravishing in design, it has been a sure fire hit since it was first
staged here in 2005.
The English tenor, Adam Smith and his wife the star, American soprano Corinne Winters, keeping their voices in trim at home.
[10:45:06]
GLASS (voice over): Smith was due to make his Coliseum debut in "Madam Butterfly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM SMITH, TENOR: I am not mentally still involved in that production, you know. But it was -- there was definitely grief afterwards, just because
you do -- as singers, we do put our heart and soul into these roles and we put so much mental energy and physical energy into it.
CORINNE WINTERS, SOPRANO: This epidemic -- pandemic, is forcing us all to live in the moment and to just take it day by day. We have no other choice.
So in a sense that is freeing because it is out of our control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GLASS (voice over): Orchestral musicians are having to learn to adapt. At home, these are coliseum regulars, members of the English National Ballet
Philharmonic, but have rarely improvised like this before online.
You might recognize this piece, the "Overture from Swan Lake."
Outside the National Gallery, a lone busker giving his version of "Hotel California" attracting a single pigeon.
Inside the gallery, a display of Titian paintings together for the first time in nearly 500 years, but without any visitors at all. The exhibition
closed just days after opening.
And over on the south bank of the Thames, the Great Brit Power Station that became Tate Modern, free and open to all, but not at the moment. And the
landmark Andy Warhol show also closed almost as soon as it opened.
This is video from the press day just three weeks ago, and some of the lucky few who got to see Mao and Mick Jagger and Debbie Harry and got to
play with Warhol's floating silver pillows pre-coronavirus.
Back in the silenced halls of the Coliseum, the sense is of an unprecedented crisis in the arts that has to be faced together.
Like every other theater in London's West End, the Coliseum is now dark, just a single symbolic light left on the main stage. It will stay like that
until the theater reopens.
Nick Glass, CNN, in Central London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: After the break, well, there is definitely a need for protective equipment for medical workers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. We'll
tell you about a fundraiser to try to raise money and it is attracting some celebrity support as well.
We'll be speaking with one of the doctors who launched this campaign. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: We have a rare glimpse into the front lines of this pandemic, what is it like to be a doctor in a hospital treating COVID-19 patients?
Well, two New York doctors filmed themselves during a typical day during this extraordinary time. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. MATTHEW BAI, MOUNT SINAI QUEENS HOSPITAL: Over the weekend, my wife and I decided that it would be safer for our family, for our 17-month-old
daughter, and my wife, to leave our apartment until this is over since I'm in and out of this high risk environment every day.
I don't know how long it is going to be, but this morning when I left the house, I said good-bye to my wife and my daughter for who knows how long.
It is go to be several weeks probably before I see them in person again.
I'm about to go in and pick up my personal protective equipment for the day and start my shift.
[10:50:06]
DR. UMESH GIDWANI, MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL: We're going to walk around the unit to see the work of the day as the people toil in the front lines.
This is our ICU. They are getting ready to do a tracheostomy on a patient. They're using PPEs because they're going to do the surgical procedure. And
it is going to be done at the bedside.
Hopefully this patient will do well, has survived for a long time.
Dr. Pejar? How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm good, how are you?
GIDWANI: How has your day been? Tell me some of the ups and some of the downs?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has been busy. Lots of patients. I would say one of the ups is we're able to transfer patient off the unit. It is the first
patient that I've been directly helping take care who we successfully extubated and was able to go to a step down unit. So I found that
encouraging.
We had another patient that you know, has been progressively worsening and had to have the tough conversation with the family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is our ED. You can see all the rooms are filled. Usually, these halls are very neat and empty and now you can see there are
patients everywhere because of this.
It makes it very hard to work and we're trying our best to treat everyone that we can all of these patients here. Even though we're overflowing and
trying our best to still provide them care, which we are doing, the patients have oxygen tanks that they need.
BAI: I don't know if you can see the marks from wearing my PPE all day and my nose is a little red from the mask, but that's what we're doing to
protect ourselves.
It has been a tough day. The ED has been really full and everyone is trying their best to get everyone the treatment that they need.
