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Swine Flu Outbreaak a Public Health Emergency; Tornado Alley Tension; Battle for Pakistan
Aired April 26, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: High alert for swine flu across the United States and around the world. With at least 20 cases now confirmed in five U.S. states the federal government today held a rare Sunday news conference to declare a public health emergency.
We'll explain what that means in just a moment.
But first, let's bring you the up-to-date information on this outbreak. Mexican officials now report more than 1,300 apparent cases of flu, and the Health Ministry has been granted emergency powers to isolate the illness.
Swine flu is suspected of killing 81 people in Mexico, although only 20 have been confirmed so far. As the disease appears to spread around the globe the World Health Organization is now taking swine flu outbreak very seriously.
Canada has confirmed its first cases. And a group of students and teachers in New Zealand are now showing flu-like symptoms after a trip to Mexico. As a precaution, the U.S. military has put American troops on alert to be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms among their ranks.
CNN has the story covered from every angle. Our Susan Candiotti is in New York, scene of the largest group of U.S. flu cases. CNN's Deborah Feyerick is also in New York outside of the children's hospital. Our Ted Rowlands and Dr. Sanjay Gupta are both in Mexico City where more than 1,300 people have been admitted to hospitals with flu-like symptoms.
At least eight cases of swine flu among high school students in New York City have now been confirmed. Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti is there with the very latest -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, as we now know, eight of about 200 students who started getting sick at this school on Thursday now know they have swine flu. Now, according to health officials there is no known connection to Mexico.
But for parents at the school, it's not over. According to the school, some students are still getting sick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Masked workers spent the weekends scrubbing down desks and floors at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens. There will be no classes here for the next two days. The Health Department ordered a temporary shutdown now that eight cases of swine flu are confirmed.
COMM. THOMAS FRIEDEN, NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE: When you have a large outbreak in a school there's the risk -- and this is a large school with 2,700 kids, a large number of staff -- there's a risk that if you send people in there'll be more rapid and more extensive spreading of infection at that school. And that's the reason why we're closing it and we'll play it day-by-day and decide how long it should stay closed.
CANDIOTTI: Worried parents have been calling the school wondering what to do.
BROTHER LEONARD CONWAY, PRINCIPAL OF SCHOOL: The parents are concerned, rightfully so. There are students that are just developing symptoms today. There are students that had the symptoms on Thursday and they seem to be getting better.
CANDIOTTI: As swine flu fears rattled New Yorkers, New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg tried to offer encouragement. He said of the 130 high school families interviewed no one was hospitalized and most are improving from mild symptoms. Yet the illness isn't sitting still.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Some family members of ill children have become ill, suggesting that it's spreading person to person at this time. And we don't know if this spread will be sustained. What's heartening is that the people who tested positive have only mild illnesses unlike in Mexico.
CANDIOTTI: More encouraging news. About 30 children who took ill at a Bronx daycare center tested negative for swine flu. A caution is advised; anyone sick should stay home.
As a precaution New York's governor declared a public health emergency to free up any necessary resources.
GOV. DAVID PATERSON, (D) NEW YORK: We want to assure everyone that this is a situation that we're monitoring but we do not see any real danger ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Now, the school does hope to open later this week but no one is letting their guard down -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Susan Candiotti thank you Susan.
We're getting new information from hospital officials about the kinds of cases they've seen among children. CNN's Deborah Feyerick is outside of the Children's Hospital in New York with the latest on that -- Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, what we can tell you is about 125 students from that prep school came here to this hospital in Long Island to be tested after they presented with flu-like symptoms and their parents didn't want to take any chances. Eight did test positive for swine flu that's the largest number of cases in any of this five states where swine flu has appeared.
Now, doctors and lab technicians have been working overtime and there's a really sense of urgency because no one knows if this is going to spread or die out. And I spoke just a short awhile ago to the Chief of Infectious Diseases and he says -- he's not getting much...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like trying to predict, you know, the path of a hurricane.
FEYERICK: Now, there's a concern that if the flu spreads person to person that it could be -- that it could mutate and that it would be harder to treat. That's exactly what's going on in Mexico.
Right now there is medicine to treat the symptoms but no vaccines that would prevent anyone from getting it, that's the big concern. And we did see a couple of people going in and out of the hospital. They were wearing masks and they were concerned about the transmission of swine flu.
One man who spoke and he said he'd washed his hands at least 20 times as one way to prevent against this. So there is a little uptick in terms of the concerns here at this hospital -- half of the student that is came here and they weren't tested some were just sent home and told to take Tylenol and monitor their symptoms.
