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Cuomo Prime Time

Fauci: "You Don't Make The Timeline, The Virus Makes The Timeline"; New Orleans-Area Coronavirus Cases See Alarming Spike And Nearly A Dozen Deaths Linked To One Senior Facility; Fashion Designer & Team Making Face Masks For Healthcare Workers In Coronavirus Fight. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired March 25, 2020 - 21:00   ET

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


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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: He was a psychiatrist in New Orleans for more than 50 years. He helped a lot of people in that time. He served on the faculties of both Tulane and LSU, loves spending time with his family and had a special love for the Opera. Dr. Charles Rodney Smith was 92.

Floyd Cardoz was an acclaimed chef who ran restaurants all over the world, including Tabla, one of the first Indian fine dining establishments in New York City.

Floyd was born in Mumbai and went to culinary school in Switzerland before coming to New York. His fellow chefs call him an innovator and a constant source of knowledge and inspiration. He leaves behind a wife and two sons. Floyd Cardoz was 59 years old.

Our thoughts are with all the families suffering tonight.

Our Coronavirus coverage continues. Time to hand it over to Chris for CUOMO PRIME TIME. I'll see you tomorrow. Chris?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST, CUOMO PRIME TIME: All right, Anderson, I say it every night because it matters every night, thank you for telling the stories of those who are gone because of this virus. Nobody does it better than you.

I'm Chris Cuomo. Welcome to PRIME TIME.

Today has been the deadliest day so far of this new American war. Question, why are cases growing so fast here, faster than in other countries? Are we any closer to better weapons than just washing our hands and staying away from one another? Where are we in this war in terms of timing, planning, and potential?

Those are big questions, and we have the perfect guest to answer them. Not only does he know as much as anyone in this fight he is believed more than anyone in this fight. Dr. Anthony Fauci is here. Let's get the facts, and test the plan.

Together as ever as one let's get after it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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CUOMO: Straight to Dr. Anthony Fauci. We're lucky to have you back on PRIME TIME tonight, Doctor. I hope you're doing well.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I'm well. Thank you, Chris. Good to be with you.

CUOMO: Question. You talk to the WHO, the World Health Organization. What perspective did you get, just macro, lessons learned, and also insight into why us, Doctor? Why are we growing faster than other places--

FAUCI: Yes.

CUOMO: --we assume we're better set up than?

FAUCI: Well, you know, the insight you get is when you look at the different patterns of what happened in different countries, China versus South Korea, versus what we're seeing in Northern Italy, it really gives you some interesting insight into things, not only in the explosive nature in certain places versus others, but also as you start to get to your peak, when do you know that you're actually turning the corner.

And the data we went over at the WHO call today, which was representatives from countries all over the world, was that you take a look at the number of new infections on any given day.

So, five days ago, it was 600. And then, four days ago, it was 800. And then, three days ago, it was a 1,000. You're going way, way up.

It's when the new infections each day starts to level off to be the same, and then start going down, then, you see the curve go down. And that's exactly what certain countries like China and South Korea have seen. Italy is not there yet.

Italy got hit really badly, almost certainly, and I think this gets to your question about us here in the United States, is Italy got hit very badly because they had a large number of importations from China by Chinese tourists.

And before they even knew what was going on, there was enough baseline people spreading that essentially got out of hand, and it became difficult for them as good as they are, and they're very good, to be able to contain it in a way that is contact-tracing all that kind of thing.

It was more mitigation, how do we deal with what we have. They're in a very difficult position.

If you go now to the United States, we're a big country, and there are different patterns, Chris. Remember, weeks ago, the hardest-hit part was in the Washington State, and that was a cluster of - of nursing homes and--

CUOMO: Right.

FAUCI: --and extended care homes.

That was a different kind of thing than what you see in New York City, which very likely got seeded because New York City is a hub of influx of travelers, not only originally from China, but also from Europe, which has become the new China in the sense of the number of cases.

So, New York City is dominating the situation in the United States. About 60 percent of the infections are in the New York City Metropolitan area, and 56 percent of the new infections are coming from the New York City Metropolitan area.

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So, you guys are getting hit terribly hard, and it's so unfortunate, but that's the reason why it looks like this big explosion, because it is what it is. Whereas other areas of the country, although they're seeing cases, they're at different levels in that curve of kinetics.

CUOMO: Right.

FAUCI: But New York is right in the middle of it.

CUOMO: All right, until Louisiana, and now you have The Big Easy is getting crushed, specifically New Orleans. And all the sudden, they went from like a 100 cases last week to now they're like 10 times that, plus what's going on down there?

FAUCI: It's the same thing. What it is, is that what likely happened, they've done it now.

I mean I have - I have spoken to the political officials in New Orleans and in the State of Louisiana. They're now shutting things down in a very vigorous way. It is likely that that should have been done a little bit sooner.

