SITUATION, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SIMPLY DOESN’T WANT

GOVERNMENT SIMPLY DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES.

TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CORONA

WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CORONA CORONAVIRUS CASES WORLDWIDE,

CORONAVIRUS CASES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING AT LEAST 80 HERE IN

INCLUDING AT LEAST 80 HERE IN THE U.S., THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

THE U.S., THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRYING TO REASSURE THE PUBLIC,

TRYING TO REASSURE THE PUBLIC, IT’S PREPARED.

IT’S PREPARED. >> WE WILL HAVE MORE AND WE WILL

>> WE WILL HAVE MORE AND WE WILL HAVE MORE COMMUNITY CASES.

HAVE MORE COMMUNITY CASES. IT’S SIMPLY A MATTER OF MATH.

IT’S SIMPLY A MATTER OF MATH. >> Reporter: THE CDC SAYS IT

>> Reporter: THE CDC SAYS IT WILL ALLOW HUNDREDS OF LABS

WILL ALLOW HUNDREDS OF LABS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO TEST FOR

ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO TEST FOR THE VIRUS, TO MORE QUICKLY

THE VIRUS, TO MORE QUICKLY IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PATIENTS AND

IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PATIENTS AND TRACK TRANSMISSION.

TRACK TRANSMISSION. >> WE NOW THAT 75,000 TESTS

>> WE NOW THAT 75,000 TESTS AVAILABLE OUT THERE IN THE

AVAILABLE OUT THERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

UNITED STATES. AND OVER THE NEXT WEEK, THAT

AND OVER THE NEXT WEEK, THAT WILL EXPAND RADEDLY ON TOP OF

WILL EXPAND RADEDLY ON TOP OF THE 75,000 TESTS AVAILABLE.

THE 75,000 TESTS AVAILABLE. >> Reporter: BUT FEAR AND

>> Reporter: BUT FEAR AND MISINFORMATION CONTINUE TO

MISINFORMATION CONTINUE TO SPREAD.

SPREAD. ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA, MANY,

ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA, MANY, INCLUDING SOME CELEBRITIES, HAVE

INCLUDING SOME CELEBRITIES, HAVE POSTED PHOTOS WEARING FACE

POSTED PHOTOS WEARING FACE MASKS.

MASKS. HEALTH EXPERTS SAY THAT’S

HEALTH EXPERTS SAY THAT’S SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE.

SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE. THE SURGEON GENERAL TWEETING

THE SURGEON GENERAL TWEETING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD STOP BUYING

THAT PEOPLE SHOULD STOP BUYING THEM, EXPLAINING THAT MASKS ARE

THEM, EXPLAINING THAT MASKS ARE NOT FOR GENERAL INFECTION AND

NOT FOR GENERAL INFECTION AND NEED TO BE PROVIDED FOR HEALTH

NEED TO BE PROVIDED FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND THOSE THAT

CARE PROVIDERS AND THOSE THAT ARE SICK.

ARE SICK. 3M IS INCREASING PRODUCTION TO

3M IS INCREASING PRODUCTION TO 35 MILLION MASKS PER MONTH.

35 MILLION MASKS PER MONTH. IN CORPORATE AMERICA, IT’S

IN CORPORATE AMERICA, IT’S ANYTHING BUT BUSINESS AS USUAL,

ANYTHING BUT BUSINESS AS USUAL, WHEN THE STOCK MARKET TOOK A HIT

WHEN THE STOCK MARKET TOOK A HIT LAST WEEK, THE BIGGEST DECLINE

LAST WEEK, THE BIGGEST DECLINE SINCE THE 2008 RECESSION.

SINCE THE 2008 RECESSION. AND WITH FEARS MOUNTING, GIANT

AND WITH FEARS MOUNTING, GIANT COMPANIES ARE TELLING WORKERS TO

COMPANIES ARE TELLING WORKERS TO AVOID UNNECESSARY TRIPS.

AVOID UNNECESSARY TRIPS. THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS IN TROUBLE,

THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS IN TROUBLE, TOO, SCRAMBLING TO FIND PARTS

TOO, SCRAMBLING TO FIND PARTS AND PREVENT SHORTAGES, FACING

AND PREVENT SHORTAGES, FACING DELAYS FROM CHINESE SUPPLY

DELAYS FROM CHINESE SUPPLY CHAINS.