LEMON: Deborah, Deborah, Deborah, can you hear me, Deborah. Yes, we can barely hear you. Can you grab a hand mike? We're going to come back to Deborah. Because Deborah, it's important information, if you can grab a hand mike, we can barely here you it's so loud around you. And I will get back to you in just a couple of moments, ok?
FEYERICK: Absolutely.
LEMON: Thank you Deborah.
If there was any doubt whether the Obama administration was taking swine flu seriously top U.S. officials today took the unusual step of holding a Sunday news conference to spell out just how concerned they are and what they are doing.
CNN's Elaine Quijano is covering that part for us -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, the White House assembled top officials to brief reporters today on what the government does and doesn't know about this new flu outbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Good afternoon guys, thank you for...
QUIJANO (voice-over): In a rare Sunday White House briefing, the government announced it's declaring a public health emergency as the tally of swine flu cases nationwide grows.
JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: That sounds more severe than it really is. This is standard operating procedure and allows us to free up federal, state and local agencies and their resources for prevention and mitigation.
QUIJANO: As health officials try to put together an accurate picture of swine flu in the U.S., the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, he expects to see the virus spread.
DR. RICHARD BESSER, ACTING DIR. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: As we continue to look for cases we are going to see a broader spectrum of disease. We're going to see more severe disease in this country.
QUIJANO: Officials say the government has stockpiled 50 million doses of flu-fighting drugs including Tamiflu and is moving about 12.5 million doses into places where states that might need them can access them easily.
At U.S. borders the government is, so far, not restricting travel into or out of the country, nor is it requiring testing of passengers traveling from Mexico. Instead, screeners are being told to keep an eye out for people who might be sick.
NAPOLITANO: That means that they're looking for people who and asking about are you sick? Have you been sick? And the like and if so then they can be referred over for further examination.
QUIJANO: For the Obama administration responding to the flu outbreak means a delicate balance between trying to reassure Americans...
NAPOLITANO: On the declaration of emergency -- I wish we could call it declaration of emergency preparedness. Because that's really what it is in this context.
QUIJANO: While also bracing them for the real possibility the situation could get much worse.
NAPOLITANO: We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately, what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be.
QUIJANO: For his part, the President spent the day away from the White House, golfing with administration officials. Aides insisted the President has been receiving regular updates on the swine flu situation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: As for the President's health after his recent visit to Mexico aides say doctors have told them the President's health was never in any danger. Aides say the incubation period for this virus is one to two days and they point out the President's visit to Mexico happened more than a week ago -- Don.
LEMON: Elaine Quijano at the White House, thank you, Elaine. This particular strain of swine flu appears to have originated in Mexico. But new suspected cases keep popping up around the world. The Mexican government has taken extraordinary measure to deal with this public health crisis.
First and foremost, it is encouraging people not to gather in large groups to prevent the virus from spreading. That means many of Mexico's cathedrals and soccer stadiums have been empty. Schools and universities have also been closed.
The Mexican military is on the street handing out face masks. And the Mexican Health Ministry has been empowered to isolate sick people, conduct house searches and inspect luggage and vehicles.
Six cases of swine flu had been confirmed in Canada. Those cases are said to be mild. Spain, Israel and New Zealand are also investigating possible cases in those countries.
No cases have yet been reported in France but the government there is wasting no time. Already, it has set up a flu crisis center in Paris to monitor the worldwide outbreaks. French citizens planning to travel to Mexico are urged to cancel their trips. And the French school in Mexico City has been closed just as a precaution.
Sunday is normally a busy one on the streets of Mexico City. Our Ted Rowlands is there. Ted, how are people responding to this health crisis?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Don, it is extremely quiet here tonight in Mexico City. The government has shut down restaurants, bars, movie theaters, anywhere where the public would normally gather in an effort to reduce those public gatherings. The thought is if they can do that they can reduce the chances that this virus will continue to spread.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS (voice-over): The plaza outside Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral was virtually empty Sunday morning. The sign outside reads no baptism, no confirmations and no mass until further notice.
Members of the Mexican Armed Forces were handing out masks.
Karla Cosis (ph) was scheduled to be confirmed at the 8:00 a.m. mass and she says a lot of people including herself are worried about getting sick.
KARLA COSIS, SCHEDULED FOR CONFIRMATION AT CHURCH: If you are sick, maybe you die.
