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CNN Live Saturday
Interview With Tom Parsons
Aired March 15, 2003 - 17:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: More on a developing story with global impact. World health officials move quickly to halt the spread of a deadly strain of pneumonia. The World Health Organization has issued a global emergency travel advisory to warn airlines and travelers of the threat. And the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta held a news conference earlier today to address growing concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JULIE GERBERDING, DIRECTOR, CDC: With respect to what should a person do if they have a fever or a respiratory illness, they should manage that the same way they would anything during cold season, unless they have traveled to the affected area or had direct contact with someone they know to be a case.
If they're in the category where they have been in the exposure zone, then they should contact their physician and/or receive care through their primary care facility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAN MIGUEL: And more developments in Frankfurt, Germany today. Three people were taken off a flight on stopover between New York and Singapore after they exhibited pneumonia symptoms. Those three are now in isolation to see if they develop the disease. One hundred fifty-five other passengers on that flight were temporarily quarantined, but have now been released.
So what is it that makes this strain of pneumonia so alarming? CNN medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The World Health Organization calls it a worldwide health threat, a disease so new they had to give it a new name. They're calling it severe acute respiratory syndrome. There have been about 150 cases in eight different countries, and there have been some deaths, although they don't have a specific number for the number of deaths.
Let's go over the eight countries where this disease has been found. It's been found in Canada, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control in the United States say that if someone has traveled to one of those countries and comes down with some certain symptoms, then they need to go check with their doctor.
Let's talk about what those symptoms are. Symptoms are a fever over 100.4 degrees and respiratory symptoms, such as a cough, shortness of breathing, or difficulty breathing. If someone has been to one of those countries and has those symptoms, then they need to go see their doctor, because this is a contagious disease. In addition, if someone has the symptoms and has been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the syndrome, then they also need to go see their doctor.
Now, let's talk a little about how this disease spreads. They're not exactly sure, but health authorities have noticed that people have gotten it when they have been in very close contact with a sick person. In other words, hospital workers have gotten it from sick people that they have been taking care of. Family members have gotten it from family members when they've been take care of them.
It does not appear to be spread, if you just say, let's say in the same bus with someone who is sick. In a teleconference I asked Dr. Julie Gerberding, at the Centers for Disease Control if this could be terrorism, and she said, "we are keeping an open mind."
In addition, they reported that there were two people who appeared to have had this disease who traveled through the United States. One of them traveled through Atlanta and one of them traveled through New York. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So how could this warning disrupt your travel plans, and what can you do? Let's ask Tom Parsons with Bestfares.com. And, Tom, good to see you.
TOM PARSONS, BESTFARES.COM: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: The airline industry certainly doesn't need this. How do you see this impacting air travel?
PARSONS: Well, you know, the airlines have been beaten up so bad since 9/11, and with the economy, the potential war, the cost of fuel, they probably have their own war room set up, and I'm sure this is not something that they had on their plans. This is -- tourism around the world just doesn't need anything more negative than this, and that will just probably deter travel even more.
And we are already expecting to see the airlines cut back maybe 10, 12, 15 percent if we do go to war over all, and again if people have decided it's just not right to be flying right now, especially over the Asia, maybe into Canada and other parts of the world, this is just going to hurt the industry a whole bunch more.
WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk a little bit more about the locations you just mentioned, because as you heard in Elizabeth's report, countries in Asia as well as in Canada, many of the airlines that may be heading to those destination points might see the dropoff the most. Since those are the areas where there already are some documented cases.
PARSONS: Right. And I guess the shame about that is that the tourism and the number of people flying from the U.S.A. going to Asia has not been disrupted as much as what we are seeing to Europe right now. Canada has seen some drop in traffic, but again this could even hurt them even more. And, also, now, with the airlines probably making profit on those Asia routes, this could actually take the last place where there is any profit left for the U.S. airlines or international airlines to go bye-bye.
WHITFIELD: All right, Tom Parsons, thank you very much, of Bestfares.com. Good to see you.
