Return to Transcripts main page

At This Hour

Sierra Leone Hot Spot of Ebola; ZMAPP Serum Seems Most Hopeful Cure for Ebola; Hawaii Bracing For Back-to-Back Hurricanes; Bergdahl Has 2nd Meeting with Army Investigator

Aired August 07, 2014 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: 31 minutes past the hour. Welcome back to @THISHOUR.

The head of the CDC says putting an end to the Ebola outbreak will take many months and it will not be easy. The virus has killed more than 900 people in West Africa and infected hundreds more. The nation of Sierra Leone is considered the main hot spot. They've set up military-run checkpoints to fight the spread.

CNN's David McKenzie went to the source to check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To try to stem the deadly Ebola spread through Sierra Leone, they've set up checkpoints and they're doing specific things to mitigate the risk.

One is that people coming through, everybody has to wash their hands in the chlorine solution like this. Now Ebola is a deadly disease, but it's not that sturdy, so this will probably kill it if it's on your hands. You come through here get your temperature taken. 36.6, so I'm all right.

Then what must I do next?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCKENZIE: I can go out. He says I must be careful.

Stopping the spread of Ebola is so crucial for Sierra Leone and for regional health concerns. But I want to tell you why this is so difficult. This area here is just brimming with trade and it's in a region where three countries meet, the triangle. And people aren't just moving here, they're obviously moving on foot and through the bush all the time. It's next to impossible to effectively stem the flow. People who have the disease haven't been found out.

So even with these measures being put throughout the country, it's extremely difficult to stop the flow of this deadly outbreak.

David McKenzie, CNN, Sierra Leone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CNN ANCHOR: A great look at the front line of the situation there in Sierra Leone.

The most hopeful cure for Ebola is the serum we've been talking a whole lot about, the serum giving to both of the American missionaries who contracted the virus, even though the serum, ZMapp, is still in the testing phase. Their health is improving but scientists can't say for sure it's because of ZMapp.

Our Stephanie Elam went to one of the labs that played a role in the development of the serum. She joins me from Los Angeles.

Good to have you with me @THISHOUR, Stephanie.

Let's talk about this drug. How does it work?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michaela, it took a long time to even find these three antibodies that make up this cocktail they're calling ZMapp. What they've found is these three antibodies in the serum, they're able to neutralize the Ebola virus inside the cell.

To better explain it, let's go the lady in the lab I visited in California. Her name is Erica Ollmann Saphire. She was instrumental. She says her lab helped develop the molecular roadmap for ZMapp. She can explain how this drug works. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA OLLMANN SAPHIRE, PROFESSOR, SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE: This is a model we made with our structural biology of the structure -- the protein is the surface of the virus, green and white. Yellow is the antibody. This is the molecule of the virus used to attach to a human cell and drive itself in. The antibody will attach to it and one of a couple of things. One of the ones in the ZMapp cocktail alerts the immune system of the presence of the infection. The other two bind to the base of the molecule and prevent it from working.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: So really it's a three-pronged maneuver going on as she's explaining how this works.

Also keep in mind, it took them 10 years to identify these antibodies and they continue to receive other antibodies from other scientists throughout the work who are still looking for the cure of Ebola. Remember, this isn't a done deal yet.

PEREIRA: That's the point. It isn't a done deal. Not approved by the FDA. It hasn't been tested in humans. In fact, the two humans that we know that are in Emory University Hospital, Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, are the first two to have it administered to them.

But a lot of people are asking, Steph, why can't they get more and send it to the victims in West Africa? ELAM: That is the huge question. There's a lot of young children who

could have benefitted from this. You hear people saying that. The issue, A, it wasn't supposed to try on humans until 2015. These two patients that have it, they signed off knowing they were getting something that had not been approved yet. The other issue, with the fact they've taken this, there was no control subject. We don't know how much of the virus they had, if these two were getting better on their own.

I talked to Dr. Sapphire about this, she says I would take this vaccine, this drug myself, because I've been researching it my whole life. I know what it did in monkeys, that it saved the lives of the monkeys but we don't know how it's going to really interact in big, large masses of humanity, and that's what they need to determine. Until then, it's very much an exploratory adventure. But she said the reason you're talking to me and not the people at Mapp Biopharmaceuticals, who are making the drug, is because they're so busy trying to make as much as they can so they can get into the trial phase. It takes time.

PEREIRA: That's what we want to hear is that they are stepping on the gas, if you will. 2015 seems like awfully long way away considering the fact that the numbers increase by the day, the people sickened, dying. It's spread to Nigeria. Confirmed cases and deaths there. It is a concern.

One last quick thing, what does a tobacco plant have to do with all of this?

ELAM: People are like, how does this figure out, and other are saying this is a good use for tobacco plant. A lot of these researchers don't have the big budgets, don't have the money to do this, not a big huge biopharmaceutical company so to create more of the antibodies they need a carrier basically and what they're able to do is insert the virus into a tobacco plant, plant starts to die, they're able to harvest through a multistep process -- I don't want to bore you with that -- but they're able to harvest the antibodies out of that and create the serum they're able to put to the Ebola virus to eradicate it. Once the virus is neutralized by those antibodies, that's when the body's own system can step in and kill the rest off of it. That's why they're using tobacco plants. It's fascinating on what they figured out how to do.