CHAINS. NOW, EXPERTS PREDICT THAT CAR

NOW, EXPERTS PREDICT THAT CAR SALES CAN FALL BY 2.5% THIS

SALES CAN FALL BY 2.5% THIS YEAR.

YEAR. CONFERENCES ARE ALSO CANCELED.

CONFERENCES ARE ALSO CANCELED. IN TEXAS, A GLOBAL ENERGY

IN TEXAS, A GLOBAL ENERGY GATHERING, EXPECTED TO BRING

GATHERING, EXPECTED TO BRING THOUSANDS FROM MORE THAN 80

THOUSANDS FROM MORE THAN 80 COUNTRIES TO HOUSTON, CALLED

COUNTRIES TO HOUSTON, CALLED OFF.

OFF. WORLDWIDE, TRAVEL IS TAKING A

WORLDWIDE, TRAVEL IS TAKING A MASSIVE HIT, AS WELL.

MASSIVE HIT, AS WELL. DELTA AND AMERICAN, SUSPENDING

DELTA AND AMERICAN, SUSPENDING FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND

FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MILAN, ITALY, UNTIL LATE APRIL

MILAN, ITALY, UNTIL LATE APRIL AT THE EARLIEST.

AT THE EARLIEST. UNITED HALTING FLIGHTS TO JAPAN,

UNITED HALTING FLIGHTS TO JAPAN, SINGAPORE AND SOUTH KOREA.

SINGAPORE AND SOUTH KOREA. MEANWHILE, RETAIL IS HURTING,

MEANWHILE, RETAIL IS HURTING, WITH INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIES

WITH INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIES BEING HELD UP AND SHIPMENTS

BEING HELD UP AND SHIPMENTS DELAYED.

DELAYED. EVEN SOME BRIDES-TO-BE

EVEN SOME BRIDES-TO-BE SCRAMBLING TO FIND WEDDING

SCRAMBLING TO FIND WEDDING DRESSES BEFORE THEIR BIG DAY.

DRESSES BEFORE THEIR BIG DAY. >> YIKES.

>> YIKES. YOU PAINT A PRETTY GRIM PICTURE,

YOU PAINT A PRETTY GRIM PICTURE, MR. COSTELLO.

MR. COSTELLO. HERE’S THE THING, IF THE ELDERLY

HERE’S THE THING, IF THE ELDERLY ARE MOST AT RISK, HOW ARE

ARE MOST AT RISK, HOW ARE OFFICIALS EXPLAINING THE

OFFICIALS EXPLAINING THE RELATIVELY YOUNG DOCTORS WHO

RELATIVELY YOUNG DOCTORS WHO DIED OVER IN CHINA?

DIED OVER IN CHINA? >> Reporter: YOU KNOW, I ASKED

>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, I ASKED THAT EXACT SAME QUESTION OF

THAT EXACT SAME QUESTION OF DR. FAUCI OF THE NIH.

DR. FAUCI OF THE NIH. WE HAD SEVERAL 30-SOMETHING

WE HAD SEVERAL 30-SOMETHING DOCTORS IN CHINA THAT DIED OF

DOCTORS IN CHINA THAT DIED OF THE VIRUS.

THE VIRUS. AND HE SAID, FOR THE TYPICAL,

AND HE SAID, FOR THE TYPICAL, YOUNG, HEALTHY PERSON, IT

YOUNG, HEALTHY PERSON, IT PROBABLY IS NOT GOING TO BE A

PROBABLY IS NOT GOING TO BE A FATAL RISK.

FATAL RISK. BUT THESE DOCTORS WERE AT THE

BUT THESE DOCTORS WERE AT THE EPICENTER.

EPICENTER. THEY MAY HAVE VERY HIGH VIRAL

THEY MAY HAVE VERY HIGH VIRAL LOADS, SUR ROUNDED BY EDSURROUND

LOADS, SUR ROUNDED BY EDSURROUND THEY COULD HAVE HAD GREATER RISK

THEY COULD HAVE HAD GREATER RISK WITH AN UNDERLYING HEALTH

WITH AN UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION.