Not blaming anyone on that, but you get caught unawares because the nature of this outbreak, Chris, that's so frustrating and, in many respects, you know, a bit frightening and intimidating, is what you and I discussed, you know, several shows ago.

It putters along, and you think you're OK, and then it starts to go up a little, and then bingo, it goes up in an exponential way.

CUOMO: So--

FAUCI: That's what's happening in New Orleans now.

CUOMO: So, you got two different points of pressure coming from opposite directions. You have people saying "It's been long enough, Tony. You told me two

weeks. I did two weeks. I can't do this anymore. I want to get back to work. We got to open up. Whatever happens, happens."

And then on the other side, you have this pressure of "Clearly, we have to do this a lot longer because the mitigation efforts aren't working." My brother, every other word out of his mouth is "Accelerating." You know, it's "Blah, blah, blah, accelerating cases, blah, blah, accelerate - accelerating pattern."

So, how do you deal with those opposite interests? "We've done it long enough. We're frustrated. We want to get over this. And what you've told us to do so far, it's still accelerating."

FAUCI: Right. It is there's no - you're absolutely correct, a 100 percent, Chris. It's accelerating.

And what you've got to do is that when you have a big country like this, you've got to look at it in different ways. Right now, you wouldn't even think about not - not putting the damper on what's going on in New York. That would be outlandish, as it's going up, no doubt.

But there are other parts of the country, which we need to get a better feel for what is going on. And the way we do that is by increasing testing, and identifying people, who are infected, isolating them, getting out of circulation, and then do contact tracing.

That's what we call containment. So, you could do containment and maybe ease up a bit in one area, whereas in other areas where it's mitigation, all you got to do is put all your resources in there, to help the people who are under this stressful situation.

CUOMO: So, different solutions for different parts of the country.

FAUCI: The way it is in New York. So, it isn't all or none.

CUOMO: I got you, different strategies for different parts of the country.

FAUCI: I believe, yes - exactly.

CUOMO: I get it.

FAUCI: Exactly.

CUOMO: But then you have like "Well how long?" And I get it. The answer is going to be "Depends where you are." I get it.

But if it's California, and there you have the Governor and the Mayor discussing, the Los Angeles Mayor, that it's going to be months, it's going to take months for them.

And then, you're hearing, here in New York, Andrew says, the Governor here says, "We're two or three weeks from seeing the worst crush at the hospitals." I mean it seems that the timeline is getting extended farther out, not that things are going better--

FAUCI: Right.

CUOMO: --than expected anywhere.

FAUCI: Yes. What you've got to do, Chris, you've got to be realistic, and you've got to understand that you don't make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline. So, you've got to respond in what you see happen.

And if you keep seeing this acceleration, it doesn't matter what you say, one week, two week, three weeks, you've got to go with what the situation on the ground is. So, when people say it may take months, I think what people are talking about is how long it takes to go all the way down.

But you may see, in a relatively shorter period of time, when you're seeing the inkling of the flattening, and coming down. But, you know, you can't make an arbitrary decision until you see--

CUOMO: Right.

FAUCI: --what you're dealing with. You need the data.

CUOMO: All right, so let me ask you some - some quick punch questions here. These - I'm skeptical of these things.

FAUCI: Go ahead.

CUOMO: So, obviously, you'll set it straight about what's true. Vitamin C, Vitamin D, you know, first it was these words I couldn't pronounce, Deoxy-whatever drug, and then we hear somebody dies from the drug.

FAUCI: Yes.

CUOMO: And then there's other drug therapies they're trying. Now, it's Vitamin C, Vitamin D. Are any of these things something that we have any degree of confidence, and by we, I mean you, that can actually work in mitigating the effects--

FAUCI: Right.

CUOMO: --of the extreme cases of this virus?

FAUCI: Yes. I think you have to separate the vitamins from drugs that are being touted as being effective or not. For example, Vitamin C is a pretty good antioxidant.

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I mean there are studies that say Vitamin C is very good against mitigating the effects of certain infections, and others say there's no effect. It's essentially totally harmless unless you take in a ridiculous amount. So, I have no problem with Vitamin C. There's some interesting situations about Vitamin D. And, in fact, Tom Frieden who, the former CDC Director, wrote an op-ed, I think, yesterday, when he was talking about some interesting suggestions about various regions of the globe and - and respiratory infections that might be related to Vitamin D. No definite proof. But again, you're not getting hurt.

But when you're talking about a drug that might have some toxicity, that's a different thing. That's why you keep hearing me over and over again saying the best optimal way is to do a randomized control trial to determine as quickly as possible whether something works, and if it does, get it out there. If it doesn't, get it off the table.

CUOMO: So, let me ask you something.

New York, this two to three week window where there's going to be a crush, forget about the timing, forget about the when, let's just deal with the reality, how frightening may it be for people living here, and obviously watching all over the country, of what they see at the hospitals?

Do you think there's a chance that we're going to re-live a Katrina- type event where we were down there reporting, in front of the Superdome, and there were people all lined up outside that place because they couldn't get in, and they were sick and worse.

