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Dr. Anthony Fauci Calls for Full-Court Press Against COVID-19; Midwest Reporting Surge in Cases as U.S. Death Toll Mounts; 600 Plus Students and Staff Under Quarantine or Isolation in Two Florida Counties; Cases in U.S. Midwest Surging As Experts Warn of Holiday Weekend; Portland Mayor Calls on Residents to Join Him in Denouncing Violence; White House Coronavirus Taskforce Issues Dire Warning for Iowa. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired September 02, 2020 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:26]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto.

The science and the facts show that COVID-19 is still spreading in this country and still taking lives at an alarming rate. The president and the politics say otherwise. We're going to stick with the facts.

This morning, the Midwest is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases. The U.S. reports more than 1,000 deaths in a single day and there are worries that the upcoming holiday weekend could fuel the spread of the virus. Previous holiday weekends this summer have already. Experts warn do not let your guard down.

Add this to the reasons why. New research from the CDC suggests that symptoms can last much longer than initially thought. A new report shows a 17 percent increase in cases as well in U.S. children over the last two weeks.

Also this morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning the U.S. that it needs to get control of this virus before flu season hits.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: What I would really like to see is kind of a full court press to get us way down as a baseline so that when you get these cases in the fall, they won't surge up. They'll be controllable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Again, listen to the facts. Listen to the doctors. Dr. Fauci also saying he thinks there will be a vaccine by the end of the year and that there is a way to end trials early if the science shows it's ready. But he's also warning that it's necessary to get ahead of this virus.

And this the National Institutes of Health directly contradicting the administration when it comes to the use of convalescent plasma as a treatment. The NIH says there's no evidence backing its use and that it should not be treated as a standard of care. Again, listen to the doctors. Listen to the facts.

Let's bring in CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen to tell us more about these comments about Dr. Fauci.

So Dr. Fauci has been consistent here. For months he's been telling me and others that it's possible you could have a vaccine as early as the end of this year if the science, if the trials shows that. So he's saying now that this idea of having it before the end of phase three trials doable, again, if it's safe and the science shows it's working.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Jim. You and I have actually been talking about this for several days now. Dr. Fauci is saying what many people have said, which is that if the data looks incredibly good we could have a vaccine earlier than when the clinical trials are done. Think about a vaccine as like cookies baking in the oven. You peek every so often to see maybe they're done early.

It is possible that there will be so many infections with COVID among these folks who are in the trial and that the vaccine will work really, really well against that infection that they will say, we know it's early, but the data is just so good that the FDA should give an emergency use authorization or EUA.

Let's listen to what Dr. Fauci said this morning on the "Today" show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAUCI: I have been through a number of vaccine trials in which EUAs have ultimately been done but they've done when there was enough data that you would really feel comfortable that it was safe and effective for the American public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: Now, Jim, you mentioned that Dr. Fauci has said to you and other people we could have a vaccine by the end of this year. I will note, that is not November 3rd. That's an almost two-month difference between election day and the end of the calendar year. That's a long time, actually.

SCIUTTO: No question. And again, it comes down to who's going to make that decision, who's going make that judgment as well.

Other new information this morning, data showing a rise in cases among children. What do we attribute this to? I mean, is it going back to school? Is it more testing as they go back to school?

COHEN: You know, it could be both of those things but I think it's the going back to school part that's really giving -- is really the big driver here. No parent will be surprised when I say that when children go back to school they're put into one place, they share their germs and that would include COVID-19. We have already seen big outbreaks. Two weeks ago is about when a lot of the school systems went back to

school. So not shocking. As a matter of fact I would have been shocked in the other direction. Not shocking that when you put children together back in school you see a rise in cases in children.

SCIUTTO: Understood. Elizabeth Cohen, always good to have you on. Thanks very much.

COHEN: Thanks.

[09:05:01]

SCIUTTO: Let's get more from CNN's Nick Valencia on the growing number of cases in the Midwest, and Nick, you know, we've seen the virus move through the country like this in every region, right? You know, it seems like that region is somehow excepted from the outbreak and then it comes.

So what are we seeing in the Midwest right now?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Midwest, Jim, is the new hotspot for the coronavirus, and Iowa is seeing the worst of it. According to a White House task force report that CNN obtained, it's a dire situation in Iowa. Just over the last week, we have seen a 77 percent increase in cases and the test positivity rate is above 10 percent for the last 13 days with universities playing a major factor in spreading this virus.

