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5 U.S. Airports to Begin Ebola Screening; ISIS Controls a Third of Kobani in Syria; Protests Erupt After Cop Kills Teen in St. Louis

Aired October 09, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: A sheriff's deputy who had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan's family is now being tested for Ebola. Why? Well, the officer was in the Dallas apartment where Duncan had been staying before he fell ill.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, Duncan's grieving family is expressing outrage over his medical care, claiming he was forced to wait too long for experimental medicine as we learn more about the new screening measures about to take effect at some U.S. airports.

We begin our coverage this hour with senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, in Dallas.

What's the latest, Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDEN: Good morning, Alisyn.

Alisyn, as family and friends continue to grieve the loss of Thomas Eric Duncan, they have questions about the care he received at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. And meanwhile, a sheriff's deputy is being evaluated for Ebola, but a State Department of Health spokesman says he is at no risk for the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAYOR MAHER MASO, FRISCO, TEXAS: We did not receive any type of emergency equipment.

COHEN (voice-over): Ebola fear escalating as Sergeant Michael Monnig, a deputy sheriff who initially entered into the apartment where Dallas Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, was staying before it was sanitized started experiencing some Ebola-like symptoms Wednesday. Monnig told CNN affiliate WFAA Friday he thought he may have come in contact with the virus.

MASO: Touched doors, touched the lights -- turn on the lights.

COHEN: According to the CDC, Ebola can't live on surfaces for more than just a few hours and Monnig said he was in the apartment several days after Duncan had already been admitted to the hospital.

A state health official saying, we know he didn't have direct contact with Duncan and he doesn't have a fever. And in a situation like that, there is not a risk of Ebola.

MASO: Overabundance of caution, we're taking several actions to make sure that the public health, safety and welfare is protected.

COHEN: The deputy sheriff was transported to the same hospital where Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., died early Wednesday.

DR. TOM FRIEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: Today, we are deeply saddened by the death of the patient in Dallas.

COHEN: Some community leaders are now questioning Duncan's care.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE DUNCAN'S FAMILY: Their concern is that the same standard of identification and diagnosis and safe care applied in Frisco did not apply to him.

COHEN: Admitted September 28th, Duncan lay sickened in his hospital bed for six days before doctors tried an experimental medication to fight Ebola. Compare that to NBC cameraman Ashoka Mukpo, also fighting you the virus. He arrived at the University of Nebraska on Monday and right away, doctors gave him an experimental anti-viral medication.

Mukpo also received a blood donation from American survivor, Dr. Kent Brantly. Blood donations from Ebola survivors are believed to provide anti-bodies of patients still fighting the disease. Duncan never received a donation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now, a sad update, doctors who were treating the Ebola patient in Spain, a nurse's assistant, they say that her condition has worsened -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: That is a sad update. Please keep us posted on that.

Meanwhile, Ashoka Mukpo, he's the NBC cameraman infected with Ebola that you just heard about, he remains in the hospital this morning. So, let's get an update on his condition. Let's bring in the chief of infectious diseases at the Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Mark Rupp. He is helping to treat Mukpo.

Doctor, thanks so much for taking time this morning. How is Mr. Mukpo doing?

DR. MARK RUPP, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE, NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER: Well, Mr. Mukpo continues to be seriously ill, but he is stable.

CAMEROTA: And we understand that he was scheduled to get a blood transfusion from the patient, Dr. Kent Brantly, who was successfully cured of Ebola. Has that happened?

RUPP: Yes, it has. So, Dr. Brantly donated blood yesterday. And this was prepared and then delivered to our patient yesterday as well. CAMEROTA: And we know that Dr. Brantly's blood would have anti-bodies

because he successfully fought off Ebola. So, how will that help Mr. Mukpo?

RUPP: Well, we hope it will buy our patient some time. Clearly, a survivor of Ebola is going to have a high level of antibody in their blood and so, we are able to take advantage of that and give our patient what's known as passive immunity.

So, we will be delivering those antibodies to him, hopefully helping him buy time until his body is able to respond to the virus and mount his own antibody response.

