>>> AT THE MOMENT IF THE CHOICE IS NOT HAVING PPE OR HAVING PPE
WE’RE ALL GOING TO HAVE IT.
>> THAT WAS A LOOK AT THE FRONT
LINE DOCUMENTARY CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. JOINING US IS THE CORRESPONDENT
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. AND ALSO JOINING US IS THE
PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSOR AT
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY.
IT’S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH.
>> GREAT TO HAVE BOTH OF YOU ON.
WE’RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ON.
LIKE THREE PLANE CRASHES OVER
THE PAST 20 YEARS.
I’D LOVE THE ASK YOU ABOUT BUT
WE’LL SKIP THAT FOR NOW AND
INSTEAD, LET’S TALK ABOUT JUST
FASCINATING, YOU’RE FASCINATING
LOOK AT A TALE OF TWO
WASHINGTONS.
WASHINGTONS. TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> WELL, WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST
ARRIVED ON OUR SHORES, OF COURSE
IT HAPPENED HERE.
I’M SITTING IN SEATTLE THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
IT’S THE MIDPART OF JANUARY.
IT WAS ONE CASE.
AND THERE’S USUALLY A THOUSAND.
THEY FIND THIS PERSON AND HOW DO
THEY CONTAIN THE STORY AND HOW
DO THEY DO THE CONTRACT TRACING?
WHAT LIED AHEAD.
WHAT WAS BENEATH THE SURFACE?
THE RESPONSE WAS VERY GOOD AND
THE REPARATIONS WERE GOOD AND
WERE IT NOT FOR A LITTLE BETTER
TESTING AND CAPEABILITY AT THE
OUT DPSZ
OUT DPSZ OUTSET THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO CONTAIN IT SOONER.
A LOT OF WHY IT BEGAN HERE IN
WASHINGTON IS BECAUSE FOLKS HERE
IN WASHINGTON WERE REALLY
LOOKING.
LOOKING. THEY KNEW THIS WAS ON ITS WAY
AND THEY WERE PREPARED.
>> LET’S GO.
SHE HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
>> MILES, WHAT YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT THERE IS THAT CONTRACT
TRACING WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
SO CRITICAL IN THE COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE MANAGED THIS WELL.
ARE YOU GETTING AN INDICATION
THAT DURING THIS -- BASICALLY
THIS TIME WE ARE BUYING WITH
LOCK DOWN THE ARMIES OF CONTRACT
TRACES THAT AMERICA WILL BE
NEEDED RIGHT AROUND THE COUNTRY
ARE BEING BUILT UP?
I HAVE SEEN SOME EXAMPLES OF
DOING SOME OF IT.
MASSACHUSETTS IS DOING.
>> THEY RAMPED UP TESTING AS
QUICKLY AS THEY COULD DESPITE
OBSTACLES THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT
AT THE OUTSET.
TODAY THEY COULD DO 3,000 TESTS
A DAY.
A DAY. BUT THAT STILL PALES BY
COMPARISON TO CONSIDER THE
DEMAND AND THE NEED AND IT’S NOT
SO MUCH THE CAPABILITY OF THE
LABS AND THE PEOPLE THAT PROCESS
THE TESTS BUT IT’S THE
MATERIALS.
MATERIALS. THE REAGENTS AND THE SUPPLIES.
AND THAT’S WHERE THE NATIONAL
NEED COMES IN.
THIS IS WHERE IF YOU MOBILIZE
AMERICAN INDUSTRY AND START
PRODUCING THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE
THESE TESTS WE CAN BEGIN TO
START TO REALLY IDENTIFY THE
FULL SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM AND
TRY TO PUT A WING AROUND THESE
CASES.
CASES. >> ALL RIGHT.
YOU HAVE A PIECE IN THE
WASHINGTON POST.
WASHINGTON POST. IT’S BASICALLY ON THE THREE KEY
ISSUES MISSING FROM TRUMP’S
GUIDANCE ON REOPENING THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. NUMBER ONE, CLEARLY AS TESTING
MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT
WITHOUT TESTING YOU DON’T HAVE A
ROAD MAP.
ROAD MAP. ESPECIALLY FOR THE ASYMPTOMATIC
CARRIERS.
CARRIERS. NUMBER TWO, YOU TALK ABOUT
SECURING THE GOVERNMENTS ROLE
FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO SECURE
TESTS.
TESTS. VENTILATORS AND PPE.