PEREIRA: Cool science and good use of tobacco as far as I'm concerned.

Stephanie Elam, thank you so much. Great look at all of this for us. I'm sure we'll be watching this as the days advance.

A short break. Ahead @THISHOUR, Hawaii bracing for a one-two punch, back-to-back hurricanes. @THISHOUR, Hawaiians are scrambling to prepare.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Hawaii will soon be in the eye of a storm for first time in 22 years. The islands are bracing for a direct hit from not one, but potentially two hurricanes. Hurricanes Iselle and Julio barreling towards the islands, one right behind the other.

Let's turn to Chad Myers live at our Extreme Weather Center.

This is extreme. Folks on the islands are stocking up on gas, water and supplies. What idea do we have of when it's going to first make landfall?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It should be tomorrow night, and really local time, maybe 8:00, 9:00, somewhere around there, which is good news because they will have the whole day to prepare for this.

This is the first time since really Iniki and it was a rare event, not that long after Iniki hit, and it was devastated. This is a rainmaker, a flood maker, wind will be 70. Almost a hurricane. Tropical storm. Somewhere in the ballpark. There it is right there. It's 80. Still a lot of dry air out here and this thing could still at least for a while begin to dissipate and that's good news. The problem is, this is not like a hurricane or tropical storm hitting Florida which is nice and big and flat and the rain goes everywhere. This is a mountainous area. The county here we're talking about, the big island, very, very high. You the upslope, all the water, the moisture laden air will go up the top of the mountains, down on the saddle road and run back into Hilo. This is the area I'm most concerned about. This is all -- this is the volcano, active volcano. People will not be there. Hilo hard to get out of there and that road will send all of that rain back down and if you see a foot of rain on the mountains, it's all going to have to come down. Not like spreading out, not like you get rain in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Ohio because it's nice and flat, relatively flat, this is a topographic flooding nightmare I think.

PEREIRA: It's really an important thing to point out, folks have really bad memories from Iniki when that happened but the flooding is a major concern. I want to ask you, tourism a huge dealing for Hawaii. Have you heard anything about travel advisories and if they're going to still let planes come into the area while this is happening?

MYERS: Planes are still in and out for now. As the storm gets closer they will not be flying. You will not be able to leave L.A., Atlanta, New York City, you will you're going to have to stop flying for a while because they will not want planes on the runway with winds at 70. So Honolulu maybe toward the -- the saddle airport there in Maui, you're not going to get in there for a couple hours, at least I'm going to say probably a 12-hour stop before the storm goes by. I talked about the big island, but you will have the same type of wind here, for Hilo, Oahu. All the areas that will see the up-sloping wind will have that type of flooding risk for the rest of this week.

PEREIRA: We send our thoughts to the Hawaiian Islands. This is not what they need any time. And hopefully, they will be able to brace through the worst of it.

I was going to science out and talk about the relation between hurricanes and volcanoes but we have to save that for another time, Chad.

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: Mahalo to that.

Thanks so much. We appreciate it.

Ahead @THISHOUR, what happened to Bowe Bergdahl. After he walked off that posts back in 2009 and fell into Taliban hands. Well, he has just finished a second day of questioning from an Army investigator. We're going to take a look at where the case goes from here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: @THISHOUR, Bowe Bergdahl has finished a second meeting with an Army investigator. The military is trying to find out how and why that Army sergeant ended up a Taliban captive for five years. As you know, some of his Army comrades have accused him of desertion.

Let's bring in Anita Gorecki-Robbins. I promised she would be back on the show. And she's a former Army defense attorney and was a JAG officer at one time.

Good to have you back with me. I'm glad it hasn't been that long.

ANITA GORECKI-ROBBINS, FORMER ARMY DEFENSE ATTORNEY & JAG OFFICER: Thanks.

PEREIRA: Let's talk about this conversation that we're day two, Bergdahl's lawyer had a chance to speak to Nick Valencia and told us the overall atmosphere was very informal, very business like which I feel are different things, but that General Dahl is a master at putting people at ease. Is this how these kind of investigations start out or maybe Dahl's own personal style?

GORECKI-ROBBINS: I've heard this is the general's old style but when I was a former federal prosecutor my FBI agent put everybody at ease before they got a confession. So I'm not saying that's what General Dahl is doing here. This might be his general nature and it is the best way to get people to talk, to be more conversational, more flies with sugar or honey rather, but I'm still concerned, I mean simply as a defense counsel, because everything he says has a legal consequence as to what's going to happen with the rest of his life.

PEREIRA: What is their end goal here? Obviously, it's key to hear his side of the story. We've talked about it here on CNN. There's a tendency to rush to judgment. But in this investigation, it's key that they let him tell his story for the record. But are they also trying to prove that he deserted?

