CORONAVIRUS CASES, ARE HOSPITALS PREPARED FOR WHAT IS POTENTIALLY

PREPARED FOR WHAT IS POTENTIALLY AHEAD?

AHEAD? JOINING ME NOW, DIRECTOR OF

JOINING ME NOW, DIRECTOR OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S NATIONAL

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S NATIONAL CENTER FOR DISASTER

CENTER FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, DR. EARLIN

PREPAREDNESS, DR. EARLIN REDLENER.

REDLENER. SO WHAT ABOUT THIS CONTAINMENT

SO WHAT ABOUT THIS CONTAINMENT ZONE IN NEW ROCHELLE.

ZONE IN NEW ROCHELLE. WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? >> IT’S AN EFFORT TO DEFINE A

>> IT’S AN EFFORT TO DEFINE A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AROUND

SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AROUND THAT PARTICULAR SYNAGOGUE, WHICH

THAT PARTICULAR SYNAGOGUE, WHICH IS THE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT.

IS THE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT. HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, THE GUY WHO

HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, THE GUY WHO FIRST TESTED POSITIVE WAS

FIRST TESTED POSITIVE WAS COMMUTING BACK AND FORTH TO NEW

COMMUTING BACK AND FORTH TO NEW YORK CITY ON BUSY COMMUTER

YORK CITY ON BUSY COMMUTER TRAINS.

TRAINS. HE WENT TO GRAND CENTRAL

HE WENT TO GRAND CENTRAL STATION, WALKED TO HIS OFFICE,

STATION, WALKED TO HIS OFFICE, ET CETERA.

ET CETERA. AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT THE

AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT THE ONE-MILE ZONE IS FAIRLY

ONE-MILE ZONE IS FAIRLY ARBITRARY, BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT

ARBITRARY, BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT CLOSING ALL THE SCHOOLS IN NEW

CLOSING ALL THE SCHOOLS IN NEW ROCHELLE.

ROCHELLE. THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT HAVE

THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT HAVE KIDS --

KIDS -- >> SO WHAT’S THE POINT?

>> SO WHAT’S THE POINT? >> THE POINT IS TO TRY TO DO

>> THE POINT IS TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD

SOMETHING TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.

OF THE VIRUS. BUT IT’S ALREADY THE BEGINNING

BUT IT’S ALREADY THE BEGINNING SIGNS OF A WILDFIRE OF SPREAD IS

SIGNS OF A WILDFIRE OF SPREAD IS WHAT WE’RE DEALING WITH.

WHAT WE’RE DEALING WITH. >> SO YOU’RE SAYING, EVEN THOUGH

>> SO YOU’RE SAYING, EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING,

THEY’RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING, THIS IS JUST TOO SMALL SCALE?

THIS IS JUST TOO SMALL SCALE? >> THE MAIN THING IS IN THE

>> THE MAIN THING IS IN THE BACKGROUND, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE

BACKGROUND, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW ARE WHAT

UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW ARE WHAT I’VE BEEN CALLING RANDOM ACTS OF

I’VE BEEN CALLING RANDOM ACTS OF RESPONSE, BECAUSE WHAT SEATTLE

RESPONSE, BECAUSE WHAT SEATTLE IS DOING, IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT

IS DOING, IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ORLANDO IS DOING, DIFFERENT FROM

ORLANDO IS DOING, DIFFERENT FROM NEW YORK CITY, ET CETERA, ET

NEW YORK CITY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

CETERA. AND I THINK THIS HARKENS BACK TO

AND I THINK THIS HARKENS BACK TO TWO BIG ISSUES THAT THE FEDERAL

TWO BIG ISSUES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DEAL WITH,

GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DEAL WITH, WHICH IS THIS UNCONSCIONABLE

WHICH IS THIS UNCONSCIONABLE ABILITY TO TEST LOTS OF PEOPLE

ABILITY TO TEST LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED

THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED MANY, MANY WEEKS AGO.