PARSONS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 15, 2003 - 17:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: More on a developing story with global impact. World health officials move quickly to halt the spread of a deadly strain of pneumonia. The World Health Organization has issued a global emergency travel advisory to warn airlines and travelers of the threat. And the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta held a news conference earlier today to address growing concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JULIE GERBERDING, DIRECTOR, CDC: With respect to what should a person do if they have a fever or a respiratory illness, they should manage that the same way they would anything during cold season, unless they have traveled to the affected area or had direct contact with someone they know to be a case.
If they're in the category where they have been in the exposure zone, then they should contact their physician and/or receive care through their primary care facility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAN MIGUEL: And more developments in Frankfurt, Germany today. Three people were taken off a flight on stopover between New York and Singapore after they exhibited pneumonia symptoms. Those three are now in isolation to see if they develop the disease. One hundred fifty-five other passengers on that flight were temporarily quarantined, but have now been released.
So what is it that makes this strain of pneumonia so alarming? CNN medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The World Health Organization calls it a worldwide health threat, a disease so new they had to give it a new name. They're calling it severe acute respiratory syndrome. There have been about 150 cases in eight different countries, and there have been some deaths, although they don't have a specific number for the number of deaths.
Let's go over the eight countries where this disease has been found. It's been found in Canada, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control in the United States say that if someone has traveled to one of those countries and comes down with some certain symptoms, then they need to go check with their doctor.
Let's talk about what those symptoms are. Symptoms are a fever over 100.4 degrees and respiratory symptoms, such as a cough, shortness of breathing, or difficulty breathing. If someone has been to one of those countries and has those symptoms, then they need to go see their doctor, because this is a contagious disease. In addition, if someone has the symptoms and has been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the syndrome, then they also need to go see their doctor.
Now, let's talk a little about how this disease spreads. They're not exactly sure, but health authorities have noticed that people have gotten it when they have been in very close contact with a sick person. In other words, hospital workers have gotten it from sick people that they have been taking care of. Family members have gotten it from family members when they've been take care of them.
It does not appear to be spread, if you just say, let's say in the same bus with someone who is sick. In a teleconference I asked Dr. Julie Gerberding, at the Centers for Disease Control if this could be terrorism, and she said, "we are keeping an open mind."
In addition, they reported that there were two people who appeared to have had this disease who traveled through the United States. One of them traveled through Atlanta and one of them traveled through New York. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So how could this warning disrupt your travel plans, and what can you do? Let's ask Tom Parsons with Bestfares.com. And, Tom, good to see you.
TOM PARSONS, BESTFARES.COM: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: The airline industry certainly doesn't need this. How do you see this impacting air travel?
PARSONS: Well, you know, the airlines have been beaten up so bad since 9/11, and with the economy, the potential war, the cost of fuel, they probably have their own war room set up, and I'm sure this is not something that they had on their plans. This is -- tourism around the world just doesn't need anything more negative than this, and that will just probably deter travel even more.
And we are already expecting to see the airlines cut back maybe 10, 12, 15 percent if we do go to war over all, and again if people have decided it's just not right to be flying right now, especially over the Asia, maybe into Canada and other parts of the world, this is just going to hurt the industry a whole bunch more.
WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk a little bit more about the locations you just mentioned, because as you heard in Elizabeth's report, countries in Asia as well as in Canada, many of the airlines that may be heading to those destination points might see the dropoff the most. Since those are the areas where there already are some documented cases.
PARSONS: Right. And I guess the shame about that is that the tourism and the number of people flying from the U.S.A. going to Asia has not been disrupted as much as what we are seeing to Europe right now. Canada has seen some drop in traffic, but again this could even hurt them even more. And, also, now, with the airlines probably making profit on those Asia routes, this could actually take the last place where there is any profit left for the U.S. airlines or international airlines to go bye-bye.
WHITFIELD: All right, Tom Parsons, thank you very much, of Bestfares.com. Good to see you.
PARSONS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