GORECKI-ROBBINS: Well, it's a very interesting question because when General Dahl was assigned this, they usually get a memorandum from the next higher in command. So in your case, it would be Colonel Michaela Pereira, we want you to go found out X, Y and Z. So we don't know what that memorandum states to him as to what he is tasked to do. And so now General Dahl goes out, does his investigation. Typically he has 60 days. Committee asks for more. And then General Dahl has to go back, compile the exhibits and write up in response saying this is what I found in regards to X, Y and Z. And here are my recommendations as to what I think should happen. And that's all it is, is merely a recommendation.

PEREIRA: I knew I liked you. You already gave me a promotion. You can come back again.

Let's talk about the rest -- I mean, this is only one aspect of General Dahl's investigation. Has he or will he speak with those fellow soldiers? Several of them have been quite vocal about what they believe happened.

GORECKI-ROBBINS: Right. Well, there was a previous 15-6 investigation done. One could argue that the statements that were given closer in time are probably more accurate. However, due to the high nature of this, in order to have a full-sum investigation, I think he should even though those prior statements are probably the better source.

PEREIRA: Bergdahl's lawyer also mentioned that he expects General Dahl to request an extension for this investigation, a report coming out maybe mid-September. After all of these interviews, what is the next step for General Dahl?

GORECKI-ROBBINS: Well, like I said, General Dahl was tasked this by -- I'm not sure who in his chain of command. So he turns in his report back up to higher. And then those individuals, whoever tasked him, then he's done his part. He walks away from this. And so then it will be back to the Army, possibly back to that staff judge advocate, that local, shall we say, county D.A., as I call it, back in Alaska to figure out what do we do with all of this information. Court-martial, no. Maybe administratively let him go, maybe through some kind of medical evaluation board, let him go. So there's many different things that they can do.

PEREIRA: And at this point, Bergdahl -- Sergeant Bergdahl is back on regular duty. We know that. And I imagine there is some sort of aftercare that continues. Do we know that?

GORECKI-ROBBINS: I don't think we do. Though it would be -- it would be my assumption, having dealt with the Army mental health program, that they didn't suddenly cut him off.

PEREIRA: Right.

GORECKI-ROBBINS: My guess, based on previous clients, is, yes, that he is still doing some kind of outpatient therapy.

(CROSSTALK)

GORECKI-ROBBINS: Go ahead.

PEREIRA: No, it absolutely is a factor to be sure. And again, you talked about the pace of this all happening. They have to keep that in mind as they conduct this investigation, considering what he has been through, no matter what side of this whole argument you're on.

Anita Gorecki-Robbins, really a pleasure to have you back on the show. We'll talk to you again soon.

GORECKI-ROBBINS: Thank you.

PEREIRA: Well, we are still awaiting the president. He is going to sign a V.A. Reform bill, expected to bring about $16.3 billion to the beleaguered V.A. We're waiting for those comments. We'll take you live to Virginia when he gets to the podium. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: If you or someone you love wants to visit the college of their dreams to find out if you like it, you don't have to get on a plane or even drive there. You can take a virtual tour and go from one Ivy League school to another in just the blink of an eye.

Our Laurie Segall has the details in this week's "Innovation Nation."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ceiling, paintings.

LAURIE SEGALL, "CNN MONEY" TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: And so this is all exactly how it's like?

(voice-over): A college tour without even stepping outside.

(on camera): So now I'm at a beautiful courtyard.

(voice-over): That's me wearing oculus, a virtual reality headset that make headlines after Facebook bought it for $2 billion earlier this year. Now a company called You-Visit is using it for virtual college tours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have markers in these locations. You have a yellow marker to your left. So if you make it right in front of you, that will transfer you to the next location.

SEGALL: Right now it's tracking my eye movements. I'm looking down to get a gallery of places I can visit. And any time I want to go somewhere, I just look at it, and I'm transported.

(on camera): So I'm going to go to the stadium because I don't want to get in the way of this young lady doing her homework.

(voice-over): It's virtual reality into making college more of a reality.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our mission from the company is making the campus visit more attainable to students.

SEGALL: Oculus isn't widely available yet. And even when it is, most people aren't going to have a $350 headset at home. But you could start seeing these devices at college fairs and recruitment events. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not replacing the actual visit. We're

making the kids more excited about doing the actual visit.

SEGALL (on camera): So this is what it's like to be a cheerleader, football player or in a band.

(voice-over): If you're not an athlete, this might be the closest you're going to come to the football field. We tested it had out with some professional critics. Our intern goes to Syracuse.

JARED MANDEL, UNIVERSITY INTERN: This is the carrier dome at Syracuse. It feels like I'm in the stadium.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the best way to meet the people, not just look at an empty dining hall.

SEGALL: But it does allow you to cross to the Ivy League to the big ten in the blink of an eye.

Like any developing technology, it's a work in progress.

After wearing the headset for 15 minutes, I was dizzy and ready to finish my college tour.

(LAUGHTER)

Laurie Segall, CNN Money, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

I'm glad she addressed the dizziness. I was getting a little dizzy watching her.

It's a good look, though, for you, Laurie.

Again, we're awaiting the comments from the president. He's in Virginia about to sign the V.A. reform bill. They're going to bring that to you ahead on a "LEGAL VIEW."

Thanks for joining me @THISHOUR. I'm Michaela Pereira.

Ashleigh Banfield is up next.