WEBVTT 00:02.400 --> 00:04.066 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: As we mentioned earlier, the president is talking tonight about the outbreak of the 00:04.066 --> 00:06.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% coronavirus, known as COVID-19. 00:06.200 --> 00:10.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% In fact, he's speaking in the Briefing Room right now about what the federal government's 00:10.333 --> 00:14.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% doing and how it's preparing in case the outbreak gets worse in the United States. 00:14.733 --> 00:16.800 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Here's some of what he said: 00:16.800 --> 00:19.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: I have just received another briefing from 00:19.066 --> 00:24.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a great group of talented people on the virus that is going around to various parts of the 00:28.800 --> 00:30.833 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% world. 00:30.833 --> 00:34.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We have, through some very good early decisions, decisions that were actually ridiculed at 00:37.033 --> 00:40.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the beginning -- we closed up our borders to flights coming in from certain areas, areas 00:42.400 --> 00:47.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% that were hit by the coronavirus and hit pretty hard. 00:49.300 --> 00:51.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And we did it very early. A lot of people thought we shouldn't have done it that early. 00:51.166 --> 00:54.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And we did. And it turned out to be a very good thing. 00:54.466 --> 00:59.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And the number one priority from our standpoint is the health and safety of the American people, 01:00.933 --> 01:02.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and that's the way I viewed it when I made that decision. 01:02.866 --> 01:07.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: The state of preparations has become the source of concern and criticism 01:08.566 --> 01:10.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% between parties and among some public health officials. 01:10.800 --> 01:15.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% As we saw with the president and lawmakers, it's also increasingly a political issue, 01:15.100 --> 01:17.166 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% too. 01:17.166 --> 01:19.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% For more on all of this, I'm joined here in the studio by our White House correspondent, 01:19.200 --> 01:24.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Yamiche Alcindor, and from New York via Skype by Dr. Thomas Frieden. He's a former director 01:26.166 --> 01:28.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of the CDC, former commissioner of the New York City Health Department, and he is currently 01:28.700 --> 01:32.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% president and CEO the nonprofit group Resolve to Save Lives. 01:32.800 --> 01:36.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Yamiche, here in the studio, I'd love to get your take on what we just heard from the president. 01:36.700 --> 01:40.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He is still talking, of course, but there he was hailing the government's response, 01:40.033 --> 01:43.533 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% saying, we did the right thing early. He was just given a briefing. 01:43.533 --> 01:47.733 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% What do we know about how he's been hearing about the coronavirus and how he's been communicating 01:47.733 --> 01:49.866 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% about it so far? 01:49.866 --> 01:52.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the president is seeking really to calm Americans tonight. 01:52.166 --> 01:57.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% After the CDC came out last night and said it's not a matter of if, but when the coronavirus 01:57.033 --> 02:01.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% gets to the United States, there was a lot of panic. I was on Amazon. There's masks already 02:01.000 --> 02:03.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% selling out. So people are feeling very, very scared. 02:03.700 --> 02:07.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And the president here is trying to be a calmer in chief. He's trying to say, we are ready. 02:07.033 --> 02:11.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% At the briefing just now, he said, our number one priority is health and safety of Americans. 02:11.800 --> 02:16.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He has also been saying that he wants $2.5 billion to fight this virus. Democrats today 02:18.733 --> 02:21.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% said, actually, we should do $8.5 billion. Instead of getting into a fight, the president 02:21.233 --> 02:23.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% said from the Briefing Room, if you're offering that money, we will work with you. We will 02:23.966 --> 02:26.000 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% take that extra money. 02:26.000 --> 02:29.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So the president here is really trying to calm a lot of people here. He's gotten some 02:29.233 --> 02:33.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% backlash for saying that we're -- that the risk is low to Americans, because the CDC 02:33.733 --> 02:35.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% is saying, actually, this is could be a pandemic. 02:35.833 --> 02:39.366 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% But, that being said, the president is trying, I think, his best here to try to calm people. 02:39.366 --> 02:42.