ROWLANDS: Mexican officials are fighting the spread of the potentially deadly virus with an aggressive campaign urging people to stay away from large groups and seek medical attention if sick.
Sporting events are being played without crowds. Movie theaters and other public gathering points have been closed. While there is definite concern on the street here, there is no sign of widespread sickness, at least not yet.
Outside this hospital, none of the people waiting to be seen that we've talked to had flu symptoms. City officials say they have a handle on the situation and are able to treat any new cases. They also say those who have died waited too long to get help.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS: Tomorrow is back to work here, Don, which is going to create a potential problem. The governor of Mexico City -- I'm sorry the mayor of Mexico City today said, they're going to monitor the situation very closely. And he said if there is an increase of cases or if there isn't a marked decrease in cases they will think about and most likely, implement more shutdowns including private businesses, and subway system and possibly, the bus system as well.
They are monitoring this very closely here. They've had two days of relative quiet. Now, it's back to work and they're very anxious to see what happens tomorrow.
LEMON: All right Ted Rowlands in Mexico City. Ted thank you very much for that.
At the half-hour CNN's Karl Penhaul, will join us live for a soccer match in Mexico City where the teams are playing, but there is no one in the stands.
As swine flu continues to spread, journalists are headed to Mexico City trying to figure out where it came from and who is at risk. But news crews come prepared, too. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, just arrived in Mexico and he has a peek at how they are keeping their own health a priority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When covering stories like this it's important to think about safety first. Obviously for myself and our entire crew, we really thought this through. There maybe some instructive things in here for people at home as well.
We brought lots of stuff Tamiflu is a medication you probably heard of. It's an antiviral. We're not going to take this medication unless we're sick and the doctors tell us we should take it. Also a thermometer, a simple thermometer; that can be one of the first indications that is you're starting to get sick. We're going to take our temperatures pretty often. Hand sanitizer, we brought plenty of that. Just simply preventing the transmission of this virus from our hands to our nose and our mouth, very important.
And then just simple things like mosquito repellant; we have disinfecting wipes for all the camera equipment to keep that clean. We're going to wear gloves as often as we need to wear gloves. And I think one of the things that a lot of people are talking about are these masks; N95 masks. I have one around my neck. These are the sort of masks that seem to be the best from preventing this virus from entering our lungs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Sanjay Gupta joins us now live from Mexico City. Sanjay, everyone has to take precautions there. And you guys can't go there -- or we, journalists, can't go because we could become exposed and we can also spread it to other folks as well.
GUPTA: You know, it's been a somewhat of a surreal experience here, Don. About 4 million masks have been handed out. Think about that for a second. It would be as if everyone in the city of New York was wearing a mask, just to give you a little bit of context there. They are keeping Tamiflu, that medication; they're trying to build up stores of that as well, but they have about a million doses of that.
There's 20 million people that live in the city. If this starts to grow in severity and in span, it's not going to be enough.
It's somewhat hard to get a sense of the numbers, Don and you mentioned this earlier. But you have 81 people who have died, about 1,300 people who have become seriously sick. But what we really don't know yet, what we're trying to find out is how many people had milder illness. Jus how broad was this?
And if a lot more people got sick than we realize then the death rate might be much smaller than we think. As Ted Rowlands was just talking about, it's not a sense of panic here but I think a sense of concern. We saw it on the plane ride, we saw it at the airport and we see it here on the streets of Mexico City as well. Everyone is sort of talking about this right now.
LEMON: And Sanjay, there's a bit of a delay, so bear with me. I know you're on an Internet shop there but if you look over your shoulder I see people who are walking on the street where you are. What are people doing? Are they out and about as they are normally? Or are they just going about their normal business?
As I said, over your shoulder I can see people walking.
GUPTA: This is one of the busiest areas of Mexico City. So, we certainly do have people walking around. But a typical Sunday evening, this entire place would be completely jam-packed. We do have cars are traveling through with the windows shut for the most part. But there very few people walking and some of the people who are walking are wearing masks. It's a very different scene than what it would be typically be.
Again, I don't sense the panic or any kind of panic here. But people are staying indoors. Not getting outside nearly as much as they would. This is a fraction of what you would typically see.
LEMON: Our chief medical correspondent on the scene there. Dr. Sanjay Gupta who will be reporting from Mexico on this as it continues.
Doctor, we really appreciate your reporting. Thank you. We'll get back to you.