MANY, MANY WEEKS AGO. AND NOW WE’RE BEHIND THE EIGHT

AND NOW WE’RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, BECAUSE WE’RE MAKING

BALL, BECAUSE WE’RE MAKING REALLY IMPORTANT DECISIONS ON

REALLY IMPORTANT DECISIONS ON SEQUENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH MOVES

SEQUENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH MOVES THAT ARE GOING TO BE DRAMATIC,

THAT ARE GOING TO BE DRAMATIC, IS NUMBER ONE.

IS NUMBER ONE. THE SECOND THING IS, IT’S TIME

THE SECOND THING IS, IT’S TIME FOR THE CDC TO STOP PUSSYFOOTING

FOR THE CDC TO STOP PUSSYFOOTING AROUND HERE AND COME UP WITH

AROUND HERE AND COME UP WITH VERY SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS, NOT

VERY SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS, NOT SUGGESTIONS, SO THAT THE ENTIRE

SUGGESTIONS, SO THAT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS ON THE SAME PAGE

COUNTRY IS ON THE SAME PAGE HERE.

HERE. >> THE PRESIDENT SAID NO ONE SAW

>> THE PRESIDENT SAID NO ONE SAW THIS COMING, BUT EXPERTS HAVE

THIS COMING, BUT EXPERTS HAVE BEEN WARNING OF THIS FOR YEARS.

BEEN WARNING OF THIS FOR YEARS. THERE WAS AN BLA CRISIS A FEW

THERE WAS AN BLA CRISIS A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WAS THREATENING

YEARS AGO THAT WAS THREATENING TO SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD,

TO SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING TO HERE.

INCLUDING TO HERE. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER EPIDEMICS

THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER EPIDEMICS OUT THERE, THIS HAS HAPPENED

OUT THERE, THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.

BEFORE. WHY IS THERE NOT A GOVERNMENT

WHY IS THERE NOT A GOVERNMENT RESPONSE IN PLACE.

RESPONSE IN PLACE. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A PLAN TO

WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A PLAN TO COMBAT THIS?

COMBAT THIS? >> SO THERE’S GOING TO HAVE TO

>> SO THERE’S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A SERIOUS POSTMORTEM ON WHAT

BE A SERIOUS POSTMORTEM ON WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT WENT WRONG

HAPPENED AND WHAT WENT WRONG IT’S TOO EARLY TO DO THAT RIGHT

IT’S TOO EARLY TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT CAN BE DONE RIGHT

NOW, BUT WHAT CAN BE DONE RIGHT NOW IS FOR THE FEDERAL

NOW IS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A VERY

GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A VERY CONSISTENT POLICY THAT APPLIES

CONSISTENT POLICY THAT APPLIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THESE KINDS OF THINGS WORK,

THESE KINDS OF THINGS WORK, THESE WON’T WORK.

THESE WON’T WORK. WE CAN’T JUST HAVE SALESPEOPLE

WE CAN’T JUST HAVE SALESPEOPLE EXPERIMENTING LOCALLY WITH

EXPERIMENTING LOCALLY WITH SOMEONE DOING A CONTAINMENT

SOMEONE DOING A CONTAINMENT ZONE, SOMEONE SHUTTING SCHOOLS,

ZONE, SOMEONE SHUTTING SCHOOLS, OTHERS NOT SHUTTING SCHOOLS.

OTHERS NOT SHUTTING SCHOOLS. THIS IS TOO CHAOTIC AND I’M

THIS IS TOO CHAOTIC AND I’M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. >> SO THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT’S

>> SO THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ITALY, HOSPITALS IS

HAPPENING IN ITALY, HOSPITALS IS DIRE, VERY SCARY.

DIRE, VERY SCARY. DOCTORS ARE GETTING SICK,

DOCTORS ARE GETTING SICK, THEY’RE RUNNING OUT OF HEALTH

THEY’RE RUNNING OUT OF HEALTH WORKERS.