Is that what overcapacity looks like? Is that what overwhelmed looks like?

FAUCI: You know, overwhelmed looks like that. But Chris, I don't think that's going to happen. I hope not. I mean nothing is impossible. But the reason I say I don't think that's going to happen is because you're right.

And I know that Governor Cuomo was speaking about a certain period of time where he's going to be running out. He's now getting help with ventilators, with masks, and others. Hopefully that will be enough. I think it will be to be able to match what he and others, who are in a stressful situation, as he is, is - are facing.

But that's the reason why you've got to now put all of the cylinders going to try and keep up with this because the one thing you don't want is you don't want a situation where you run out of essential things that you need.

CUOMO: Right.

FAUCI: I don't think that's going to happen. I don't want to scare anybody because, I believe, in the meetings that I've been in, at the Task Force, you're talking about FEMA, you're talking about other organizations that are really geared to try and help out.

You're getting private industry involved in making more of these things that we need. So, we're putting a big push on.

CUOMO: Are you guys on the same page?

FAUCI: Go ahead.

CUOMO: You and Andrew? Because I know that everybody's saying he's the voice of calm.

But, as we both know, he is really concerned that he's not going to have enough to deal with this. I know you talk to him on a regular basis. Are you guys on the same page in terms of what he sees coming his way and what you think he can handle?

FAUCI: Yes. Well, you know, I think - I think the Governor is doing a terrific job. You're right. I do speak to him frequently. He really cares about this. He really wants to do best. And he has to look at what the worst-case scenario is.

But if you look at the negotiations and the discussions that have been going on now, I think he's going to be OK, Chris.

I do think so because every time we sit down at the meeting, we keep hearing about how we're going to be making sure, at the local level and that with the federal help, we're going to try and get him the things he needs.

CUOMO: So, let me ask you something, just opening the curtain for people a little bit. You and I have known each other a very long time. I grew up hearing your name in my house.

Andrew consulted you, and you went against me on where my mother should be. But I hold no umbrage about that, even though you were one of the reasons that my mother got taken out of my house, I do not hold it against you, Dr. Fauci.

I want you to know that, and that's not why I'm asking you the next question. How are you able--

FAUCI: I'm sorry, Chris.

CUOMO: You're not sorry. But that's OK. How do you stay optimistic?

You made the right call. I was being emotional about it. My mother was better off being somewhere else. I'm exposed to too many people. You and Andrew made the right call. Now, you're making those calls all the time.

How do you stay optimistic when all the data is frightening, and then you talk to world officials, and they say it's going to get more frightening, and you look at your capabilities, and where it's popping up, and that seems frightening.

How do you keep optimism about how we get through this in a good way any time soon?

FAUCI: Well, you know, Chris, this is the life I've chosen. I mean I - I know it would be challenging to be in Infectious Disease, but particularly geared towards countering outbreaks like this. You know, I - I stay optimistic but not unrealistically optimistic. The one thing I try very hard, and I think I succeed, is not letting my upbeat optimistic, and I always say cautiously optimistic, my viewpoint on life ever, ever get me to be complacent.

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So, I act optimistic. I mean I - I give the appearance of being optimistic. But, deep down, I just do everything I possibly can, assuming that the worst will happen, and I've got to stop the worst from happening.

CUOMO: Can you--

FAUCI: So, you know, it's a little bit of a conflict there.

CUOMO: Well, listen, I mean you got to prepare for the worst, and you got to hope for the best. You're on the "Prepare for the worst" side. We're on the "Hopeful" side.

The next wave, everybody keeps saying there'll be enough - another wave.

Do you think, at this point - you've gotten your colleagues, and the national consciousness to the point where we won't go through this, this way again, that we won't be playing catch-up.

The testing won't be slow, we'll be in front of it, we can contact- trace, we'll have the capabilities better in place if, God forbid, there is another wave as expected?

FAUCI: Yes. Chris, first of all, you know, again, after talking to my colleagues on the WHO call, I think it's more likely than not that this is going to turn around and come back in another season.

Because, right now, in the Southern Hemisphere, in Southern Africa, they're starting to get cases as they go into their winter. And if that happens, this is not going to disappear.

I don't think it will, which makes me more fortified, Chris, when you ask about how I feel about these things of why we got to get that vaccine tested, we got to get it proven to be effective, and we got to get it out.

And we've got to develop drugs, so that when we come around next year, it is not like this again, never again like this, so that we'll be prepared, will be a totally different ballgame if this comes back next winter, next fall, I'll guarantee you they'll be different.

CUOMO: Well, listen, people listen to you. They believe in you. They believe what you're saying. And when they hear you say that you're going to - you believe more likely than not there's another wave coming, they're going to be behind any efforts to prepare.

So, Dr. Anthony Fauci, I promise you. I know you're not a politician. I don't talk politics with you. I talk practicalities. I talk protocols. And I talk about what our path forward is.