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Dr. Frieden, I want to get your take on both what we heard from the president 02:42.433 --> 02:44.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and what Yamiche was just reporting. 02:44.966 --> 02:48.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% President Trump has been saying, this response so far from the U.S. government has been a 02:48.633 --> 02:52.866 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% success. That's the word he continues to use. Just assess for me what you have seen in terms 02:52.866 --> 02:56.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% of this administration's response. Are they doing everything they should be at this point? 02:56.733 --> 02:59.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, Former Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Well, 02:59.033 --> 03:04.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% first off, the risk today in the United States is low. That's correct. And the things that 03:05.800 --> 03:09.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% have been done by the CDC and others are appropriate. 03:09.200 --> 03:14.200 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% But the big picture is very different. A pandemic is inevitable. That has become clear in the 03:16.166 --> 03:20.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% last few days. There have been hundreds of people to leave China with the virus who haven't 03:21.833 --> 03:24.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% been diagnosed in countries all over. 03:24.566 --> 03:29.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We have Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Korea with lots of cases. And this is going to spread. 03:34.233 --> 03:39.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We are in the calm before the storm. It's going to get worse before it gets better. 03:41.233 --> 03:44.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And thinking that we can somehow pull up the drawbridges and not have anyone in this country 03:44.166 --> 03:46.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% get it, that's a dangerous delusion. 03:46.200 --> 03:49.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: So, Dr. Frieden, talk to me about some of these figures you're hearing in terms 03:49.933 --> 03:54.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of what the government's prepared to spend. We know the president asked for that $2.5 03:54.033 --> 03:57.300 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% billion. Democrats are asking for $8.5 billion. 03:57.300 --> 04:01.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Based on what the U.S. has done in the past, is this what we should be spending? Is that 04:01.000 --> 04:02.633 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% appropriate in terms of a response? 04:02.633 --> 04:06.100 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN: There's a fundamental question. For how long? 04:06.100 --> 04:11.100 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% If that's a one-year figure, that's one thing. But, for Ebola, what we found is, it was essential 04:13.033 --> 04:16.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to have a five-year allocation, so we could really address it in a comprehensive way and 04:17.800 --> 04:20.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% get to the root of reducing the risk going forward. 04:20.933 --> 04:25.933 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Ebola was $5.4 billion supplemental over five years. This is a much bigger risk than Ebola. 04:28.200 --> 04:33.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I said and others said there was no chance Ebola would spread widely in the U.S. It just 04:34.366 --> 04:36.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% wasn't in the cards. And it didn't happen. 04:36.966 --> 04:41.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% This could definitely spread quite widely in this country. We don't know how far it 04:44.466 --> 04:47.100 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% will spread. We don't know how severe it will be, whether it will be mild, moderate or severe. 04:47.966 --> 04:50.100 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% But a pandemic is coming. 04:50.100 --> 04:53.066 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: We know the president has also been communicating about the health and wellness, 04:53.066 --> 04:57.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the recovery of some of those Americans who both contracted it, were confirmed cases back 04:57.366 --> 05:01.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% here, and also were moved back to the U.S. after being diagnosed overseas. 05:01.700 --> 05:04.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Here's what President Trump had to say about them. 05:04.400 --> 05:09.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% DONALD TRUMP: As the disease spreads, if it spreads, as most of you know, the level that 05:15.733 --> 05:20.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% we have had in our country is very low. And those people are getting better. 05:20.100 --> 05:25.100 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Or we think that, in almost all cases, they're better or getting -- we have a total of 15. 05:27.133 --> 05:31.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We took in some from Japan. You heard about that, because they're American citizens and 05:32.666 --> 05:37.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% they're in quarantine. And they're getting better too. 05:38.233 --> 05:40.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% But we felt we had an obligation to do that. 05:40.200 --> 05:42.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Yamiche, we have been hearing from the president things are getting better, 05:42.933 --> 05:44.966 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% the patients are getting better. 05:44.966 --> 05:47.