LEMON: We want to take you back to New York right at the children's hospital of New York. Our Deborah Feyerick is there. Deborah, you were giving us some very valuable information. I think you were saying that they are concerned that too many people are going to show up at the hospital? Is that one concern?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. That's what doctors fear the most. They just don't have the resources to do testing on 125 kids. As a matter of fact, only half of those children were actually tested.
The rest were sent home and they are the ones who had really mild symptoms. They were told to take Tylenol. They did test about 50 of the children; eight of those did test positive for swine flu.
Again, people who run these infectious disease labs, they just want to make sure that there's no panic with people coming because they just don't have the resources to handle it. Once the tests are actually taken and the child tests positive for Influenza A, then those samples are sent down to the CDC and that's when it's determined whether in fact it is swine flu.
Of course, the big concern is that if it's transmitted person to person it could mutate into a form that's simply very, very difficult to treat. But right now this hospital has been seeing these cases. They've been handling the influx of people and they're just trying to keep people calm.
We did speak to one man; he said he's washed his hands at least 20 times. And we did see a couple of people with masks. They are concerned about transmission -- Don.
LEMON: Deb Feyerick, clear as a bell this time. We appreciate it, Deb. Thank you very much.
A new offensive against the Taliban just days after the militants set off world wide alarms.
And what a rough day in the Plain States; several tornado warnings. Jacqui Jeras, what's up?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we have one right now and it has a history of producing tornados, Don. This is for Sedgwick and Harvey counties in Kansas. Damaging winds are heading towards Wichita. We'll fill you in with all the severe weather details, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know what? There is good reason why much of the Midwest is known as "Tornado Alley." This is a video shot from our Oklahoma City affiliate KFOR's helicopter, that camera yesterday.
Keep your eye on the horizon and you'll see the lightning first and soon after, that is a funnel cloud. You see that right there? When they're on the ground it is a tornado. At least one touched down in Enid, Oklahoma late last night. And there is a tornado watch in effect for the next couple of hours for all of Oklahoma.
Let's go straight now to CNN's Severe Weather Center and our Jacqui Jeras. Jacqui, parts of the plains still facing a dangerous storm threat tonight. And what amazing video that is.
JERAS: Oh, yes. I guarantee you, Don, we're going to be see more pictures like that. We have storm spotters out all over the place. As a matter of fact, they've confirmed a tornado in Sedgwick County a few minutes ago with a little bit of damage around the Lake Afton area and also a touchdown around Viola, which is down here. That storm right now up here pushing towards Harvey County and there have been multiple reports of it forming a tornado touching down and then lifting back up so this continues to be a very dangerous situation.
Now notice, parts of Wichita under a tornado warning now as well. And the tornado itself is just up to your north. But the National Weather Service has decided to keep that warning in place. And here's why.
Notice the shape of these storms here just off to the west. This is what we will call a bow echo. When you see it curving like that, that's indicative of just some incredible winds. We're likely see 60 to 80 miles per hour wind gusts pushing through downtown Wichita. And this is maybe about 15 or 20 minute away. So still very dangerous conditions heading right towards downtown Wichita.
This storm system is just huge. It's amazing how much real $estate this thing covers; from Iowa extending to all the way down into parts of Texas. Two watches, what we call PDS watches or Particularly Dangerous Situations and that's these two across Kansas down into Oklahoma and that's where we're most likely to see those large, long- track tornados.
We've also been tracking a couple of them here across parts of Iowa. Don, you know "Field of Dreams?" Dyersberg, remember that movie?
LEMON: With Kevin Costner, right?
JERAS: Pardon me?
LEMON: Kevin Costner, yes.
JERAS: You know your baseball, my friend. A little rotation spotted in that area right now. So those folks need to be seeking shelter.
LEMON: Seek safety. Thank you. Good advice. We appreciate it, Jacqui Jeras.
The U.S. considers them a terrorist group but in some places would you believe they are considered modern-day Robin Hoods? That's right. We're talking about the Taliban.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Pakistani troops have reportedly killed scores of Taliban fighters including a Taliban commander in a new government offensive in northwest Pakistan. A Taliban spokesman says the militants are, quote, resisting the army operation.
The military push comes as Taliban forces work to consolidate their control over rural areas. The Taliban are often siding with poor farmers portraying themselves to what some are calling Islamic Robin Hoods. The Taliban's military efforts are benefiting from the anger and frustration many rural Pakistanis feel towards the government.
CNN's Ivan Watson has more on the factors that are fueling the Taliban offensive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A father and son cutting grass to eke out a living. Mohammed Dawoud (ph) and 15-year-old Faisal (ph) are illiterate and desperately poor. Their only hope to ease this burden of poverty, Sharia Islamic Law.