I wish you the best. Stay well. God bless you and your family and God bless your efforts. Dr. Anthony Fauci, you're always welcome here.

FAUCI: Thank you very much, and to you too, Chris. It's always a pleasure to be with you.

CUOMO: And forget about the "Mom" thing. I'm over it. I'm over it. And she says "Hello." Be well. Get rest. Take care of yourself. We need you.

FAUCI: Yes.

CUOMO: All right, so look, that's Dr. Anthony Fauci.

FAUCI: Thank you.

CUOMO: We don't have better from him. He just told you there's going to be more of this. You have to prepare yourself for that. You have to steel yourself for that. We can get back to close to normal but we have to be prepared for something abnormal. We didn't do it the first time. Will we be better the next time?

Now, another lawmaker, now in self-quarantine, Katie Porter. You know her, star freshman Congress Member. She was fighting for remote voting. Now she's waiting for a COVID test result.

She wants to talk to you about that, but also about this historic relief bill, and the trick to getting money into your hands. What if you don't have direct deposit with the IRS? How do you get your check?

Let's ask the lawmaker, next.

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CUOMO: Democrat, Member of the House, Katie Porter, tonight in self- quarantine, awaiting Coronavirus test results. She joins us from her home in California.

As you might imagine, I don't really care about the politics that much. How are you doing? When are you getting the test back? REP. KATIE PORTER (D-CA): I don't know. I had my test taken a couple days ago, after feeling sick for about five days, was in touch with my doctor. They told me to call back if I got a fever, and my symptoms got worse. I did. I went in. I got tested.

The great news is I don't have an ear infection or strep throat, Flu A or Flu B, so we've eliminated some things. They said it could take two to 10 days to get my test result, so I'm just spending every day here in - in my bedroom, making sure that I try not to get my kids sick or anybody else sick.

CUOMO: Oh, man! Are you getting a first-class taste of what it's like for so many people, balancing professional, family? You're the mother. You're the hub of the family. Tough spot, I'm sorry you're in it.

Do you have any symptoms at all?

PORTER: Yes. So, I started with kind of sniffles, sneezing, runny nose. Then just became incredibly fatigued at the end of last week, went to bed at 5 o'clock. That's really not like me. I usually have a lot of energy.

Spent several days in bed, and then got a fever late Sunday night/early Monday morning. And, at that point, called back to my doctor's office, and they asked me to come in.

So, aches and pains, headaches, it doesn't feel like a cold. But I've been lucky. I'm not having trouble breathing. That's a good thing. So, I feel like I'm fortunate in that regard.

We just don't know what this is. But no matter what it is, whether it's COVID, or something else, I don't want to make anybody else sick, especially right now.

CUOMO: Very responsible, very responsible! And look, it could be other things, so let's keep a little bit of optimism, just in terms of how long it takes you out of the loop. Now, let's talk about something else.

Two to 10 days? You're a damn Member of Congress. Two to 10 days--

PORTER: Well--

CUOMO: --to get a test turned around?

PORTER: Well but my doctor - I don't know that my doctor knows that I'm a Member of Congress. But regardless, this is the kind of testing methods--

CUOMO: Get a new doctor.

PORTER: --that we're seeing. I don't--

CUOMO: Get a new doctor if they don't know that you're a Member of Congress.

PORTER: No - no, no. So, listen, so many people are fighting this.

I know people who've gotten their test results back in other parts of the country within 24 hours. I know somebody who was tested four days before me who is still waiting. So, we're seeing a lot of variability in this.

And so, while I obviously want the test results back for, you know, my own peace of mind, so that my - my kids, I can see my kids, I'm not just talking to them through this door behind me.

But, you know, I also recognize that there are a lot of people out there who are having to wait for test results. And - and my situation here, as you said, altogether too common really.

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CUOMO: So, we just had Tony - Dr. Anthony Fauci on. And he says, look, talking to the WHO, seeing the way this is moving around the world, we have to anticipate another wave, which means we actually have to anticipate this time.

You're experiencing a big problem. Two to 10 days to get tested is a death sentence here, not in terms of your health, God forbid, I'm saying in terms of protocol. You'll never contact-trace if you got a lag time of five days, let alone 10 or more.

How committed do you think you can get your colleagues on both sides of the aisle to be to force the White House and come together to get us ready for the next wave, testing, capabilities, capacities, planning, so we don't go through it this way again, because I don't know that we could take this a second time.

PORTER: No. It's - you're absolutely right. Congress needs to learn its lesson here.

But I also want to be clear. There are and were a lot of good provisions in the law here that are just not being used. The Defense Production Act was just sitting there as a tool. Let's pick it up and use it.

When I had that viral questioning with the CDC Director about covering the costs of testing for people, that was an existing provision in the regulations at the Health and Human Services, and for CDC to use.