CAMEROTA: When will you know if that was successful?

RUPP: Well, it's hard to say. Obviously, all of us are learning as we go with this disease, but we hope that it will have some sort of amelioration effect and start to see some improvement the next few days.

CAMEROTA: And how long is the course of this? When somebody is deep in the throes of Ebola, how many days will they be in that condition?

RUPP: Well, what we have learned from our first case here, as well as the cases that have been treated around the United States, is that the illness really lasts for several weeks. I mean, our patient was in the hospital for just about three weeks before we were able to release him. So, this is a disease that, you know, really unfolds over a week or two, and then goes into a long convalescent phase.

CAMEROTA: Mr. Mukpo's father says he believes that his son contracted -- well, actually, Mr. Mukpo himself believes he contracted Ebola after spray washing a contaminated car. He thinks that perhaps some of the virus splashed into his face. Have you all at the hospital gotten any more information on how he might have gotten this?

RUPP: No, I really don't have any other further details on how he may have contracted this disease in Africa, but that certainly makes sense. We know if people are having diarrhea and vomiting, there's going to be a large amount of virus in those fluids and then if you try to spray that or clean out this taxi, we understand what Mr. Mukpo is doing, certainly possible some of that may have splashed or aerosolized or breathed it, swallowed it, gotten it on his hands or what have you. It is pretty easy-to-understand way this may have been transmitted.

CAMEROTA: Is Mr. Mukpo talking? Is he conscious? Is he awake?

RUPP: Well, I can't give you a lot of details on his condition, obviously, because of the privacy rules. He is seriously ill, but he is stable, he is conscious, he is awake, he is conversant.

CAMEROTA: All right. Let's talk about the patient who sadly died yesterday, Thomas Duncan. His family is understandably devastated this morning and they are angry. They say that they wished that he had gotten the experimental drug sooner and they wish that he had gotten a blood transfusion. Would those things have kept him alive?

RUPP: Well, I think this really does point out to the fact that this is a serious disease. There is mortality associated with it. Even in good circumstances, getting very, aggressive and good supportive care.

Clearly, like most infectious diseases, the earlier you make the diagnose, the earlier you start treatment, it makes sense that that's going to predict for a more favorable outcome. And I think there's going to be some comparisons, obviously, between the hospital in Dallas and the Nebraska Medical Center.

But what you have to understand is when our patients come here, we know what the diagnosis is, we meet that patient on the tarmac with a specially outfitted ambulance. We whisk them into our bio containment unit, where we've had a day or two to prepare, so we've had conversations with the CDC, with the FDA, with the manufacturers of these drugs. We are all set and ready to go.

Very, very different circumstances in Dallas.

Now, I don't want to second guess the facilities there and the doctors there. So, clearly, they had their hands full as they were making a diagnosis with a patient that they weren't expecting to receive.

CAMEROTA: Yes, yes, we understand.

Dr. Mark Rupp, thanks so much for all the information and taking time this morning. Please, please keep us posted on Mr. Mukpo's progress.

RUPP: All right. Thank you very much.

CAMEROTA: Thank you.

Let's go over to Chris for what's coming up.

CUOMO: All right, Alisyn.

St. Louis, Missouri, on edge again, after another teenager is gunned down by a police officer. But this time, the teen fired first, say police. Overnight, outrage as angry protesters shouted at police, kicked their cars and all of this in the shadow of the Michael Brown shooting two months ago in nearby Ferguson. In both cases, the police officer was white, the teenager, black.

Rosa Flores is here with more -- Rosa.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chris, good morning.

This latest shooting only escalating the already tense situation between residents and the police department. This time, police say the teen fired three shots at a police officer. And the officer fired back, 17 shots, in self-defense.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES (voice-over): Overnight, protests erupt in St. Louis, angry residents charging at police -- kicking at police cars, shattering windows and shouting for police to leave their neighborhood.