That's important to note because in less than two weeks, Iowa State is planning to kick off its football season in front of 25,000 fans. And while the university says that there is going to be social distancing, the White House Task Force report suggests that gatherings should be limited to ten people or fewer, that the state should institute a mask mandate which so far it shows no indication that it's going to do.

And this is really an issue because we have Labor Day coming up as well which as you mentioned is threatening to fuel yet another surge and that can create problems for testing, in testing capacity, which we recently saw after the July 4th holiday weekend.

And for those wondering about more testing, Admiral Giroir, the White House testing czar, addressed this saying the Trump administration is announcing $5 antigen tests are going to be sent out to states in mid- September. But he says it's unrealistic for everyone to think that they're going to be able to get -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: Nick Valencia, thanks very much.

To Florida now, where more than six counties and staff members in two counties are now in quarantine or isolation.

CNN's Rosa Flores is Miami with more. What big is this? What percentage of the larger school population does this represent?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Jim, we've been trying to find out the answer to that question and we have asked the Florida Department of Health repeatedly and we have not heard back yet. But we do know from at least two counties that more than 600 students and staff are either in quarantine or in isolation. This is in Martin County and also in Hillsborough County, which is the seventh largest school district in the country.

Now here in Miami-Dade County where I am today is day three of virtual schooling but the first two days have been mired by connectivity issues. According to the superintendent there, there's two separate issues. There is a software malfunction and also a malicious cyberattack. A type of cyberattack that just floods the network and doesn't allow anybody to get into the school network.

The superintendent yesterday during a press conference was very frustrated and angry because of this. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO CARVALHO, SUPERINTENDENT, MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: I am not only frustrated but angered over the fact that in the shadow of this problem, there was a malicious attempt, malicious, well-orchestrated, complex attempt at derailing, destroying the connection which is essential for our students and teachers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now the superintendent is saying that he has contacted the FBI and also the Secret Service and FDLE which is the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Comcast issuing a statement yesterday saying that they are aware of the issue and that they are cooperating with law enforcement and with the district.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Health severing ties with Quest Diagnostics. According to the state agency this lab company failed to report nearly 75,000 COVID-19 test results that date back to April and the law according to the state agency is for those results to be reported to the Department of Health in a timely manner.

Quest Diagnostics issuing a statement yesterday, Jim, saying that they apologize, that they regret the situation, but that the delay was due to a technical issue -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: Rosa, just quickly, any sense of who's responsible for the cyberattack on the school online system?

FLORES: You know, we reached out to the FBI and to FDLE and they are saying that all of the investigation is in the hands of the school district, the school district saying that they are investigating. They're trying to figure out exactly what happened. But again, like the superintendent mentioned they're just frustrated and angry because they're trying to figure out what to do while students are just trying to go into this network so they can start the school year -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Some vulnerability. Let's hope we won't see more of that.

Rosa Flores, thanks very much. Let's speak now to Dr. Jeffrey Gold, the chancellor of the University

of Nebraska Medical Center.

Dr. Gold, always good to have you on.

DR. JEFFREY GOLD, CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER: Good morning.

SCIUTTO: OK. Let's talk about the vaccine. I think people forget that Dr. Fauci, trusted voice on this, I mean, he said that you could have a vaccine more quickly than normal. Perhaps by the end of the year, assuming it passes all the checks along the way. Broad trials, et cetera. Of course the president has set this goal with politics in mind of having one ready by election day.

[09:10:06]

When you hear Dr. Fauci say well, it's possible it could be approved before clinical trials are completed, what does that tell you? I mean, is it data showing that the various candidates look good right now?

GOLD: Well, the preliminary data at least as I read it is encouraging. But I think as we talked about just a few minutes ago, it's sort of -- is like baking cookies. That is you check from time to time as you get towards the end of your baking cycle and to be sure that the cookies are done. In this particular case, we are talking about both safety and efficacy of the vaccine. So there are very good, very rigorous scientific tools that are used in what is called data safety monitoring.

That's any trial of a new medication, of a vaccine, of a treatment, et cetera. And good ethics provide that you check from time to time that you're both safe and you're effective. And if that's determined a little bit earlier or a little bit later, that's when it's time to submit for approval of the new vaccine.