So, the National Strategic Stockpile, it was there. But what are we finding out? "Oh, a lot of things were expired. Oh, we didn't have enough of this or that, and we didn't have a coordinated response."

So, I think the lesson is here, yes, we need to prepare. But I think a lot of what this is about is about how good our administration is at using the tools that it has.

CUOMO: Right.

PORTER: And I think we're seeing, in my case, Governor Newsom in California, really trying to make use of every resource. Governor Cuomo, of course, in New York, doing that. But the fact that we're leaving it to every different governor and every different locality--

CUOMO: Right.

PORTER: --is going to - it's really doing a favor to this virus, and it's putting people's lives at risk.

CUOMO: Yes, I don't know. You're going to have to get us the answer, it's why you have to get better, in terms of why the President won't pull the trigger on making companies do it.

In fact, it would be pro-business because you'd be giving them the startup capital and the transition capital they need. The provisions are right there in the Act, and that's how it works. You can't just ask them how to do it. It'll never get done in time.

Now, what you did almost get done is this bill that is the largest stimulus we've seen, probably won't be the only Act of its kind that we're going to need, when this is all over.

But how do people get the money, Congresswoman, the idea of if I don't have a direct deposit with the IRS, how do I get my check?

PORTER: OK. So, couple things to remember. The check's not the only kind of help that people are going to get. So, if you're unemployed you're going to get your check through the unemployment system, just like you - you're going to get unemployment relief.

But for the direct relief, what we're hearing is $1,200 for adults, but phasing out for people who make over a certain amount, $500 for children, again phasing out.

And those phase-outs, by the way, are going to be difficult for people in high cost-of-living areas, which unfortunately, like New York and California are some of our hardest hit areas right now.

If you have a direct deposit with the IRS, there's about 94 million taxpayers, is the best estimate I've been able to find, who do have a direct deposit on file with the IRS, so that's a lot of folks who could get the money--

CUOMO: But what if you don't?

PORTER: --very, very quickly.

CUOMO: What if you don't even file taxes because you're under the income level? You need the check the most.

PORTER: Great question! So, if you don't file taxes, what they're going to be using, I understand, is the 1099-G data.

And so, they're going to be trying to merge datasets. So, if you have - if you're a recipient, say, of disability or Social Security, they're going to be able to pull that dataset over.

So, that will be slower but - those people who receive government benefits right now, like Social Security, Disability, they do have direct deposit. So, it definitely is going to be a problem.

It's going to take longer for people who don't have direct deposit on tap, but there is a plan. I do think having the IRS do the direct deposit is the best system that we have going, to get help to the most people.

But - but it's not perfect. There are going to be people who are going to have to wait. And truthfully, people can't afford to wait, especially with that April 1 deadline coming up.

So many people have their bills due with the 1st of the month, whether it's rent, utilities, credit cards, they set that bill date for the first of the month, so getting this passed immediately so that those checks can - we can try to get it into people's hands by the 1st of the month is incredibly important.

CUOMO: And remember those forbearance measures and remember the - protect the little guy. Let's not forget what we learned in 2008.

Congresswoman Katie Porter, God bless you and the family. I hope the results are negative. We're here. Let us know, so we can reassure your constituents and all the people who look to you for your guts and your intelligence all over this country.

PORTER: Thank you.

CUOMO: All right.

All right, there's a lot of focus on New York. This is not where cases are growing the fastest. We talked about it with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Louisiana, specifically New Orleans, why?

We're going to ask a brother and sister who are living it. They are desperate to see their mother who's contracted Coronavirus. She's in a nursing home. They're living the Washington Nightmare. It's playing out again. Will we do better this time? Their story, next.

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CUOMO: So, Louisiana is now seeing the fastest rate of Coronavirus cases in the world, not just in this country, in the world. Again, why here? Why us? That's why we had Dr. Anthony Fauci on. So, let's look specifically at Louisiana. In one week, they went from

a couple of hundred cases to now nearly 1,800.

The root cause, again like in Washington, a cluster linked to a senior facility called the Lambeth House. A 11 residents have already died because of the virus. 42 others have tested positive.

These are some of the most vulnerable among us. That includes 84-year- old Barbara Gathright. Her children, John and Lin, join us now.

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And I want you to see, they are in separate panels because John's friend tested positive. He was exposed to the friend, so he wants to keep his sister safe, so they are in separate panels.

Thank you for joining us, John and Lin. I am sorry to meet you under these circumstances. What is your latest understanding, John, with your mother and her situation?

JOHN GATHRIGHT, MOTHER TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS IN NURSING HOME: Chris, thanks for having us.

We talked to the nurse this morning. We weren't able to speak (ph) to Mom today. But she is eight days into the virus. She has stabilized. Her fever has started to drop. She ate some chicken and vegetable soup the last few nights. And - and we're hoping that - that she's on the mend.

The last time we saw her was a few days ago on FaceTime, and she was - really didn't have enough breath to even speak. And so, we - I didn't - I just told her not to speak, and that I would just talk, and tell her about everybody that misses her, and blow her kisses.