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% That stands in contrast to what some public health officials are saying. 05:47.300 --> 05:49.400 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: That's true. 05:49.400 --> 05:51.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The president has been getting backlash. People are thinking that he's trying to downplay 05:51.600 --> 05:55.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% this for his own political benefit. He just now said that Vice President Pence is going 05:55.533 --> 06:00.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to be the czar, the coronavirus czar, putting him now in charge of this. 06:00.233 --> 06:03.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But the president also said that this is going to get better in April, that, once it gets 06:03.500 --> 06:06.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% warm, things are going to get better. Now, that's usually true, experts say, when it 06:06.433 --> 06:08.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% comes to flu. But the coronavirus is different. 06:08.933 --> 06:12.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% This is a disease that people are still learning about. So, in some ways, the president is 06:12.966 --> 06:16.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% getting a lot of backlash for making claims that aren't exactly accurate at this point. 06:16.833 --> 06:21.700 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And he's also, some people think, really trying to just make it seem as though maybe Democrats 06:21.700 --> 06:26.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and other people who are his political opponents are trying to create some sort of hysteria 06:27.900 --> 06:29.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% to scare people, and to also make him look bad. 06:29.933 --> 06:32.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So the president has been someone who has looked at his own political benefit, even 06:32.700 --> 06:36.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% in times of crisis, as presidents some -- often do in these in these cases. 06:36.800 --> 06:39.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Well, Dr. Frieden, let's talk about that little bit of news that Yamiche 06:39.533 --> 06:41.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% just brought us, the appointment of a czar. 06:41.566 --> 06:45.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We know the president was reluctant to do that. He pulled together a task force from 06:45.800 --> 06:50.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% various agencies, including HHS and DHS. Does that -- is that right now the appropriate 06:53.266 --> 06:56.900 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% response? And, also, can you tell us, specifically, at that federal level, what concrete steps 06:58.366 --> 07:00.500 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% should they be taking right now that you don't believe they are? 07:00.500 --> 07:05.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN: The first and foremost thing is to get the supplemental through Congress 07:05.366 --> 07:08.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% at a high enough level that we can protect America. 07:08.200 --> 07:12.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% That means supporting state and local health departments. That means working with hospitals. 07:12.733 --> 07:17.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% That means investing in a vaccine, even though we aren't sure it will work. 07:17.066 --> 07:22.066 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And, crucially, that means reducing the risks around the world. It costs about $1 per person 07:24.500 --> 07:28.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% per year to upgrade those early warning systems and rapid response systems in countries all 07:30.100 --> 07:33.700 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% around the world that will help tamp down this pandemic and protect us from future pandemics. 07:36.166 --> 07:40.600 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% But that's a lot of money. That's billions of dollars over multiple years. And a supplemental 07:42.633 --> 07:44.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is the best chance to get a running start on that and keep Americans safer. 07:44.700 --> 07:48.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Dr. Frieden, you said it's going to get worse before it gets better. I think 07:48.566 --> 07:50.566 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% that will worry a lot of people. 07:50.566 --> 07:54.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% When you talk about what that will look like here in the United States, what can you tell 07:54.066 --> 07:59.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% us in terms of schools or hospitals and in communities? What should people be ready for? 08:00.566 --> 08:02.600 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And what can they be doing right now to get ready? 08:02.600 --> 08:06.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN: Well, first and foremost, we have to admit there's a lot we don't know 08:06.466 --> 08:09.000 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% about this virus. 08:09.000 --> 08:12.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% It just burst onto our awareness two months ago, and we're learning more every day, sometimes 08:13.533 --> 08:15.600 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% every hour. 08:15.600 --> 08:19.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But what we know is that it's spreading widely. We know that many people have left China with 08:21.666 --> 08:25.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the infection and not been diagnosed elsewhere. We're going to see more countries affected. 08:26.766 --> 08:28.766 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We're going to see more clusters. 08:28.766 --> 08:31.