SCIUTTO: Right. So there are protocols, I imagine, followed protocols. Let's talk about convalescent plasma because with great fanfare the administration launched this notably on the eve of the Republican convention.

GOLD: Sure.

SCIUTTO: It has already been shown that the FDA chief exaggerated by a factor of seven the health benefits of this, but now the NIH is saying that it doesn't see any evidence supporting the use of convalescent plasma. And folks watching at home who may have relatives in the hospital with this, I mean, their heads have to be spinning here.

What does that the hard data show on convalescent plasma and should have it gotten this authorization?

GOLD: Well, convalescent plasma has been used to treat infectious disease, Jim, for over 100 years. It was used during the Ebola outbreak of 2014-2015, it's been used in many different settings, and it's been used since the very beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. I think what we've learned from some of the science around this is

that in the individuals that have high levels of what we call neutralizing antibodies in their plasma, and if it's administered at the right stage of the disease before an individual gets too critically ill, it can have a significant role. However, there are a number of if's and when's and, you know, appropriate use that go into it.

This is certainly not a be all end all cure and it's certainly not totally ineffective. It's somewhere quite in the middle.

SCIUTTO: Understood. OK. Symptoms. New research in the British Medical Journal shows impacts of COVID-19 can drag out much longer than expected. What does that mean? How long? What impacts specifically?

GOLD: Well, Jim, this is a new disease and we are learning more and more about it every day, every week. Recent reports, there was a stunning article I believe it was on July 27th looking at some of the longer term cardiovascular effects, effects on the heart and on the blood vessels where people could see evidence of lingering effects on cardiac function and cardiac what we call inflammation, that were between 60 and 90 days after individuals thought they were completely recovered from the disease.

We've seen some cognitive changes, changes in intellectual function that have lingered weeks and months after the disease. And so we continue to learn more and more about that and it's particularly concerning because there's this wide sense that, you know, children may get the disease but they have much fewer symptoms, not hospitalized, lower mortality rates, et cetera.

But if there are these new longer term impacts that are occurring, we need to be very aware of that as we make decisions about schools.

SCIUTTO: Sure.

GOLD: And church and back to normal activities.

SCIUTTO: No question. Is there a best information at this point that those long lasting effects affect a small percentage of the people impacted by this or do we just not know yet?

GOLD: Well, I think we're still learning a lot, but the particular reference that I just discussed it was about three-quarters of the individuals that they studied. That these were individuals who had moderately severe disease but had no previous history of heart disease. And they were all scanned as part of our research study, again a relatively small study, 100 individuals, and I believe if I recall the number correctly, 78 percent had some evidence of changes in their heart muscle.

SCIUTTO: Wow.

GOLD: Now that's a lot. Now the overwhelming majority of that hopefully resolves in weeks to months but that's a big number.

SCIUTTO: Yes. That's no small thing.

Dr. Gold, thanks so much for joining us this morning.

GOLD: Always a pleasure. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still to come at this hour, we're going to speak to two mayors of two college towns in the Midwest, what they're doing to stem the spike in coronavirus cases in their cities, particularly as universities reopen.

[09:15:00]

And in the final stretch of the 2020 campaign, President Trump is ramping up his use of flat-out false disinformation, lies, many inspired by the conspiracy group QAnon. We are fact-checking those baseless claims next. And the mayor of Portland, Oregon, calling on people in his city to condemn the violence there. They plan to control the protests that have taken place in that city for more than a 100 days coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB BLAKE SR., FATHER OF JACOB BLAKE JR.: My son's name is Jacob Blake. If you didn't mention it, then you don't care about him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: That was Jacob Blake's father responding after President Trump visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, but did not say Jacob Blake's name once.

[09:20:00]

The president did not meet with Blake's family, he did defend the vigilante, the teenage vigilante who killed two people there and is now charged with homicide. CNN's John Harwood joins me now from Washington with more. John, did we see the intention of the trip exposed by what the president commented on and what he did not comment on in this visit?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, we saw the intention and we saw the contrast with Joe Biden, what Joe Biden has said both in his speech on Monday as well as his advertising, is I'm going to praise the merits of racial justice profile -- protests, I'm going to praise the merits of most police officers, they're decent people, but also condemn excesses of violence in protesting and excesses in terms of police behavior. And I'm going to try to bring the country together to solve both problems.