And - but she - she looked - she looked pale, and her labored breathing, and her inability to really to speak, and just it was disheartening, and it was scary.

CUOMO: I can't - I can't imagine. I see so much of you in her face, especially in the pictures with you guys side by side. Lin?

J. GATHRIGHT: Right. I take after my Mom.

CUOMO: Lin, the idea of not being able to get to the center of the family has to just be so taxing emotionally? What has been the hardest part for you in this, Lin, in terms of being able to deal with not being able to be by your Mama's side?

LIN GATHRIGHT, MOTHER TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS IN NURSING HOME: Well, you know, I lived very close to the place that she lives, just a few blocks away.

And so, I'm able to see my Mom like every day, you know, I'm a big part of her life even though she's there. And I bring my little dog over there, and cheer her up, and her whole face lights up, when I come in. And now that she's sick with this virus and, you know, I'm very

concerned for her life, and I'm afraid - I'm afraid that I won't ever see my Mom again, and it breaks my heart not to be there, to hold her hand, and talk to her, and comfort her right now.

CUOMO: God forbid you don't get to see her again. Your brother says that she's moving in the right direction, I understand why you've got to be so nervous because she's vulnerable. And people in that place have succumbed to the virus.

But the best information you're getting, Lin, is that she's going in the right direction right now. Yes?

L. GATHRIGHT: I--

CUOMO: She's not on any instruments or anything?

L. GATHRIGHT: No, she's not.

CUOMO: OK.

L. GATHRIGHT: And I do think they're taking good care of her there. They're doing the best they can. But I also feel like that place is really overwhelmed, you know.

There's a lot going on that I don't think they're really completely prepared for. You know, I - I do believe that they're doing a good job of taking care of my Mom. I just - I just think the whole situation is so overwhelming.

CUOMO: I know. And we saw it all in Washington too. And I'm sure you're thinking about that and what that was like.

L. GATHRIGHT: Absolutely.

CUOMO: I know. And look--

L. GATHRIGHT: Yes.

CUOMO: Look, let's just--

L. GATHRIGHT: No. I wish - I wish things had been different in that moment, you know, like I mean every nursing home in the country should have been testing and taking different protocol in that moment. We should have learned from that.

CUOMO: I know. We keep reliving a lot of mistakes here. And the hope is that we get it together in so many different ways, so that any more exposure we have to this is handled better.

John, let me ask you something. What is the experience so that we just don't - you know, I don't want to bathe you guys in the - in the concern about your Mom the whole time.

You know, we want the - we want the country to know what you're going through and for you to know that there are people who care about you, and that we'll push for information and we're here for you as a contact to help in anything that you need with your Mom.

But John, why do you think this is happening in Louisiana? All the sudden, you guys went from like a trickle to cases to it's exploding. I mean what's the common wisdom down there? Do you think it was Mardi Gras and too much mixing, or what was it?

J. GATHRIGHT: You know, I think it's probably Mardi Gras is certainly one of the theories that are - that's out there, and that would explain a lot.

But, you know, here in New Orleans, it's a - you know, it's a lot of getting together. It's a lot of meals, and drinking, and music, and dancing and, you know, we're just very interactive.

I think I mean Italy is kind of experiencing that same kind of response because of their closeness. They touch each other a lot.

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CUOMO: Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let's let the good times roll!

J. GATHRIGHT: Appreciate it.

CUOMO: Hopefully, we all get back to that as soon as possible. But we do what we need to do, in the meantime, to secure the health of people like your Mom, and so many in that greatest generation, and frankly, a lot of people are aging younger as well.

John and Lin, I promise you. You've got us as a point of contact. Let me know if your information flow slows down. We'll do everything we can. And please, stay in touch. I want to make sure that your Mom's all right. I'd love to meet her.

L. GATHRIGHT: Thank you so much, Chris.

J. GATHRIGHT: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: All right, God bless and good luck.

J. GATHRIGHT: Appreciate you bringing us on.

CUOMO: Thank you for sharing your story.

L. GATHRIGHT: Thank you.

CUOMO: OK? Appreciate it.

J. GATHRIGHT: Thank you for getting it out there.

CUOMO: Listen, New Orleans, Queens, what's the difference? Together, as ever as one, it's not just a tagline for politicians and TV types. It's our only way through this.

We see that truth in the actions of our brothers and sisters, springing into action, to help make the weapons we need, and that we're lacking in this war. Like who? Like Christian Siriano, big-shot designer to the Stars. Didn't matter. He's our newest Ameri-CAN all- star.

He heard the need. He responded. Why? You'll hear from him next.

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CUOMO: Yes, I was touching my face in the last segment. No, it's not because I have bad hygiene.

It's because I was getting emotional about what they're dealing with, with their mother, because I think about my own, the way you think about yours, and this is really hard for everybody.