I'm tired. I want to say that -- I mean, the things that I see in the ER are scary. And I'm a little scared for myself.
GIDWANI: It has been a long day. My cap is askew. One patient expired. It is very hard to lose a patient that you've been fighting for.
The day is coming to an end, at least the 12-hour shift of the day shift is coming to an end. Soon, I'm going to change back into my street clothes and
have a quick shower, hopefully scrub the coronavirus off my body, if not off my soul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Gosh, you know, when you see what it is really like, for doctors on the frontlines, how heroic they are as well, because they know full well
that they're putting their lives at risk.
For instance, in Italy, 69 doctors have died. Here in the U.K., just today, a 36-year-old nurse passed away after contracting COVID-19.
Speaking of the U.K., there is a fundraiser here called Masks for N.H.S. Heroes, and it has raised more than a million dollars, thanks in part to
some celebrity donations. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES MCAVOY, ACTOR: The government are trying but they are overwhelmed. And the N.H.S. needs all the help they can get, so help us help the
government to help the N.H.S. to save lives. It is that simple.
Swipe up and you can donate outright from page. Thank you so much on behalf of Masks for Heroes and on behalf of the N.H.S. I'm grateful. I know you
are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So that was James McAvoy, the actor, and so far the fundraiser has raised $1.6 million. The original goal was $250,000.00, so this is
fantastic.
Dr. Mona Barzin is a London GP and one of the fundraiser's founders. So talk to us about what you are able to achieve with this overall figure so
far, more than a million and a half dollars.
DR. MONA BARZIN, COFOUNDER, MASKS FOR N.H.S. HEROES: Thanks for having us on the show. We are really happy that we have been able to raise this much
money.
So what it means for us is that it means we are able to get sort of hundreds of thousands of like items of PPE, so that would be ranging from
things like visors, masks, gowns, gloves, so there is quite a lot of PPE that we can already get from the amount that we've raised.
GORANI: Is one of the -- how -- are you able to source everything? Because it seems like there may be supply issues.
BARZIN: Yes, so you're completely correct. There are sort of global supply issues because the demand is so high and every single country needs PPE and
everybody is trying to source it.
There are international suppliers, however, that do have some capacity to make extra PPE, so it is about getting the right connections and finding
the correct supplier lines and getting as much PPE as we can for the N.H.S.
GORANI: And how many -- what have you been able to source so far with the money raised?
[10:55:10]
BARZIN: So our first order has been 100,000 visors and that should hopefully be arriving next week in the U.K., so that's quite incredible
really because that means that we have been able to do that from about two weeks from the day that we set up our crowd fund.
So that's our initial first order and then the next subsequent orders, we will be putting those in very shortly and getting them quite soon after.
GORANI: I guess the follow-up most people would have is if you're able to source this equipment, why isn't the government meeting the demand?
BARZIN: So, I think the government has procured a lot of this PPE already. I think -- I can't comment on exactly what they're doing and that fact, but
the volumes of PPE that are needed are absolutely massive because it is going to be for hospitals, for GPs, for paramedics, care homes, you know,
and that is that for the entire U.K.
So we're talking about extremely large volumes, so it is quite difficult to get that across really quickly. And also as I said, because of the global
demand, there is going to be timing difficulties and constraints on that as well.
GORANI: What is the -- where can people find this fundraiser?
BARZIN: So actually we're on Crowd Fund. And so go to the crowd funding website, we're there and they can -- we would love any more donations and
more we can get, the more money we can raise for PPE and help every single N.H.S. staff on the front line would be absolutely fantastic.
We're also on Twitter and Instagram as well.
GORANI: All right. It is Masks for N.H.S. Heroes. Thanks very much, Dr. Barzin for joining us.
Well, if as the saying goes there is a bright side to everything, now is the perfect time to let it shine because the news has been depressing of
late, that's for sure.
CNN's Anna Stewart brings us the good stuff that is happening amid the pandemic.
We do not have that report. But what we are going to do is take a break and after the break, there will be more news here on CNN.
If it is your weekend, have a great one. I'm Hala Gorani and I'll see you next time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:00]
END