This after an 18-year-old black man was shot and killed by an off-duty St. Louis police officer Wednesday night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You all just killed that little boy! Y'all not finished killing babies?

FLORES: According to the St. Louis police department, the 32-year-old officer, a white male and a six-year veteran of the force, was off- duty in uniform working for a security agency on neighborhood patrol when he came across three black men who started running from the officer's vehicle. Police say eventually one of them fired shots at the officer.

CHIEF SAM DOTSON, ST. LOUIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: A police officer tonight chased an individual who was armed with a gun. The individual shot at the officer at least three times, and the officer returned fire.

FLORES: Authorities confirm the officer shot at the suspect 17 times. The officer was not hurt, and police say a .9-millimeter gun was recovered from the scene.

This shooting happening just miles away from where Michael Brown, who was unarmed, was shot two months ago, and just ahead of a weekend of resistance in St. Louis where activists will push for movement in the investigation into that case.

All this as demonstrators continue in a community already reeling and seeking answers to another young man's death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think about your own child.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: The confrontations with police have been intense and profanity-laced, but according to police, no looting has occurred and police officers have offered much restraint as they are confronted by protesters face to face -- Chris.

CUOMO: That is a really difficult situation in each one of these cases just exacerbates it. We'll stay on it.

Rosa, thank you very much.

Mick?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let's take a look at your headlines now. Ten minutes past the hour.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say a third of the Syrian town of Kobani now controlled by ISIS. More clashes have erupted in Turkey as Kurds protest against the government's inaction against ISIS. Top- level meetings on the U.S.-led coalition are being held in Turkey today. Meanwhile, the mother of American hostage Abdul-Rahman Kassig reached out, via Twitter, to the leader of ISIS, asking him to spare her son's life. Paula Kassig says, in part, quote, "I'm trying to get in touch with the Islamic state about my son's fate. I am an old woman and he is my only son."

Meanwhile, hundreds of people turned out for a vigil at Butler University in Indianapolis to pray for Kassig's safe return.

The wife -- I keep saying this, "The Washington Post" is reporting a White House aide had a prostitute staying with him at his hotel during President Obama's 2012 trip to Colombia. It was on that trip where a prostitution scandal rocked the agency. Senior officials were allegedly told about the situation, despite repeated denials. A lawyer for that aide now says he denies all of the allegations.

I think that perhaps somewhere Bob Barker is smiling. Check out what might be the most epic fail ever on "The Price is Right". A contestant named Corey bidding on a simple hammock.

The highest bid to that point, 1,200 bucks. What was his bid?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seven thousand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seven thousand?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seven thousand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seven thousand?

Actual retail price, $880. Come on up here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: You know, I'm going to defend him here. It could have been spun in gold.

CAMEROTA: Is that what he was thinking?

PEREIRA: Just saying, it could have been a gold-spun hammock that would make the value like $8,000. The other thing, to be fair, when is the last time you priced a hammock?

No, really. Really. Anybody? When is the last time you priced a hammock? I mean.

CAMEROTA: They are just there.

PEREIRA: Come on, Lou. Lou on camera one saying he priced one this summer. I don't buy it.

CUOMO: The fundamental rule is that you just need to outbid the other competitors by $1.

PEREIRA: Yes.

CAMEROTA: He was excited.

CUOMO: He was swept up in the frenzy.

PEREIRA: He thought he meant a zero.

CUOMO: I don't think I could handle it either. I don't think I would be able to handle it, so excited, you lose like half of any knowledge you have of what things cost.

PEREIRA: I'm going to take a ride in an $8,000 hammock.

CUOMO: Everyone yelling. What would that hammock do?

PEREIRA: Polish your shoes. Make a sandwich.

CUOMO: That's a special hammock right there.

CAMEROTA: All right. Meanwhile, the Ebola scare has many people anxious, of course, so, what can we all do to stay safe? We will ask New York City's health commissioner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: OK, so this morning, wither waiting for tests to show if a second person in the Dallas area has caught Ebola. This comes as five major airports that process most of the nation's passengers from West Africa will ramp up screenings for the virus.