"Only rich people get justice in Pakistan," Dawoud says. "We hope with Sharia life will get better."
That's exactly what the Taliban is demanding to win the hearts and minds of tens of millions of poor Pakistanis.
(on camera): These are the people the militants are trying to appeal to and promising them something that many Pakistanis don't have; they're promising them a sense of justice. Many Pakistanis complain they have no fair shake in this society. The Taliban say they have the answer, Islamic Sharia Law.
(voice-over): Amnesty International says the Taliban have promoted themselves as a kind of Islamic Robin Hood. Attacking wealthy landlords and corrupt bureaucrats, shutting down courthouses and replacing secular judges with Muslim clerics.
SAM ZARIFI, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: When Taliban move into an area, they use local existing resentments, that's for sure. They scare away some local thieves. They certainly impose very, very quick justice; very harsh justice. And initially, in some places they are even welcomed.
WATSON: But if farmers like the Lavar Hussein (ph) have their way Taliban justice means taking away freedoms from Pakistani women.
Should they be driving cars?
"Women should not even come out of their houses," he says. "That's against Islam."
Music, too, is against the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam. If the Taliban's rural revolt succeeds it will bring silence to the Pakistani countryside.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: CNN's Ivan Watson joins us now from Islamabad.
Ivan, the Taliban supporter you talked to said women should not be allowed outside the house. How concerned are Pakistani women about what the Taliban could do to their rights and their freedoms?
WATSON: Don, I think there's some serious concerns particularly among educated Pakistanis and in the cities when there were video -- when there were video that emerged, Don, of Taliban fighters flogging a young girl recently there were protests, demonstrations in the streets here Islamabad by women. And I've been hearing from women professionals here saying they are very concerned that they won't be comfortable even walking around in the streets.
They are getting warnings from militants saying that they have to cover up and they shouldn't be driving cars even. So it's a pretty serious threat to their urban lifestyle -- Don.
LEMON: Ivan Watson in Islamabad. Thank you Ivan.
Now back to our developing story: 20 confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S. since Thursday has put the U.S. government on alert. The White House held a rare Sunday news conference to declare a public health emergency.
Mexican officials now report that more than 1,300 apparent cases of flu. Swine flue is suspected of killing 81 people in Mexico although only 20 have been confirmed so far.
The World Health Organization is taking the swine flu outbreak very seriously. Canada has confirmed six cases and a group of students and teachers in New Zealand are now showing flu like symptoms after a trip to Mexico.
As a precaution, the U.S. military has put American troops on alert to be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms among their ranks.
Well, the swine flu outbreak may have spread all the way to New Zealand where health officials are investigating suspected cases. TVNZ reporter Krissy Moreau joins us live from Auckland, New Zealand with what's going on there. Hello, Krissy.
KRISSY MOREAU, TVNZ: Hello.
Well, it has been confirmed that 10 students have tested positive for the flu. Now, swabs are on the way to Australia at the moment to determine whether or not it's actually the swine flu. Now the isolated - the students have been isolated in their homes and health officials are working very closely with the families. All the students have been issued the Tamiflu vaccination.
LEMON: All right. Krissy Moreau joining us from Auckland, New Zealand. We appreciate that update from you tonight here in the United States, Krissy.
No fans at a soccer match in Mexico? Can you believe it? Well, the swine flu crisis is what's keeping people out of the stands and many other places there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know, it's Very interesting looking at pictures coming from Mexico City today. A city usually that is usually teeming with people. Well, it's empty in many places because of the swine flu scare. And soccer fans are staying home to watch the game. People are not going to cathedrals. CNN's Karl Penhaul is on the phone outside a stadium that would normally be teeming with spectators. We know it's empty, Karl. We talked to you about that. Tell us about what you're witnessing there on the streets? Are people wearing masks? Are people panicked or going about their daily lives? What are you seeing?
VOICE OF KARL PENHAUL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that really is just the thing. And his soccer match is symbolic of that. This a stadium that is the biggest in Latin America and there wasn't a single spectator there. And soccer really is passionate in Latin America. So there's nobody here and equally there are very few people on the streets and that's what we've been seeing. The number of people that would normally be out walking in parks and public squares is just completely down. Some of the Sunday masses at the Catholic churches here were also cancelled. And a few people that we do see on the street, even those ones going around on bicycles are wearing these face masks. We've also seen at certain point in the city, soldiers handing out those face masks to those who don't have them, and that is try to cut down on the risk of contagion as people would have cough or sneeze.