And what his point is I'm trying to unite, Trump's trying to divide. By his behavior yesterday, Trump was saying very clearly, yes, I am trying to divide, not mentioning Blake's name, defending Rittenhouse as he's defended the Portland vigilantes. Shunting aside questions about systemic racism and saying I'm just here to talk about police officers. He could not be clearer in the message that he is sending. He is trying to rally white voters, especially working class voters to his side using a message of fear, and that's what he did yesterday.

SCIUTTO: Let's talk about the coronavirus response. We're hearing of a divide within the administration over that, some of which -- let's be frank has come out in public.

HARWOOD: Absolutely, it's come out in public and we've seen it, the divide between the president himself and the public health professionals on his team who have urged a more aggressive approach to controlling the virus.

Now, he's got Scott Atlas advising him, and Atlas says well, I'm not advocating a herd immunity strategy per se, but he's clearly in sync with Trump on the idea for less aggressive action and wait it out until therapeutics and a vaccine come along. We've -- Joe Biden said the president is waiting for a miracle and Mike Pence, the vice president has said, yes, we do expect a miracle in the form of a vaccine.

We may get a vaccine by the end of the year as Anthony Fauci has said. The question is, how many people are going to die between now -- how many people are going to get sick with coronavirus and die between the time that, that virus -- between now and the time that the virus is widely available.

SCIUTTO: Yes --

HARWOOD: It's going to be months until that happens.

SCIUTTO: Yes, and the president's strategy appears to be to attack the data, as that happens as well. John Harwood, thanks very much. A little more than 60 days until the election and President Trump is ramping up what is a disinformation campaign, pushing baseless conspiracy theories about funding for racial justice protests, among others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The money is coming from somewhere --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Money is coming from --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And how can it be tracked?

TRUMP: Some very stupid, rich people that have no idea that if the thing ever succeeded, which it won't, they will be thrown to the wolves like you've never seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale joins me now to discuss. The president has been known to float baseless conspiracy theories. We don't have to list them for the audience here. Let's take on this latest one. Is there any evidence to back up what the president is claiming here? DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: If you want, you can find a kernel of

truth, and that is that there are certainly wealthy people, including famous celebrities who have donated to racial justice organizations affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement. But that's not what the president was suggesting here in the context in that interview. He was suggesting that rich people are funding, you know, looters, thugs, people causing damage. And there's simply no evidence for that.

And I think it's also important to note that this matches baseless conspiracy theories floated not only by people on the far right in the United States including people affiliated with the QAnon movement. But anti-Democratic leaders around the world who often like to suggest that for example, liberal billionaire George Soros who is Jewish is the one behind this stuff. So, I'm not calling the president anti- Semite or a dictator, but I think it's important to note that this rhetoric matches some ugly stuff from anti-Semites and authoritarians around the world.

SCIUTTO: Yes, perhaps, we remind people QAnon started with a theory that Democrats and Hollywood actors were -- had a child sex ring based in a pizza place here in Washington and they worship Satan. Tell us what other QAnon theories the president is now sharing related to the COVID outbreak?

DALE: So, the president has been echoing a tweet from some random QAnon person that seems to have floated into his feed, and the allegation which is incorrect is that the Centers for Disease Control admitted that only 6 percent of reported coronavirus deaths are actually from the coronavirus.

[09:25:00]

And that is a gross misreading of what the CDC said. What the CDC said was that only 6 percent of coronavirus death certificates solely listed COVID-19 as the cause. The others had so-called comorbidities. Now, let's -- the explanation for that is that people can have, for example, obesity or diabetes, and that can be listed on a death certificate along with COVID-19. That doesn't mean that COVID-19 didn't kill them. People can live of course with obesity for years and decades without dying.

In addition, some of the comorbidities are actually symptoms of COVID- 19, for example, respiratory failure. And so both things are possible and that is -- 94 percent who have other comorbidities listed are -- it's not the case that those people did not die from COVID-19, it's just false.

SCIUTTO: Listen, the way conspiracy theories go, they take a little nugget of something and then create a bizarre view of the world. Daniel Dale, thanks very much. Well, be sure to join Wolf Blitzer for his exclusive hour long one-on-one interview with Attorney General William Barr. That's tonight, "THE SITUATION ROOM" starts today at 5 O'clock p.m. only on CNN.

Today, a dire warning from the White House Coronavirus Taskforce about rising cases in the Midwest. I'll be speaking with two mayors from two Midwestern college towns next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)