Meanwhile, here in New York City, the mayor says his city's hospitals are ready for anything. Let's test that. We have Dr. Mary Bassett, New York City's health commissioner joining us now.

Thank you very much for joining us on NEW DAY.

DR. MARY BASSETT, NEW YORK CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER: Pleasure being here.

CUOMO: I see how on your lapel, "got my flu shot".

BASSETT: That's right.

CUOMO: Important for two reasons, one, because we are so worried about Ebola, influenza kills many, many more people than could ever be anticipated by Ebola in this country.

BASSETT: Absolutely.

CUOMO: And yes, I got my shot yesterday.

BASSETT: Excellent.

CUOMO: Almost fainted but fine. BASSETT: We recommend it for everyone six months and older.

CUOMO: Six months and older.

BASSETT: Don't wait. Go it get a flu shot.

CUOMO: When people say I got it and I got sick, what do you say?

BASSETT: That's not proven scientifically. Get your flu shot.

CUOMO: OK, Ebola, what we are worried about. New York City seems to have all the ingredients for vulnerability, densely populated, people from all over coming here, how do you handle it in New York City? Do you have a plan?

BASSETT: You know, all week, I've been saying to everyone, New York City is ready. And that is the message that we want to convey.

We are prepared. We are prepared beginning with our ports of entry, carrying on to how we transport patients, protocols for the hospitals. We have the protocols in place. We are ready to identify people who are at risk, to isolate them while they undergo an assessment. We can diagnose them. Our public health lab here in New York City has capacity to do Ebola testing.

CUOMO: You have one of the labs, that's true, in the country.

BASSETT: That's correct.

CUOMO: Do you go to school on a situation like Dallas? Did you pay attention to what happened in that hospital, when the man first came through and miscommunication, to be generous, between the nurse and the doctors and how he was let go the first time, and the urgency with which he was treated the second time because there is some speculation that may have contributed to his losing to the virus?

BASSETT: It's very tragic that Mr. Eric -- Thomas Eric Duncan has succumbed to Ebola. And, of course, all of us have learned from the experience in Dallas and it's really highlighted for everyone the importance of figuring out where people have been and who they have been with.

And, you know, I think everyone agrees that he shouldn't have been sent home from the hospital that day. But for us here in New York City, we have been very, very meticulous about including questioning people about their travel in the last three weeks.

We have added it had to our 911 protocol, added it to our public access information line, which we call 311. And everyone, I think, it is one of the legacies of that unfortunate experience. Everyone's aware of the need to ask where you travel.

CUOMO: How about how you deal with people around the sick person? In Dallas, they locked that family in the apartment. You know, we don't have definitive proof but it did seem to be strongly suggested that Anderson Cooper, you know, here at CNN, was the first one to report the family said the sheets and the towels are still here in the apartment.

You have to do better than that. Are you prepared to do better than that here in New York City? If so, how?

BASSETT: Yes, we are. Yes, we are.

Well, you know, people who have high-risk exposures are people who are at risk for having Ebola. The way we stop Ebola is to find the people who are sick, take care of them, find their contacts and monitor them. We have to monitor them for 21 days and that means you have to keep track of --

CUOMO: Where do you put them?

BASSETT: Sometimes people need to be quarantined. It's --

CUOMO: Do you have the capacity?

BASSETT: A tool of -- a tool of public health that's been used for a long time.

CUOMO: And you have places to put them?

BASSETT: People ask stay at home and have their temperatures measured every day. Let's remember where we are with Ebola in this country. We have one person who's been diagnosed here who tragically succumbed to his disease. We have four people who came here with a known diagnosis.

So, I think, you know, we need to keep clear where we are and how rare this s

CUOMO: Just so deadly.

BASSETT: It is. That's what makes us all scared. It is a very scary infection. But we know how to stop it.

And it's really -- the key to this is having the protocols in place to identify people who are at risk, assess them for their risk and then follow up their contacts if they should be diagnosed with Ebola.