RIGHT NOW THE STATE ESTABLISH
ARE
ARE -- THE STATES ARE DOING IT.
WHY IS THE FEDERAL COORDINATION,
I GUESS, USING THE DPA, WHY IS
THAT THE ONLY WAY FORWARD?
>> IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE FOR
THERE TO BE 50 DIFFERENT
STRATEGIES WHEN THERE NEEDS TO
BE A NATIONALLY COORDINATED
EFFORT.
EFFORT. WE HEARD ABOUT HOW THEY’RE
BIDDING AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR
SWABS AND REAGENTS TO PROCESS
THESE TESTS OR HOW MASKS ARE IN
SUCH SHORT SUPPLY THAT THERE’S A
COMPETITION BETWEEN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND INDIVIDUAL
LOCALITIES AND THEN THERE’S THE
ISSUE TOO OF ESTABLISHING A
PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT SHE WAS SAYING EARLIER, WE
NEED POTENTIALLY HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF NEW PUBLIC HEALTH
WORKERS WHO CAN IDENTIFY
INDIVIDUALS WHO TEST POSITIVE,
FIND THE CONTACTS AND QUARANTINE
AND ISOLATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
I MEAN, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
HIRING MAYBE UP TO 300,000 NEW
PEOPLE WITHIN A MATTER OF WEEKS
AND WE CAN’T HAVE 50 DIFFERENT
STATES EACH WITH THEIR OWN
PROTOCOLS, EACH TRYING TO
RECRUIT THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES AND
THEN TRAINING THEM AND DEPLOYING
THEM.
THEM. THAT MAKES NO SENSE.
AND WE’RE GOING TO SEE MORE
DEATHS AS A RESULT.
>> FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH
PERSPECTIVE IS THE FAILURE TO
REVOKE THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION
ACT AND DO THIS ON A NATIONAL
LEVEL MAKING IT HARDER TO
REOPEN?
REOPEN? LESS SAFE?
LESS SAFE? >> IT’S MAKING IT HARDER TO
REOPEN AND EXTENDING THE TIME
LINE.
LINE. WE HAVE TO STOP LOOKING AT THE
NUMBER OF CASES AS A WEATHER
FORECAST BECAUSE EVERYTHING
HAPPENING NOW IS NOT INEVITABLE.
IT’S NOT LIKE OH THERE’S A
HURRICANE THAT’S GOING TO HIT US
AT A CERTAIN TIME.
ACTUALLY OUR ACTIONS RIGHT NOW
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE DISEASE AND
WHEN WE CAN REOPEN.
THE LONGER IT TAKES TO BUILD THE
CAPABILITIES THE LONGER IT’S
GOING TO TAKE TO REOPEN THE
ECONOMY AND WHEN THAT OCCURS I
HOPE THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO SEE
A SECOND SURGE OF DEATHS WHICH
COULD OCCUR IF WE END UP
REOPENING TOO SOON BEFORE THESE
CAPABILITIES ARE ALL SET UP.
>>> YOU WERE THE FIRST TO
EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE THAT THESE
SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES ARE
REAL.
REAL. THIS IS NOT A SNOW DAY.
THIS IS NOT WHERE KIDS GO ON
SPRING BREAK AND HANG OUT AND
THIS WAS SERIOUS AND IF YOU
DON’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY PEOPLE
WILL DIE AND THAT WAS PROVED TO
BE CORRECT.
BE CORRECT. SO I WANT TO ASK YOU NOW HOW
SHOULD FAMILIES BE LOOKING AT
THIS?
THIS? THEY CAN’T REALLY DEPEND ON
PRESIDENT TRUMP TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE TEMPERATURE IS OF THE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. SHOULD FAMILIES BE BACK AND
REALLY STAYING IN COMPLETELY AND
HOW LONG SHOULD THEY BE
CONSIDERING THEIR LIFE BEING
LIKE THIS?
LIKE THIS? FROM YOUR ESTIMATE?
WHAT YOU THINK FROM A SCIENCE
PERSPECTIVE.
PERSPECTIVE. >> YOU’RE RIGHT.
WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE DATA AND
THE SCIENCE HERE AND WHAT WE
KNOW IS THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING
IS WORKING.
IS WORKING. THAT THE ONLY WAY AT THIS POINT
FOR US TO REDUCE THE RATE OF
TRAPS MISSION IS TO STOP THE
PERSON TO PERSON CONTACT AND
THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN WORKING
AND FLATTENING THE CURVE.