So, I got what I did. I know. You shouldn't touch your face. But I can't be crying on television all the time either.

Ameri-CANs, they are the best of us, stepping up to help the rest of us. Like who? Fashion Designer, Christian Siriano.

So, my brother, New York's Governor, calls out for help, right, with this tweet last week. You may have seen it. Siriano sees it, and he responds, "I'm in." And he gets his whole team to start making masks. Guess how many he's made in just days? Let's hear from him.

Christian Siriano, welcome to PRIME TIME, and thank you for what you're doing, brother.

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO, FASHION DESIGNER, MEMBER, COUNCIL OF FASHION DESIGNERS OF AMERICA: Thank you so much.

CUOMO: So, how many masks?

SIRIANO: We are - we're up to almost 500 a day. So, we will have a couple thousand by the end of the week, and we're really excited. I mean who knew that that was what we were going to be doing. But it's great.

CUOMO: Why did you do it?

SIRIANO: I think it just was like it felt like the right moment, I think. You know, I was listening to the Governor every day, and I felt kind of like we couldn't do anything. I mean, my whole team, we make gowns all day. So, I was like well we

can sew. We can try to help. Even if we help, you know, 2,000 people, I mean that's still 2,000 more than we didn't before, so why not.

CUOMO: The need is so desperate. I know the State is grateful, and they've reached out to you. So because you're a designer, did you just go with what they told you to do with the mask? Is there a little bit of a "Siriano Flourish" to the mask?

SIRIANO: I mean I really I did try to keep it as - as technical as it could. They - they sent me a pattern. We tried to follow it as best we could.

I mean the difference really is, is that our mask is a - the fit is a little better. I had to work on a little bit. And it's washable. I mean you can wear this, and wash it, and bleach it. And I think that that's really important that you can wear it more than once.

So, it's for all those people, you know, everybody that does even work in a doctor's office or a hospital that is going home every day, they want to wear something that they can wash at home and then wear the next day. I thought that was very important.

CUOMO: Now, what did they say to you on the public health side about whether the washability was consistent with their standards? Are they OK with that?

SIRIANO: No, I mean, at the end of the day, we still have a label in every mask that says, you know, we can't guarantee anything because--

CUOMO: OK.

SIRIANO: --you know, we're not medical mask makers.

CUOMO: Right.

SIRIANO: This is really just to help and prevent as much as we can.

CUOMO: Yes.

SIRIANO: I hope one day we get there that we can make a real fully protective gear. But this is really just to help and - but I think it will. I think even just peace of mind people will be able to go home, thinking like I feel a little better not having nothing.

CUOMO: Absolutely, especially all the essential workers now, which is so much more broad than just the front-lines heroes that we have, obvious right, I mean the healthcare workers and all the caregivers.

But you have the people who are driving them to work. You have all our utility workers who are still out there, and members of the trades--

SIRIANO: Yes.

CUOMO: --that are doing things. Lot of them don't have any PPE. So, let me see what you're coming up with for the mask. SIRIANO: Yes, yes. I mean we made, you know, it's pretty simple. We're making them in kind of white and gray, nothing fancy. They will not have any labels in them.

The most and kind of important part is this kind of bendable metal piece here, and that kind of helps fit on the nose, so pretty stretchy, comfortable, but easy like very simple, but I think speaks volumes.

CUOMO: Well what speaks volumes is you making the effort. This is not what you do. This is not what you were supposed to do. This is not what you were told to do. You did it on your own. And that is a beautiful thing and an example to so many people in this country that we're not hiding, we're stepping up.

SIRIANO: Yes, I think you have to. I mean any like small business owner in New York City, it's kind of like we also want to make sure that our companies survive, and our people.

I mean, all of my employees have families like they need to work. So, this was a way that they were able to work, and do something great, so I think it's like the best of both worlds.

CUOMO: And a lot of them are home, right? I mean your workers are home, so this was a way of--

SIRIANO: It's--

CUOMO: --keeping them doing things. Yes, tell me, describe the situation, please.

SIRIANO: Yes. Yes - and no, it is a mix. We have some people at home, working from home, because they want to stay at home, and we respect that. And then, we actually got approved to have a few people work in the studio. We're all pretty separate.

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But it is hard, I will say. The production of masks, you have to be with each other just to make products, so we try to be as safe as we can, and we're following all the guidelines.

And - but the Governor gave us permission, which was really great and - and we really appreciate him and his team for working so hard for us too, so we're able to help, so it's been - it's been really great.

CUOMO: And how's the team? Everybody healthy?

SIRIANO: Everyone is so healthy. I mean we do temperature checks every day, twice a day. And anybody that doesn't feel comfortable, you know, we obviously, you know, want to respect them, and they can go home, and work from home.

But I will say the women who have been in my office sewing every single day, you know, 500 masks a day, is it's unbelievable to see and - and pretty amazing. They don't have to come to work and - and they have been.

CUOMO: People care.