CUOMO: West African community here in the New York City area. We know you have been reaching out to them. Any suspected cases here in New York City?

BASSETT: No. We have been getting questions about Ebola assessments from doctors, mainly doctors in emergency departments, for the last couple of months, since we issued our guidelines. We have had 88 calls. These are people who doctors have asked us to participate in their assessment. Only 11 people were people who we really felt needed more in-depth interviewing and we haven't recommended anybody for testing. So, that's where we are.

CUOMO: So, you are not waiting for it to come. You're prepared, if anything happens, the protocols are in place -- because that was another issue with what happened in Dallas, is that even when Duncan did come in sick, they weren't ready and waiting with everything they needed the way they were with the other cases that we had with the two doctors who were brought back.

BASSETT: I think you're aware that the hospital system has been using simulated patients. Our city hospital system, which has been really just terrific in working with the health department, preparing for this response, has been testing how well the systems are working.

So, we need people to not only have the right information, we need to know that all of it will work together in a way -- an important way to do that is to have somebody go who has a script, that should trigger are the alarms, as Mr. Duncan should have triggered the alarms when he first came to the hospital.

CUOMO: Dr. Mary Bassett, it's very important to hear from those in charge in a situation like this. Thank you for being with us on NEW DAY.

BASSETT: Thank you. My pleasure.

CUOMO: Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: OK, Chris. One of the nation's hottest Senate races got a lot more interesting.

A new CNN/ORC poll shows a dead heat in Kansas. Can Republican incumbent Pat Roberts hold on?

Plus, screenings are set to take place at five airports for Ebola, but Senator Rob Portman thinks President Obama should go further. We will talk about all of that and much more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: All right. Time for the five things you need to know for your NEW DAY.

At number one, five major U.S. airports are set to begin screening passengers arriving from West Africa for Ebola. That will start Saturday, and it will kick off with JFK airport in New York.

A third of the Syrian city of Kobani now in the hands of ISIS. Pressure is mounting on the nation of Turkey, as that government refuses to help beat back the terrorists. High-level diplomatic meetings are being held in Turkey today.

Violent protests erupting in St. Louis following the shooting of a man by an off-duty police officer. And police say the man ran off from a stop, he fired at the officer first. The police officer was not injured.

Minnesota Vikings running back, Adrian Peterson, slated for a trial December 1st on a child abuse charge, but it could be postponed if the judge recuses himself for calling lawyers in the case, quote, "media whores." Federal health officials unveil what they call a cleaner

healthcare.gov Web site, a more logical signup process. The next open enrollment period begins November 15th.

We do update those five things to know, be sure to visit NewDayCNN.com for the latest and freshest.

Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much, Michaela.

It's been an unexpectedly tough re-election fight for Kansas Senator Pat Roberts. But according to a new CNN/ORC poll, Roberts has been able to close the gap and is now in a dead heat with his challenger, independent Greg Orman. Roberts is trying to rally support by saying that control of the Senate chamber could ride on his race.

Dana Bash has more from Kansas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Endangered Republican Pat Roberts is warning Kansas conservatives of the stakes -- if he loses, there goes a GOP Senate.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), KANSAS: A vote for Pat Roberts is a vote for the Republican majority.

BASH: Businessman Greg Orman ran as a Democrat in the past but is now an independent. The Democratic candidate dropped out.

GREG ORMAN (I), KANSAS SENATE CANDIDATE: I have tried both parties and like a lot of Kansans, I've been disappointed.

BASH: To win in ruby red Kansas, Roberts is trying to paint Orman as a Democrat in hiding, pounding that repeatedly at this debate.

ROBERTS: This man is a liberal Democrat. I don't know why you just can't come clean.

ORMAN: If I win, I am not going to support either Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell for majority leader.

BASH: Perhaps the biggest news is that Orman was even here at a scheduled public event. He hasn't had many lately. Instead, he tweets after the fact photos of his campaign stops, without press there to ask him questions.

Orman's strategy in this final stretch is to keep the focus on the incumbent and do no harm to himself.