CONDITION. BUT SURROUNDED BY THE VIRUS AT

BUT SURROUNDED BY THE VIRUS AT THE EPICENTER, COULD HAVE PROVEN

THE EPICENTER, COULD HAVE PROVEN TOO MUCH FOR THEM.

TOO MUCH FOR THEM. >> SOME THAT HAD THE VIRUS, THAT

>> SOME THAT HAD THE VIRUS, THAT THE SYMPTOMS WERE RATHER MILD.

THE SYMPTOMS WERE RATHER MILD. >> YEAH.

>> YEAH. >> Reporter: YEAH.

>> Reporter: YEAH. WE’VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE

WE’VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD OR HAVE THE VIRUS.

HAD OR HAVE THE VIRUS. AND THEY SAID, I HAD A TIGHT

AND THEY SAID, I HAD A TIGHT CHEST, A LITTLE RESPIRATORY

CHEST, A LITTLE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, BUT NOTHING

DISTRESS, BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT.

SIGNIFICANT. DIDN’T THINK OF GOING TO THE

DIDN’T THINK OF GOING TO THE DOCTOR.

DOCTOR. NO FEVER, NO CHILLS, NO ACHES.

NO FEVER, NO CHILLS, NO ACHES. AND FOR MOST PEOPLE, THE ADVICE

AND FOR MOST PEOPLE, THE ADVICE IS, THEY CAN TAKE SOME IBUPROFEN

IS, THEY CAN TAKE SOME IBUPROFEN AND WILL GET THROUGH IT JUST

AND WILL GET THROUGH IT JUST FINE.

FINE. IF THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE

IF THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, THE HOSPITAL WILL

HOSPITAL, THE HOSPITAL WILL TREAT THEM WITH FLUIDS AND

TREAT THEM WITH FLUIDS AND IBUPROFEN AND WHATEVER YOU WOULD

IBUPROFEN AND WHATEVER YOU WOULD NORMALLY DO FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS

NORMALLY DO FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE FLU.

THE FLU. BUT THERE ARE NO ANTIVIRALS

BUT THERE ARE NO ANTIVIRALS RIGHT NOW FOR THIS PARTICULAR

RIGHT NOW FOR THIS PARTICULAR STRAIN OF THE CORONAVIRUS.

STRAIN OF THE CORONAVIRUS. AND NO VACCINE, THAT MAKES IT

AND NO VACCINE, THAT MAKES IT DANGEROUS TO THOSE WHO ARE 65,

DANGEROUS TO THOSE WHO ARE 65, 70 AND OLDER.

70 AND OLDER. CAN WE MAKE ONE IMPORTANT POINT?

CAN WE MAKE ONE IMPORTANT POINT? SO FAR, WE HAVE TWO CASES HERE

SO FAR, WE HAVE TWO CASES HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

IN THE UNITED STATES. TWO FATAL CASES.

TWO FATAL CASES. WE HAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 18,000

WE HAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 18,000 AND 40,000 PEOPLE WHO DIE EVERY

AND 40,000 PEOPLE WHO DIE EVERY YEAR FROM THE SEASONAL FLU.

YEAR FROM THE SEASONAL FLU. IT’S IMPORTANT TO PUT THAT INTO

IT’S IMPORTANT TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT.

CONTEXT. >> THANK YOU, TOM.

>> THANK YOU, TOM. I’M GLAD THAT TOM INCLUDED THE

I’M GLAD THAT TOM INCLUDED THE PART ABOUT THE MASKS.

PART ABOUT THE MASKS. WE’VE BEEN TRAVELING A LOT OVER

WE’VE BEEN TRAVELING A LOT OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS.

THE LAST FEW DAYS. AND YOU SEE PEOPLE WEARING THE

AND YOU SEE PEOPLE WEARING THE SURGICAL MASKS.

SURGICAL MASKS. >> NOT ONLY ARE THEY SAYING IT’S

>> NOT ONLY ARE THEY SAYING IT’S NOT EFFECTIVE, BUT THE SURGEON

NOT EFFECTIVE, BUT THE SURGEON GENERAL SAID, IT’S THE HEALTH