THAT’S WHAT HAS BEEN WORKING TO
REDUCE THE BURDEN ON OUR HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM AND THAT’S WHAT HAS
BEEN WORKING TO SAVE LIVES.
FAMILIES SHOULD CONTINUE TO STAY
AS THEIR UNIT.
THEIR HOUSEHOLD UNIT AND TRY TO
STAY AWAY FROM OTHERS AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE. THERE’S PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO GO
GET GROCERIES BUT AS MUCH AS WE
CAN WE SHOULD HONOR THE
SACRIFICES OF ALL OF THE
INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ALREADY
DONE SO MUCH TO MISS SCHOOL AND
MISS WORK AND CONTINUE TO HUNKER
DOWN AND THIS IS EXTREMELY HARD
BUT AGAIN WE ARE SAVING LIVES
AND PROTECTING OUR OWN
COMMUNITIES.
COMMUNITIES. >> MILES, WE HAVE COVERED YOUR
CAREER CLOSELY FOR A LONG TIME.
WE’RE BIG FANS.
WE HAVE SEEN YOU FOLLOW THE
AIRLINE INDUSTRY.
AIRLINE INDUSTRY. IT’S AN INDUSTRY THAT HASN’T HAD
A FATAL CRASH IN 11 YEARS.
WE HAVE SEEN YOU FOLLOW NASA AND
WE HAVE BEEN AHEAD IN THAT RACE
EVER SINCE.
EVER SINCE. SCIENCE, SOMETHING YOU HAVE
REPORTED ON SO MUCH.
WHEN IT COMES TO NOBEL PRIZES
THERE’S NOT A CLOSE SECOND TO
THE UNITED STATES SO HOW DID WE
FAIL SO MISERABLY IN THE
GREATEST SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL
CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME?
>> IT’S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION,
ISN’T IT, JOE?
THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND
POLITICS IS A PRETTY UGLY PLACE
THESE DAYS AND IT’S BEEN THAT
WAY FOR DECADES.
AND THEY MOVE ON FOR POLITICAL
GAINS.
GAINS. LOOKING AT SCIENCE THROUGH A
POLITICAL PRISM HAS GREAT
CONSEQUENCES.
CONSEQUENCES. PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE FOR A LONG TIME HAVE BEEN
SAYING THIS FOR A LONG TIME BUT
THAT’S A CRISIS THAT’S A LITTLE
HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THE
CONSEQUENCES OF ALTHOUGH THAT’S
CHANGING.
CHANGING. BUT IN THIS CASE, IN THE CASE OF
A PANDEMIC, INJECTING POLITICS
IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND
DISCOUNTING THE DATA AND WHAT
SCIENCE ARE SAYING HAS REAL
CONSEQUENCES, LIVES ARE LOST AND
IT’S TIME TO PUT THE POLITICS
ASIDE AND TRULY LOOK AT THE --
AT WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE TELLING
US.
US. THEY’RE NOT LYING.
THEY’RE NOT LYING TO US.
YOU ALSO LOOK AT THE FRICTION
BETWEEN SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS.
THAT SEEMS TO BE HIS ACHILLES
HEEL WHEN IT COMES TO REOPENING
THE ECONOMY.
THE ECONOMY. HE’S LISTENING TO PEOPLE LIKE
LARRY KUDLOW AT TIMES INSTEAD OF
DR. FAUCI.
DR. FAUCI. OF COURSE, ULTIMATELY HE SEEMS
TO GET TO THE RIGHT DECISION ON
SOME OF HIS HEALTH CARE
DECISIONS BUT STILL, THAT
FRICTION HAS BEEN UNDERLYING SO
MUCH CHAOS IN THE WHITE HOUSE’S
DELIVERY OF THEIR MESSAGE.
>> IT ISN’T TIME TO BE PLAYING
SMALL POLITICAL GAME WHEN YOU’RE
DEALING WITH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
AND WE DO THAT AT GREAT PEARL.
WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS A POLITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE LISTENING TO THE
SCIENCE AND THE DATA AND HAS
DONE THE BEST THEY CAN.
OTHER STATES HAVE DONE THAT AS
WELL.
WELL. BUT UNTIL WE HAVE A COHESIVE
NATIONAL APPROACH TO WHAT IS
AFTER ALL EVERY PERSON ON THE
PLANET WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET
OUT OF THIS.
IT PREMIERES TOMORROW NIGHT ON