LEMON: Hey, Karl, have you been able to speak to any people on the streets there? And if so, what are they saying to you?
PENHAUL: Well, on the one hand, there is a lot of concern. The people said that they are concerned about why this started. Why there are people dying and why it is apparently spreading so fast. What they also say though is there is concern that maybe they're not getting the full picture from the government. I guess, the President Felipe Calderon did hold a press conference early on today and say that there were probably in excess of 1,300 likely cases of swine flu contagion.
Still they feel that there is not enough information out there about where the worst clusters of contagion are and where the worse place in the city is to be for the risk of this swine flu. Don?
LEMON: All right. Thank you. Karl Penhaul joining us from outside the stadium in Mexico City. We appreciate that, Karl.
Today, it is swine flu but it wasn't long ago that SARS captured headlines around the world after the deaths of nearly 800 people. Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, saw the brunt of the infections. CNN John Vause is live in Beijing with a look at Asia, Asia's handling of SARS and how it compares to the current swine flu outbreak. Jon, Thanks for joining us. What is Asia's reaction right now to this swine flu outbreak? JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, governments across Asia have issued alerts. In Hong Kong which was the epicenter of the SARS outbreak back in 2003. Officials say anyone returning from an area which has been affected by swine flu in the last seven days and if they test positive for any kind of respiratory problems or fever, they'll be immediately sent to hospital detention.
Here on mainland China, anyone who develops flu-like symptoms after retuning from an affected area much report immediately to officials for isolation and testing. In South Korea, anyone who gets off a plane from Los Angeles, Dallas or Atlanta, will be automatically tested for swine flu and for any other kind of respiratory problems. South Koreans are especially concerned because of the high volume of airport traffic between South Korea and the United States.
In Tokyo, they're having a government meeting in a couple of hours to decide on their response. All of this at this stage is just precautionary because there have been no positive cases of swine flu anywhere in Asia, but this region just have an unhappy history with the SARS outbreak just six years ago. Don.
LEMON: Yes. We're looking at the people in that video, John, of the masks, I remember being in Canada and covering the story there. Canada was hit as well and I remember the first couple of hours as we were concerned about SARS. So in the first 72 hours that we know about swine flu, how does that compare to the first days of SARS? John, when airplanes were empty, people were afraid to get on them. You go on an airplane and everyone would be wearing masks in the airport, out in train stations. So how is this comparing to the first 72 hours?
VAUSE: Well, the first 72 hours of the SARS outbreak, no one knew that SARS is out there. In fact, for months, nobody knew that SARS virus is out there because of a massive cover-up by the Chinese government. Whistle-blowers were intimidated. The media didn't do it's job. It didn't inform the public in China that there was this virus out there. This influenza virus and so precious time was lost in trying to deal with SARS. And for once the Chinese government admitted there was a problem they swung into action and they put into place the reporting mechanisms, the surveillance which was necessary. And also they put into place in the rural areas, the medication and the treatment, which was necessary to deal with SARS.
And, also, the other problem too for China is that now six years on and also for Asia, if you look at how much this region has opened up to business trade, and travel and tourism, there is a concern that it will be a lot harder to control the swine flu if it does get into Asia, compared to SARS. On the upside, they're saying because of SARS, many countries in Asia are now much better prepared to deal with this kind of viral infection. Don.
LEMON: CNN's John Vause in Beijing. John, thank you very much for that.
A swine flu travel warning went out to the U.S. military last week. And who better to talk about it than General Russell Honore. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Your voices are heard here on this program tonight.
Here's what artjohn58 says "I'm told NYC area last excellent plans and supplies but I'm curious about other areas of the U.S. Mead(ph) says lived through SARS, wash hands, et cetera. IF60, home from work, school and don't visit seniors, babies, say no to sick visitors. Say no to sick visitors.
TheReallyRick says if there ever was a time to close our southern borders, the time is now. Call our the National Guard and the military. Twitter, Facebook, myspace, i-report.com, your responses can get on the air as well. And those responses will lead us to this. Because more now on that developing story that we've been telling you about the flu outbreak in the U.S. At least 20 confirmed cases have been caught, have caught the attention of both the White House and the U.S. military.
Retired General Russel Honore joins us now live. Caught the attention of the White House and the military. So far how has the response been, you think, general?
LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, we're off to what some might call a slow start when you look at the evolution of how this disease broke in Mexico. And then for us to track and make that relationship in New York. Followed by the testing where we have to send - send testing all the way back to Atlanta to sort it out. You know we have a great national strategy to deal with pandemic flu based on our lessons from SARS. That said, it's the weekend. We don't know what we don't know - what might happen tomorrow morning, Don?
LEMON: Yes. You said that part is going to be critical. What could happen tomorrow morning.
HONORE: Well, I played these scenarios and national level exercises several times at the national level and one of the problems is reporting. And the way the information is flown out today and if you just look at the demographics of how many people have been watching television today. That number is not very high when you look at - we have 304 million people in America.
But as that word settled in tonight and tomorrow morning when people wake up and they are feeling flu symptoms, there are people that have been told over the weekend, if you are not really sick, don't go to the doctor. Rest, wash your hands. Isolate yourself. What happens tomorrow morning when all those people call into work in the New York area and then the numbers as CDC accurately projected, we could see the numbers go up. So we don't know what we don't know until we get the entire reporting system working tomorrow.
LEMON: Yes, and general, here's the thing. Because I've been getting e-mails from people and some of the responses have been saying, you know, stop trying to scare people. It's only eight or it's only 11 people among 300 million people but here is the thing, just the facts about this story which we're reporting and which other news organizations are reporting are scary enough in themselves and people may perceive that?
HONORE: Yes. I mean, it's a part of our national security. The key part of the strategy is to stop the pandemic. Slow it down and limit the spread.
LEMON: Informing people.
HONORE: Informing people. So people can make informed decisions. That will help stop the spread of the disease. But you know, the key question we've got to ask is, we think it came from Mexico. That is the conventional wisdom of most folks. The next question is, how did it start in Mexico? Where did it emanate from? We've been able to find that out in all previous pandemics. The question is to get at the heart of how did this start? Did it start from the occasion of viruses coming together? Or was it - did it come out of a lab? I mean, all those questions have to be answered.
But right now we can expect more people to be reported in the next 24 to 36 hours as the information and the indication that's been put out by the media, get out to folks and people look at it and start calling into work. So good information coming out of CDC. We got a great plan. DHS know what to do, the national response plan and local communities know what to do. Now it's how do we get that so people can act so we can limit the spread of the flu.
LEMON: All right. No nonsense advice from Retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore. He brings up a very good point. Whenever we had this SARS or what have you, it affected the economy, General, because people didn't want to get on airplanes, didn't want to go outside, didn't want to go to work, what have you. So you bring up a very good point. Thank you very much for that.
HONORE: Don, one more point on the economy.
LEMON: Yes.
HONORE: We haven't had a death yet in america. Once that happens and the cause of it is related to the flu, you're going to see a change in the game plan because there will be a lot of cautions of our airline industry and this could put a complete slowdown to the airline industry particularly from those regions where the flu has been report on.
LEMON: And general, you know what, you bring up a good point. Segue to our next part of the story. Thank you, General Russel Honore. Stick around because we'll be calling on you for advice as well.
You know, all this talk about the swine flu and airports is raising a red flag for passengers. You heard General Russel Honore say, the question, to fly or not to fly here?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Back to the rapidly developing swine flu outbreak. With the U.S. government declaring a public health emergency, American travelers are urged to be vigilant when they travel abroad. We caught up with two women on their way to Mexico today who say they're not concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not hysterical about it. I mean, I'm not going to watch where I go or anything like that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard about it last night when I watched the news on CNN and I was like, great, where is it? Mexico City? I'm not worried at all. Didn't see anyone ill, I'm a nurse and I had no concerns whatsoever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And there wasn't any like precautionary notices or anything at the airport?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not that we saw at all, no. Nothing in the lavatories about extra hand washing or anything like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, travel expert Peter Greenberg joins us here live in New York. Do those women have the right idea? They're not concerned and they're traveling to Mexico.
PETER GREENBERG, TRAVEL EXPERT: You know what, they should be concerned, but they also have the right idea. It's basic common sense and personal hygiene. At this point be aware what's going on, practice good hygiene. Wash your hands as early and as often as you can. No matter whether there's a flu outbreak or not, you'll be OK..
LEMON: Mexico is not the only country affected. I mean, there are other countries. I mean, New Zealand, people travel there, beautiful country. What are other countries doing around the country as a precaution?
GREENBERG: Well, first of all Tokyo, right now, if you're coming off the plane from anywhere North America, there is somebody there at the jet way with a device that's going to measure your temperature. If you register on that, you might be quarantined. Russia is announcing the same thing. And you also have China that they were doing that after the whole SARS crisis. I won't call it the SARS outbreak because there never was an outbreak.