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It's spreading quite readily in some health care facilities. It's spreading quite readily 08:31.966 --> 08:36.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in some communities, churches. So, we will see a lot of it. 08:36.100 --> 08:41.100 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% What we're not sure of is how severe is going to be. The initial reports of a new pathogen 08:43.133 --> 08:47.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% are often -- say it's really deadly, because you're seeing the most severely ill people. 08:48.533 --> 08:50.766 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% But as we learn more, we may find it's not so deadly. 08:50.766 --> 08:55.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% When the 2009 flu pandemic hit, initially, from Mexico, it looked to be very deadly. 08:57.733 --> 09:00.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And soon, we found it was quite dangerous for younger people, but overall it wasn't 09:00.566 --> 09:04.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% a terribly bad virus. It was a new one, but not a particularly bad one. 09:04.466 --> 09:08.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So we don't know if this is going to be a mild, moderate or a severe pandemic, but it 09:08.833 --> 09:13.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% will be a pandemic. That means, for most people, there's certain simple things you can do. 09:15.833 --> 09:18.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Wash your hands often. Cover your cough. When you -- cover your mouth when you cough or 09:19.400 --> 09:21.400 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% sneeze. 09:21.400 --> 09:25.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Be sure to not get others sick if you're sick. That means staying home if you're sick. You 09:27.033 --> 09:30.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% may want to be careful and have a few months of medicine if you have diabetes or high blood 09:32.533 --> 09:36.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% pressure, not in a panic buying way, but in a sensible way, so that if there are supply 09:37.433 --> 09:39.500 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% chain interruptions, you would be ready. 09:39.500 --> 09:42.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And think about what you do if schools had to close. We don't know that that would be 09:42.733 --> 09:47.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% necessary. It may or may not be. In different communities, there may be different approaches, 09:47.633 --> 09:49.766 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% but that's a possibility. 09:49.766 --> 09:53.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So it's worth thinking about and planning about what you would do in your life to be 09:53.033 --> 09:55.033 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% ready. 09:55.033 --> 09:57.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Yamiche, this has moved from the if to the when phase now. 09:57.533 --> 10:00.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% What is the confidence level like? People will be looking to the president for leadership 10:00.833 --> 10:03.966 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% on this. Are they confident that they will be able to handle this? 10:03.966 --> 10:08.533 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The president and Vice President Pence just now are saying that they're confident 10:08.533 --> 10:13.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% in this. They're saying that Vice President Pence, because he was a leader in Indiana, 10:14.666 --> 10:16.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that that's a good health system. 10:16.733 --> 10:18.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He's been praising President Trump from the podium, saying that he's doing a good job. 10:18.633 --> 10:23.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Secretary Azar, who's in charge of Health and Human Services, he is also saying that 10:25.633 --> 10:28.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% people are basically ready for this, and that there's only a few cases, maybe one case, 10:28.100 --> 10:30.166 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% in the last couple weeks here. 10:30.166 --> 10:33.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But it's still very, very early. So, they're still trying to figure out kind of how many 10:33.666 --> 10:37.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% cases there are. It's still -- people are still trying to figure out what's going on 10:37.166 --> 10:39.300 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% here. 10:39.300 --> 10:41.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But the president is trying to at least look confident and trying to reassure people that 10:41.300 --> 10:45.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% they are ready for this and that, when this hits the United States, that they're going 10:45.000 --> 10:48.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to have all the resources ready. And it seems as though we're seeing bipartisan support, 10:48.533 --> 10:50.633 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% bipartisan working together. 10:50.633 --> 10:55.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So the leaders in this country seem to think that this is a moment for people not to be 10:55.000 --> 10:56.900 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% arguing, but to be focusing on how to do this. 10:56.900 --> 10:59.666 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: And that is good news, indeed, a lot we don't know right now. 10:59.666 --> 11:03.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Yamiche Alcindor, our White House correspondent, thanks to you. And to Thomas Frieden over 11:03.666 --> 11:05.400 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% in New York, thanks for being with us.