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Update On Coronavirus Responses Around The Country; "Overwhelmed" Utah Hospitals Nearing Capacity, ICUs At 95 Percent; "New York Post" Published Biden Reports Despite Major Doubts; Trump Escalates Attacks On Fauci, Calls Him "Disaster" In Staff Call; GOP Senator Makes Baseless, Evidence-Free Smear Against Biden; Italy Tightens Restrictions As Cases Surge Before Winter. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired October 19, 2020 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[14:31:20]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: There's new research that shows many nursing home victims with nursing home patients, I should say, with COVID-19, show no symptoms at all.
For more on that and other coronavirus headlines around the country, let's check in with some of our CNN correspondents.
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JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: I'm Jacqueline Howard in Atlanta. A new study shows that many COVID-19 patients in nursing homes are asymptomatic, meaning they don't show symptoms which can hide dangerous outbreaks.
The study looked at more than 5,000 cases in nursing homes across 20 states. It found that 40.9 percent of cases were asymptomatic. And 39.8 percent did show symptoMs.
About 19 percent were pre-symptomatic, meaning they didn't show symptoms around the time they were tested, but eventually developed symptoms later on.
The study calls for a universal testing in nursing homes to identify and isolate these of types of cases.
DAN SIMON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Simon in San Francisco, where the pandemic is having a dramatic impact on the price of apartment rentals.
With companies telling employees they can work remotely, many people appear to be leaving for the suburbs. They're going to cheaper areas in the country.
According to realtor.com, the median price for a studio apartment has fallen 31 percent from this time last year. For a one-bedroom apartments, it's fallen 24 percent.
Don't expect that trend to reverse any time soon. Tech companies have told employees to expect to work from home well into next year.
And many companies like Twitter are saying they could do so permanently.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Martin Savidge in Salt Lake City, Utah, where, according to the governor, this state is seeing one of the worst outbreaks in the country.
This is a testing site that actually was in 2002 an Olympic stadium. Now they're testing people who believe they're symptomatic for COVID- 19.
The impact on the medical community in this state is increasing. In fact, ICUs are now fearing they could run out of space. And some medical facilities have put their staff on overtime.
They believe the situation is only going to get worse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Thank you so much, everybody.
Utah's governor is warning that hospitals in his state are, quote, "getting overwhelmed," and that health care workers are going stretched too thin.
I want to bring in Tom Miller, who is the chief medical officer at the University of Utah Health.
Dr. Miller, thank you so much for sparing some time to talk with us today. We know you're facing a lot.
The University of Utah Health system is one of the largest in the state. The ICU is 95 percent filled.
How long can your hospital continue to operate like this?
DR. TOM MILLER, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH: Thank you for having me, Mrs. Keilar.
We're very, very busy, as you might imagine, consistent with all the other stories you are hearing about increasing rates throughout the country.
We are managing right now. But if we increase another 20 percent, 30 percent, we'll have to call in all kinds of additional help.
Right now, we're managing. We have created extra teams, extra rooms to manage our intensive care patients, and get us through this surge. We are doing OK.
But we will work with our sister health care organizations in the state if numbers continue to increase, which we expect they will, to make sure or patients get the best care possible.
Yes, our staff are working overtime. My heart goes out to them and their families because they're giving it their all.
KEILAR: Do you have a sense of what you can attribute this spike you're experiencing?
MILLER: Yes. I think the spike is likely consistent with what you're hearing, people going back -- kids going back to school, colleges getting back together.
[14:35:01]
Those infections generally are in those ages groups don't very often result in hospitalizations. But then there's vertical transmission to those parents and grandparents and then people who are at risk, at risk of developing severe illness.
So we're seeing the spike initially in young folks. And then we're also seeing now a tail spike in those 24 to 65 and above. So all age groups are impacted.
So I don't want anybody to think that it's just the young that are being infected. The infection is transmitted to family members, people who are older, people at risk.
KEILAR: It's going through all the age groups, including into the older ages --
MILLER: Yes.
KEILAR: -- where folks are certainly more vulnerable to COVID.
Tell us, do you have what you need? Is there anything you need from your state or federal officials?
MILLER: We have currently enough equipment. What we really need is the public to pick up their ears a little bit and wear their masks.
We can get rid of the masks when the infection is over, when COVID is done, or until we have an effective treatment or vaccine. But the mask is our medicine now.