LEMON: Right.
GREENBERG: The crisis was nobody was going.
LEMON: Yes. Nobody and not many people were flying. So when you get off the plane and they check your temperature, the airlines are doing that or the government?
GREENBERG: The government is doing that. LEMON: What are the airlines doing?
GREENBERG: Well, the airlines are doing, almost all of them in the United States are allowing - they are waiving any penalties or cancellations fees if you don't want to go to Mexico right now. That's the right thing to do.
LEMON: You know, it reminded me of something when people, didn't they take people's temperature or they went through a thing that if your temperature was high during SARS, they wouldn't let you go on or something?
GREENBERG: That's right. The real issue right now is what are the hotels doing? Because it's one thing for the airlines to waive the fees. Hotels are on a case by case basis. If you've got a deposit at a hotel, do you go or not go if you're not going to get your deposit back.
LEMON: OK. You said they got the right idea because they have the right to travel, we're talking about those two ladies and then but they should be concerned. Here's the bottom line - travel or not?
GREENBERG: Right now, right now, I say travel.
LEMON: You say travel.
GREENBERG: I do.
LEMON: There you heard it from the expert.
Anything else you want to offer because I know you're the expert traveler and a lot of people travel this time of the year.
GREENEBRG: Sure. You know, my philosophy, it's going to sound somewhat politically insensitive, is anytime there's an emergency, a civil disturbance or just a crisis like this, that may or may not be a fact, what a great time to go. Great service. Great opportunities as long as you practice great personal hygiene and common sense, you'll have a great time.
LEMON: Like after I shake your hands, I probably should wash them but -
GREENBERG: I'll do the exact same thing.
LEMON: We worked together many, many moons ago and it's good to see you again. Thank you very much. Peter Greenberg, our travel expert.
Tornadoes and storms, a tough day in the midwest. Jacqui Jeras, probably don't want to travel there right now if you're not there already.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and you probably want to make sure you got a safe place to be, underground if possible. The threat of tornadoes still ongoing. Don't go to bed without listening to our weather report or having on your NOAA weather radio. Your forecast is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, let's get straight to the CNN severe weather center. Jacqui Jeras, parts of the plains still facing a dangerous storm threat tonight.
JERAS: Yes, there's a lot popping across the plains, Kansas and Oklahoma in particular. I understand we have a new shot just coming in as we speak. You're watching this live with me. Out of Oklahoma, there you can see some very low clouds, having a hard time seeing it on my monitor, but that looks like that might be a tornado there. Looks like we got a wedge there. That is from KOCO-TV. So very dangerous situation developing. KOCO is our affiliate out of Oklahoma City.
There's some real nasty storms just to the north and to the west of there. Yes, there you can see certainly a funnel there, and not seeing any debris on the bottom of that picture, however, so hopefully that's going to stay lifted. We'll continue to follow this and continue to bring you up to date. Now, take a look at this.
This is a severe weather situation across the country. It covers from Iowa all the way down towards Texas. This is the area we're most concerned about across parts of Kansas on up into Oklahoma City. I want to show you the situation in Wichita. We told you about the tornado threat there, and the damaging winds. We got reports now moving through Wichita of 70 to 80-mile-per-hour wind gusts. That's going to cause some damage. And we're likely to see some power outages in this area.
There you can see the storm, this is likely the one that just got out of our affiliate from Oklahoma City. That's continuing to push to the north and east. That's in Dewey, Major and Woodward county. And I just want to show you one last thing here. This is our Gibson Ridge radar, and this is a tornado that has been on the ground. This is in Crockett County, an incredible hail, baseball to softball size. There's a new hail shaft developing, so more of that threat is ongoing across west-central Texas. Don.
LEMON: Jacqui, all right. Thank you very much, Jacqui. We want to get some of your responses in here tonight, because we say that you can have your voice on our show and we mean it. Here's what nightskyb4dawn says "now is not the time for fear or speculation. Now is the time for common sense and a level head and fastidious hand washing. Mommatude says "not enough, you don't wait until it spreads throughout to take strict precautions. You take strict precautions before it spreads." MusicalQT says "I am concerned but not scared though with all these coverage and breakout status. Seemingly, my concern is growing rapidly.
Twitter, Facebook, myspace or I-report.com, we'll see you back here at 10:00 p.m. Eastern tonight. "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JOHN KING" is right now.
