>> Kim: WELCOME BACK! THE COVERAGE OF THE CORONAVIRUS
CRISIS CONTINUES.
CRISIS CONTINUES. WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THE BROAD
STROKES OF WHAT’S HAPPENED
TODAY.
TODAY. PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL ADDRESS THE
NATION AT 9:00 P.M.
AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT MARCH
MADNESS WILL BE PLAYED WITHOUT
FANS.
FANS. >> Devin: REALLY DIFFICULT TO
EVEN QUITE GRASP WHAT THAT WILL
LOOK LIKE. WE’RE JOINED BY DR.
FRANK McGEORGE.
FRANK McGEORGE. BEFORE YOU START THE HEADLINES,
TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT WE HEARD
FROM THE GOVERNOR, I GOT A TWEET
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
WONDERING THIS: WHY AREN’T THE
CITIES INVOLVED MENTIONED.
OAKLAND AND WAYNE COUNTIES
AREN’T EXACTLY THE SMALLEST
COUNTIES.
COUNTIES. AND WE’VE GOT A HIPPA ISSUE HERE
AND PATIENT PRIVACY, BUT YOU’RE
TRYING TO MARRY THAT WITH PUBLIC
INTEREST AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
>> Dr. McGeorge: I THINK
RELEASING THE CITY THE
INDIVIDUALS LIVED IN IS
REASONABLE BECAUSE IT DOESN’T
NARROW IT DOWN BY A GREAT DEAL
AND WOULD GIVE SOME PEOPLE THE
LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE ABOUT THE
INFORMATION BEING DELIVERED, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY THEY’VE CHOSEN NOT
TO RELEASE THAT AT THIS TIME.
OTHER LOCALITIES HAVE RELEASED
THE CITY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
EVEN.
EVEN. AND WE’VE SEEN THAT IN OTHER
INSTANCES.
INSTANCES. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THEY’RE
CHOOSING NOT TO DO THAT.
>> Devin: SOME WILL SAY, THERE’S
JUST TWO CASES IN THE STATE AND
THIS IS AN ELEPHANT GUN APPROACH
TO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS MODEST.
>> Dr. McGeorge: THESE TWO CASES
ARE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE
ISSUES.
ISSUES. WE BELIEVE THERE ARE OTHER CASES
THAT HAVE YET TO BE IDENTIFIED.
AT THIS POINT, IT’S A MATTER OF
FURTHER TESTING, BROADENING THE
SCOPE AND IDENTIFYING PEOPLE AND
HOW MUCH COMMUNITY SPREAD THERE
IS BECAUSE THERE’S LIKELY SOME
COMMUNITY SPREAD.
COMMUNITY SPREAD. >> Kim: AND THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION IS OFFICIALLY
CALLING IT A PANDEMIC.
AND THE RESPONSE TO THE POSITIVE
TESTS IS THAT IT’S BEEN REALLY
SWIFT.
SWIFT. >> Dr. McGeorge: DEFINITELY.
THE GOVERNOR AND THE DOCTOR HAVE
MADE GREAT STRIDES TO LIMIT THE
COMMUNITY CONNECTION, TRYING TO
DISCOURAGE LARGE GATHERINGS, TRY
TO GET PEOPLE TO PRACTICE BETTER
HAND HYGIENE, ET CETERA.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO
THINK ABOUT.
THINK ABOUT. WE’VE REACHED THE POINT WHERE
THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE
DISRUPTIONS IN OUR EVERYDAY
LIVES, AND WE’RE SEEING A RIPPLE
EFFECT OF CANCELLATIONS AND
CLOSINGS.
CLOSINGS. THIS IS THE COSTCO IN ROSEVILLE.
THEY’VE BEEN BUSY WITH PEOPLE
STOCKING UP ON SUPPLIES.
THE LEVEL OF CONCERN COMES AFTER
THE STATE CONFIRMED THE FIRST
TWO POSITIVE CASES OF
CORONAVIRUS HERE IN MICHIGAN.
>> WE’VE HAD THE FIRST POSITIVE
TEST OF CORONAVIRUS IDENTIFIED
HERE IN OAKLAND COUNTY.
>> Dr. McGeorge: OFFICIALS SAY
THE PATIENT, A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN
TRAVELED TO A COUNTRY THAT
DIDN’T HAVE ANY REPORTED CASES
AT THE TIME.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS FINDING OUT
WHO SHE HAS HAD CONTACT WITH.
>> WHAT WE’RE DOING IS THE
CONTACT INVESTIGATION, ISOLATING
THIS PERSON AND MAKING SURE THEY
CONTINUE TO BE WELL CARED FOR.
AND FOLLOWING UP ON ANY FAMILY
MEMBERS OR CONTACTS SINCE
RETURNED.
RETURNED. >> Dr. McGeorge: THESE ARE THE
FIRST CASES, THEY EXPECT MORE.
>> THIS IS NOT LIKELY TO BE OUR
LAST CASE IN OAKLAND COUNTY.
IT’S LIKELY IN THE COMMUNITY.
>> Dr. McGeorge: THE WAYNE
COUNTY PATIENT IS A MIDDLE-AGED
MAN WHO TRAVELED WITHIN THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. >> BE AWARE AND YOU’LL GET THE
ACCURATE INFORMATION SO YOU KNOW
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT
YOURSELF AND PROTECT THE
RESIDENTS OF WAYNE COUNTY.
>> Dr. McGeorge: ESPECIALLY
THOSE WHO ARE OLDER OR HAVE
SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS.
>> SENIORS ARE THE HIGHEST RISK
POPULATION.
POPULATION. SO OUR INITIAL PUSH IS TO GET
THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE
SENIORS.
SENIORS. >> Dr. McGeorge: THEY URGED
EVERYONE TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AND
SOUGHT TO OFFER REASSURANCE.
>> THE VIRUS IS NEW BUT THE
RESPONSE IS NOT.
THIS IS WHAT OUR GREAT
PROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE PEOPLE
DO.
DO. >> WE’VE BEEN PREPARING FOR
THIS.
THIS. THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
>> Dr. McGeorge: WE ARE AWAITING
THE RESULTS OF 18 MORE PENDING
TESTS.
TESTS. WHILE I KNOW EVERYONE WANTS TO
KNOW WHERE THE FIRST TWO
PATIENTS LIVE AND HAVE BEEN,
IT’S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THERE
ARE FRANKLY MORE CASES LIKELY
OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND
EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF WHERE
YOU LIVE, DOES NEED TO PAY
ATTENTION AND START TAKING
APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS IF YOU
HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN DOING SO.
>> Devin: THE DEFINITION OF THE
COMMUNITY SPREAD, YOU STOP
TRYING TO FOLLOW THE THREADS
BACK TO SEE WHAT AIRPORT.
>> Dr. McGeorge: AT THIS POINT,
IT’S ABOUT MITIGATION.
WE’RE TRYING TO LIMIT THE SPREAD
AND THE SPEED OF SPREAD.