WORKERS. EVERYTHING THAT HAS MOVED TO

EVERYTHING THAT HAS MOVED TO TREATING THOSE AFFECTED.

TREATING THOSE AFFECTED. THERE IS CONCERN THAT PEOPLE

THERE IS CONCERN THAT PEOPLE COME IN WITH A TRAUMA OR WITH A

COME IN WITH A TRAUMA OR WITH A DIFFERENT ISSUE --

DIFFERENT ISSUE -- >> WITH CHEST PAIN --

>> WITH CHEST PAIN -- >> IT’S NOT CORONAVIRUS RELATED,

>> IT’S NOT CORONAVIRUS RELATED, THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING

THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING TREATED.

TREATED. THERE’S WORRY THAT THEY’RE JUST

THERE’S WORRY THAT THEY’RE JUST WATCHING PEOPLE DIE AND ALL THEY

WATCHING PEOPLE DIE AND ALL THEY CAN GIVE THEM IS OXYGEN.

CAN GIVE THEM IS OXYGEN. PCH I SENT THESE REPORTS TO

PCH I SENT THESE REPORTS TO SOMEONE I KNOW THAT WORKS IN A

SOMEONE I KNOW THAT WORKS IN A HOSPITAL IN THIS COUNTRY AND I

HOSPITAL IN THIS COUNTRY AND I SAID, IS THIS WHAT’S GOING TO

SAID, IS THIS WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE, ARE YOU CONCERNED

HAPPEN HERE, ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THIS OR IS THIS TOO

ABOUT THIS OR IS THIS TOO ALARMEST AND THE PERSON TOLD ME,

ALARMEST AND THE PERSON TOLD ME, NO, IT’S NOT HAPPENING HERE YET,

NO, IT’S NOT HAPPENING HERE YET, BUT FROM THE E-MAILS THAT THE

BUT FROM THE E-MAILS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF HIS HOSPITAL

ADMINISTRATION OF HIS HOSPITAL ARE PUTTING OUT, THEY ARE

ARE PUTTING OUT, THEY ARE PREPARED FOR IT AND THEY’RE

PREPARED FOR IT AND THEY’RE WORRIED THAT THAT IS GOING TO

WORRIED THAT THAT IS GOING TO START HAPPENING HERE.

START HAPPENING HERE. THEY SHOULD BE.

THEY SHOULD BE. WE’RE ABOUT 10 TO 15 DAYS BEHIND

WE’RE ABOUT 10 TO 15 DAYS BEHIND ITALY IN TERMS OF WHAT WILL

ITALY IN TERMS OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE HEALTH CARE

HAPPEN IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

SYSTEM. SO ACTIONS NEED TO BE TAKEN

SO ACTIONS NEED TO BE TAKEN DOWN.

DOWN. AND WE HAVE TO FIND THAT MIDDLE

AND WE HAVE TO FIND THAT MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN COMPLACENCY AND

GROUND BETWEEN COMPLACENCY AND PANICKING PEOPLE.

PANICKING PEOPLE. WHAT IS THE MIDDLE GROUND.

WHAT IS THE MIDDLE GROUND. >> IT’S BEING PROPERLY PREPARED

>> IT’S BEING PROPERLY PREPARED AND GETTING TESTED.

AND GETTING TESTED. WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO

WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO TESTS LOCALLY.

TESTS LOCALLY. WE HAVE THE PERMISSION, WE HAVE

WE HAVE THE PERMISSION, WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT --

THE EQUIPMENT -- >> WHY DON’T WE HAVE DRIVE

>> WHY DON’T WE HAVE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING LIKE THEY HAVE

THROUGH TESTING LIKE THEY HAVE IN GERMANY?

IN GERMANY? >> THAT’S A RHETORICAL QUESTION.

