Calling the United States an “outlier” among nations that have otherwise succeeded in reducing the spread of coronavirus, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that it was a mistake to reopen public spaces, like bars, early, and that the country is paying for that mistake with dramatic spikes in cases and hospitalizations.
Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve To Save Lives (an initiative that works to prevent epidemics), also responded on “CBS This Morning” to President Donald Trump’s comments this weekend that 99 percent of coronavirus cases are “harmless”. saying that the complications of the virus are not fully understood.
CBS News
“I think part of the challenge here is that we have lost the nuances,” Dr. Frieden told co-host Gayle King. “Some people say this is a hoax, it is false, it is not serious. Other people may be saying that it is the worst thing in the world, a zombie apocalypse. It is none. This is a terrible pandemic. It has killed 130,000 Americans. Sick many, many more, and we still don’t know what the long-term complications of some of the diseases are. [are]. But it is true that 99% of the people who obtain it will survive.
“We need a more nuanced approach. Right now, the virus has the advantage in much of the United States, most of the United States. We can regain the advantage if we work together. If we work together, we can take our children back to school in the fall, we can restart our economy and prevent deaths. But we will only do it by uniting to stop the virus. It will not stop on its own; we have to stop it. “
He said that to do so we must follow the “Three Ws”: “Wear a mask, wash your hands, look at your distance.”
Dr. Frieden also said that strategic testing is required, noting that some people’s focus on the sheer number of tests taken is “totally wrong.”
King asked, “The president blames the increase [in cases] in increasing evidence. Does he have a point? ”
“While it is true that we are testing more, we are finding much more, and therefore it is absolutely clear that this is a real increase,” replied Dr. Frieden. “You don’t have to tell the doctors in the emergency room that they are dealing with tons of patients right now across the South and Southeast, Southwest of the United States that this is real. It is real.”
An increase in cases has become evident among the younger segments of the population, after sectors of the country reopened their economies, allowing crowds to gather, many without masks. “It was a mistake to open bars early, and we are paying for that mistake,” said Dr. Frieden.
“But there are things everyone can do to calm this. If you’re a young adult, remember, you don’t want to have serious illness or the death of an older relative on your conscience for the rest of your life.” Everyone who is exposed needs to be quarantined. Everyone within six feet of other people must wear a mask. There are many things we can do, and there is no perfect answer. It is an integral response of the entire society.
“You know, Gayle, we are an outlier. Countries around the world, in Africa, Asia and Europe, are controlling the virus. It is not easy, but we are not, and we can.”
“Scientists are asking the World Health Organization to update us on how the virus spreads,” said King. “Is there new information about that or new concerns about how the virus has spread?”
“We are still not sure of some of the details, and that is one of the reasons why we need to do such detailed investigations of each case,” said Dr. Frieden. “A great epidemic response is constantly being learned.
“What is the debate among scientists? How common is what is called aerosol transmission? That means that fine particles remain in the air for an hour or two. We know that something is happening, it is happening in care facilities. medical, when certain procedures are performed, it happens when the choirs sing. It spews out particles that can infect many people. It is also true that it spreads from contaminated surfaces. But for all those things, wearing a mask can make a big difference. why does everyone need to wear a mask when they are within six feet of other people. “
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