We need to focus on wearing our protective gear, especially out in public, and certainly within buildings or inside working. We have to up our game.
This will really, really help us control the spread of infection, in spite of some of the things we've heard.
We know it works. We've had universal masking within our hospital walls for some time. And we are not seeing infection rates go up between employees or patients.
When we do have people who get sick, they get it in the community and get it at home. So wearing masks are very important when you're out in public, shopping and doing other things.
KEILAR: You say in spite of some things we have heard. We have a high-profile incident that I think would fit under that
category in the last day of one of the president's -- I guess probably his favorite adviser on the Coronavirus Task Force, going on Twitter saying that masks don't work.
And that was something that Twitter took down because it was wrong and harmful.
What do you do when you're combatting information like that?
I suspect you couldn't have even imagined in a pandemic that you would need to combat information like that coming from on high about masks, which you need to keep your employees and your family members safe.
MILLER: I think those of us who are in the know and are in the health care industry and our health care providers, we need to stand up and by heard.
We need to continually express the importance of what we believe in order to protect the society and those who are vulnerable, as well as others who could be swayed by out continual voice.
We should not stand back. We need to stand up. We need to speak to the truth.
And the more we message and message in a way that's not punitive or retributive, then I think people will listen to the message.
But it's a constant communication that we need to be carrying on with the society, with our citizens and each other. It's very important at this point.
KEILAR: We certainly hear you with that message, just wanting people to be healthy --
MILLER: Right.
KEILAR: -- and obviously, live full lives, even during these tough times.
Dr. Miller, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.
MILLER: Yes. The last thing I would say is, please wear the masks. And again, we can take them off when it's over. We don't have to wear them permanently. But we've got to wear them now.
Let's do it, if not for ourselves, then for those we care about, our parents, our grandparents, and those who are vulnerable.
Thank you for having me on.
MILLER: Thank you for coming on, sir. We appreciate it.
KEILAR: Turmoil at the "New York Post." The paper's staffers are said to be at odds over its decision to publish a controversial front-page report on Joe Biden's son, Hunter, a report that Joe Biden calls a smear campaign. CNN's Brian Stelter will join me next.
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[14:43:03]
KEILAR: A "New York Post" story about Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, has wreaked havoc in the tabloid's newsroom.
Staffers are allegedly upset that the story was published at all over credibility and sourcing issues. Some writers at "The Post" reportedly did not want their bylines attached to it.
Brian Stelter is CNN's chief media correspondent and the anchor of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES." He's with us now.
Just give us the reporting and the context, Brian. You call this a classic example of the right-wing media machine.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST "RELIABLE SOURCES": That's right. This is an example of Steve Bannon giving a tip to a "New York Post" reporter. Rudy Giuliani handing over the documents.
The "New York Post" putting it on the front page. And then FOX running with it for days on end, creating this appearance of a scandal in volving Hunter Biden.
Hunter Biden has acknowledged he had poor judgment in working with foreign enterprises when is his father was vice president.
This was all litigated last year during the impeachment saga. But the right-wing media wants it back in the news. They view it as a closing argument for the Trump campaign.
Trump is out there tweeting a storm about it, claiming it's a giant scandal.
But the real story is what is behind the story, these maneuverings by Rudy to try to stir up a scandal.
And I have confirmed with "The New York Times" overnight that some "New York Post" reporters -- a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, with a right-wing bent.
Some of those reporters were so wary of the story, they saw how sketchy it, that they didn't want anything to do it. They didn't want their bylines put on the story.
Normally, if we have a hot scope, we want to make sure we want to get credit for it. We want our bylines on the story.
But in this case, no. The "New York Post" reporters wanted the opposite. Because they could sense that this was a very sketchy, dubious story.
KEILAR: That is so telling, Brian. From a reporter's perspective, that is incredibly telling.
I want to note, just moments ago, the president again attacked Dr. Fauci on Twitter and then when he arrived on the ground for his rally in Arizona. Let's listen to this.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think really Dr. Fauci is a very nice man. But we let him do what he wants to do. He loves being on television. He loves being on television. And we let him do it.
[14:45:05]
Sometimes he says things that a little bit off and they get built up, unfortunately.
But he's a nice guy. I like him. But he's called a lot of bad calls. He said don't wear a mask. And he said don't ban China. They were bad calls. He admits that.
I don't hold that against him. If I did, I wouldn't have him. No, I think he's a nice guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Just taking a look at that, I mean, the president is full-on now at war attacking Dr. Fauci.