>> THAT’S A RHETORICAL QUESTION. WHY ARE PEOPLE WALKING INTO

WHY ARE PEOPLE WALKING INTO HOSPITALS AND INTERACTING A

HOSPITALS AND INTERACTING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE

NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE BEFORE THEY’RE TESTED.

BEFORE THEY’RE TESTED. IN GERMANY, YOU DRIVE UP TO A

IN GERMANY, YOU DRIVE UP TO A WINDOW, GET TESTED BY SOMEONE IN

WINDOW, GET TESTED BY SOMEONE IN A HAZMAT SUIT AND YOU’RE ON YOUR

A HAZMAT SUIT AND YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY.

WAY. >> IN SOUTH KOREA, THAT’S

>> IN SOUTH KOREA, THAT’S HAPPENING AS WELL.

HAPPENING AS WELL. OR HAVE MOBILE UNITS TO GO TO

OR HAVE MOBILE UNITS TO GO TO PLACES -- BUT WE DON’T WANT

PLACES -- BUT WE DON’T WANT PEOPLE JUST OVERWHELMING THE

PEOPLE JUST OVERWHELMING THE EMERGENCY ROOMS, BECAUSE IT’S

EMERGENCY ROOMS, BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO PARALYZE THE WHOLE

GOING TO PARALYZE THE WHOLE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. >> WHY IS OUR SYSTEM NOT AS

>> WHY IS OUR SYSTEM NOT AS TOGETHER AS A SYSTEM LIKE

TOGETHER AS A SYSTEM LIKE GERMANY OR SOUTH KOREA?

GERMANY OR SOUTH KOREA? >> THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR

>> THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR HOSPITALS ARE PRIVATE VOLUNTARY

HOSPITALS ARE PRIVATE VOLUNTARY HOSPITALS THAT BASICALLY DO

HOSPITALS THAT BASICALLY DO THEIR OWN THING.

THEIR OWN THING. AND THEY’LL NEED TO HAVE A MUCH

AND THEY’LL NEED TO HAVE A MUCH MORE DIRECT UNDERSTANDING --

MORE DIRECT UNDERSTANDING -- >> BECAUSE HEALTH CARE IS NOT

>> BECAUSE HEALTH CARE IS NOT NATIONALIZED IN THIS COUNTRY.

NATIONALIZED IN THIS COUNTRY. >> HEALTH CARE IS NOT

>> HEALTH CARE IS NOT NATIONALIZED, AND I’M NOT EVEN

NATIONALIZED, AND I’M NOT EVEN SAYING IT SHOULD BE, ALTHOUGH I

SAYING IT SHOULD BE, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT SHOULD BE, BUT I DO

THINK IT SHOULD BE, BUT I DO THINK WHAT WE NEED IS REAL

THINK WHAT WE NEED IS REAL DIRECTION THAT’S VERY SPECIFIC

DIRECTION THAT’S VERY SPECIFIC AND CONCRETE THAT EVERYBODY HAS

AND CONCRETE THAT EVERYBODY HAS GOT TO VOL.

GOT TO VOL. AND IF WE HAVE TO DECLARE A

AND IF WE HAVE TO DECLARE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY AT A HIGHER

NATIONAL EMERGENCY AT A HIGHER LEVEL TO DO THAT, I THINK IT’S,

LEVEL TO DO THAT, I THINK IT’S, YOU KNOW, IT’S TIME.

YOU KNOW, IT’S TIME. >> DR. ERWIN REDLENER, PLEASE

>> DR. ERWIN REDLENER, PLEASE COME BACK AND TALK TO US MORE

COME BACK AND TALK TO US MORE ABOUT THIS.

ABOUT THIS. IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE

IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT HOW ALARMED YOU SHOULD BE,

OUT HOW ALARMED YOU SHOULD BE, HOW PREPARED YOU SHOULD BE,

HOW PREPARED YOU SHOULD BE, BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING MIXED