SIRIANO: Yes.

CUOMO: It is a uniquely American and obviously a uniquely New York trait. As my mother says, "La Familia," people come together as family. And I love that people are getting to meet you this way also, Christian.

SIRIANO: Yes.

CUOMO: Obviously, I know who you are. My wife covers your industry as part of her - her business, The Purist, it's wellness, and fashion, and all these different either, so I know who you are.

SIRIANO: Yes.

CUOMO: But to meet a member of your generation this way, when so many young people are getting a black eye for not understanding the seriousness, you are embracing what will get us through this.

SIRIANO: Yes.

CUOMO: So, thank you.

SIRIANO: Yes.

CUOMO: Thank you for doing this.

SIRIANO: No, thanks for having me. So appreciate it.

CUOMO: Listen, I appreciate you. Giving you the opportunity is nothing because you are an Ameri-CAN. You're showing us at our best. Good luck.

SIRIANO: Thank you so much.

CUOMO: I got a bigger task for Christian. Maybe after this, he can help my brother learn how to dress. You ever see him? Terrible shirts! Very big, baggy around, small neck, tiny head, tough combination! Christian Siriano, Ameri-CAN.

Now, as you can see, we will be part of the solution here. It is not top-down. It is not going to be our leaders. We have to do it also. More information on how you can help, go to CNN.com/Impact.

So, another example of somebody trying to reach out and help, someone reached out to me and gave me a great guide for what I should tell you about how we have to be living right now. I hope you get the meaning of it faster than I did. Let's share next.

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CUOMO: All right, story-telling time.

A buddy of mine is one of the best voice doctors in the world, so he is not to blame for how I sound. So, he texts me, to check in.

So many of you have done that, by the way, I love you for it. I will never forget how people have reached out to be supportive during this time. And remember, we do this job for you. It is a privilege.

So anyway, my buddy writes that I have to tell people to "Think positive". I said, "You are so right. We've been through far worse for far longer."

Think of the greatest generation, and their sacrifices. And, by the way, let's remember not to kill them off out of some misplaced sense of Social Darwinism, where the best of us are killed off, so the rest of us could take the easy way out.

So then he texts me, "It's not what I meant by Think Positive." Then I'm like, "Oh, of course, I'm sorry." We just can't be passive. We got to think about helping others.

"La Familia," as my mother says, family, reach out, helping source equipment, sharing essentials, not hoarding, going online, hugging with your heart, I care about you, that's why I do this job.

Let people know that's why we're doing this. That's why we're doing "Let's Get After Fit!" on Instagram. Reach out to your friends and people that you haven't seen, tell them, "How's your heart? How's your head? I love you. I miss you. I'll see you soon."

So then he writes, "Shut up and let me finish. Tell people to live as if they were positive for the virus. Think like you were positive." Third time's a charm, now I get it.

How would you live your life if you were positive for COVID-19? Not that you need an incentive this harsh but, you know, it could be criminal to knowingly spread something like this virus.

But think about it. You'd stay home. You'd stay away from anyone in the house, God forbid you got them sick.

You'd need your own space. You'd wash and sanitize compulsively, right? You'd definitely stay home and you'd stay acutely aware of how everything you did affected anyone else.

You would also be insisting that we have enough beds and equipment, God forbid you need it, and staff, and that they're protected, and that this government was doing everything it could take - could do to take care of you and people like you now and, God forbid, if there's another wave. That's how you'd be thinking if you were positive for COVID.

And you know what? It is the best prescription for all of us. The hardship is real. It's getting worse with time and bad economic news is going to make it harder to stay the course.

I know that. The job numbers are going to come out tomorrow. It's going to be week over week, but they're not going to be good. Wall Street knows that. It'll be interesting to see how they react.

But it's really about the rest of us, especially with the President putting it in our minds that it's been long enough. And I know.

You know, we had Tony Fauci on tonight, Dr. Anthony Fauci. He says the opposite, you know, like "No, no, no the virus sets the timeline. You don't set the timeline. The virus sets the timeline."

So, you got to look at your rates. "Oh, the rates are coming down."

Here's your question. Coming down how? The rate of acceleration, or they're actually less cases than there were two days ago? Really important distinction, we'll stay on that.

But it doesn't matter. This is going to curve when it curves. It doesn't change what we have to do. We have to "Think positive."

If I had this test, and I were positive, how would I live? How would I treat the people around me? How would I treat my movements? How would I treat my mentality about what I want to see for other people?

And we do also have to use it as a metaphor for everything, care about one another enough to reach out.

I get upset when I think about this stuff because I know that a lot of people are in pain, and it is frustrating that I can't do more. And I know you feel the same way. There is a powerlessness in this.

But together, as ever as one, we will see our way through. Strong head, strong heart, all day, we'll get through it.

Thank you for watching. CNN TONIGHT with D. Lemon right now.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST, CNN TONIGHT WITH DON LEMON: You got to.

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