Is the point that sort of prompted this Fauci's "60 Minutes" appearance?
Also, consider Fauci is incredibly popular. People listen to him for his good information about the pandemic.
What do you think has prompted this behavior from the president?
STELTER: Another very strange kind of closing argument. He's giving misinformation about Fauci, claiming Fauci didn't want to ban China.
That's not true. Fauci wanted it by the end of January. Fauci wanted Trump to go further and ban travel from Europe. We've all been through this history.
And it's true Fauci has been restricted from going on TV sometimes. Yes, he was on "60 Minutes" last night. But the White House bars him from interviews. That's indefensible.
It's as if President Trump doesn't want the government's experts out there informing people about the pandemic.
As you said last week: Where is the task force?
It's as if the president does not want health and science experts on TV explaining the dangers. He only wants to focus on his denialism. And he didn't want Fauci contradicting him. I think, Brianna, is at the heart of this. The president does not want
the government's top experts contradicting his rosy downplaying of the disease.
KEILAR: Let's get back to "The Post" story, Brian. You have Republican Senator Ron Johnson, the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, he seemingly was prodded by FOX to add an even more salacious speculation about the Bidens.
STELTER: Yes. This is absolutely appalling behavior by the Senator. But it was prompted by FOX Anchor Maria Bartiromo.
Who is channeling QAnon by trying to bring up child pornography and trying to claim that there are these issues with the Bidens that are absolutely invented, imagined.
This is a GOP fantasy, the most disgusting kind of GOP fantasy, trying to link Biden to pedophilia. We have seen the president retweeting ideas like that.
It is -- I wonder, Brianna, how we can ever get back to a normal political culture when there's so much of this smear, so many of these smears being spread, including by FOX anchors, including by GOP Senators.
It was more Bartiromo's fault for prompting Johnson to talk about it yesterday. But it still inappropriate for Johnson to go along with the interview.
How do we ever get back to a normal political culture when there's so much conspiracy crap out there? I don't know the answer to that question.
KEILAR: It is a question that certainly at some point this country is going to have to reckon with.
STELTER: Yes.
KEILAR: Brian Stelter, thank you.
STELTER: Thanks.
KEILAR: After a chaotic first debate, a presidential COVID diagnosis, a controversial debate cancellation and competing town halls, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off one last time.
The final presidential debate is coming. We have special live coverage starting Thursday at 7:00 P.M. Eastern.
A stimulus stalemate on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's self-imposed deadline is now down to 24 hours to get help into the hands of the American people before Election Day.
As the U.S. economy struggles, China's is rebounding quickly. We'll explain.
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[14:52:57]
KEILAR: As coronavirus cases top 40 million worldwide, the epicenter of Europe's first outbreak is trying desperately to stop a second surge.
Italy reported a record increase in infections over the weekend. And now it is tightening restrictions.
But on a better note, the country is making progress on testing and hospitalizations.
CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.
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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Italy is well into the second wave of coronavirus, though it's not immediately apparent in Naples, the capital of the Campania region, which has one of the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Infectious disease specialist, Alessandro Perrella, says it's not just about the numbers.
ALESSANDRO PERRELLA, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST: We have an increasing number of positive people. Positive. Not an increasing number of patients. It's very different.
WEDEMAN: What's different is the testing. Earlier this year, only those showing COVID-like symptoms were tested. Now everyone can do it.
The majority of people who prove positive are asymptomatic, isolating until recovery. The number of people in intensive care now approximately a fifth of what it was before.
(on camera): Day after day, Italy is reporting record increases in the number of new coronavirus cases.
But at the same time, Italy is testing like never before. At this hospital here in Naples, seven days a week, at least 1,000 tests are conducted quickly and for free.
(voice-over): Five times as many tests are being conducted now than at the height of the first wave in March. The once-unwieldy process now routine.
"How long was the wait?
Half an hour," says Abramo (ph).
"When will you receive the result?" I ask.
"The whole family did it. Tomorrow morning, we'll get a message with the results by phone," he says.
There's no air of panic, but there is concern.
[14:55:02]
"We're not worried," says Valentina. "What worries us is not being able to work."
The number of new cases is erupting in Italy. And the peak of this wave is far off.
Better prepared this time, Italy is still bracing for a long, hard winter.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Naples.
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JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.
We begin with breaking news.
