Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Carlos del Rio

Aired April 27, 2003 - 16:25   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to talk about SARS for a little bit right now. We are going to talk to our doctor, Carlos del Rio, from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He is a specialist on infectious diseases. Dr. del Rio, thanks for being with us.
DOCTOR CARLOS DEL RIO, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Thank you for having me.

COOPER: It seems to me, if you listen to news reports, this thing is getting worse and worse. Do you think that is accurate?

DEL RIO: I think we don't know which way SARS is going yet. Clearly there are some places where cases continue to go up. Primarily China. There are other areas where new cases are being reported, but there are some areas where new cases have not been reported. Vietnam have not had any new cases since April 4. Hong Kong cases seem to be stabilizing, so we don't really know what trend this epidemic is having globally.

COOPER: And in fact, if Vietnam has no new cases by April 30, they will be taken off the list by the WHO of target countries.

DEL RIO: Correct.

COOPER: So that's some good news, actually.

DEL RIO: I think it is. And I think that clearly transmission of this virus appears to be not consistent, and appears to be maybe over time dying in the general population.

COOPER: It might die out on its own, you are saying?

DEL RIO: It's hard to know. We still don't know enough what are the risk factors for acquiring the disease. But a lot of transmission has occurred inside hospitals, and that I think is something very interesting, is something that deserves attention.

COOPER: CDC says it's okay to go to Toronto as long as you take regular precautions, washing your hands, don't visit hospitals. WHO says don't go to Toronto. Would you, as a doctor, go to Toronto?

DEL RIO: Not to go to a hospital clearly, but I think you go to Toronto on visiting and I think you probably are OK. You need to decide what the risks are and what the condition is. WHO has put Toronto on the list for similar reasons it has put Singapore. But I think that I would emphasize that individuals have a higher risk of dying by driving a car on the interstate today than by going to Toronto and getting SARS.

COOPER: And more people die of influenza every year.

DEL RIO: Absolutely. Influenza is a major killer and continues to be a major killer. This past winter it is estimated by CDC that approximately 30,000 Americans died of influenza, and we haven't stopped traveling because of influenza.

COOPER: What's the most misunderstood thing about SARS right now, in terms of public consciousness?

DEL RIO: I think the perception of risk is what concerns me the most. People are very concerned about getting SARS, but there are other issues that are much more significant healthwise for the average individual. I think if you have not traveled to southeast Asia, China, Hong Kong. If you have not been in contact with somebody coming from those places who is sick, not only coming from that place but is also sick, you're likely not going to get SARS. SARS is staying very limited in an areas, and people are very concerned. They are anxious and I think people need to realize there are many other health risks that you are exposed to routinely. As I said, traffic accidents being a good example of them, yet people are not staying home because there may be a risk of dying on the interstate today.

COOPER: And very briefly, some people talk about quarantining patients in the United States.

DEL RIO: Patients that are identified with SARS are being kept in isolation and should be quarantined until they have cleared the infection. But quarantining cases of suspected SARS until the case was proven would probably be unnecessary since many individuals, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with suspected SARS that really don't have it.

COOPER: And right now, we should point out that is the majority of the cases in the U.S.

DEL RIO: Absolutely.

COOPER: Suspected but not actually identified. All right. Doctor Carlos del Rio, appreciate you joining us, thanks very much.

DEL RIO: Thanks very much.

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 April 27, 2003 - 16:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to talk about SARS for a little bit right now. We are going to talk to our doctor, Carlos del Rio, from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He is a specialist on infectious diseases. Dr. del Rio, thanks for being with us.
DOCTOR CARLOS DEL RIO, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Thank you for having me.

COOPER: It seems to me, if you listen to news reports, this thing is getting worse and worse. Do you think that is accurate?

DEL RIO: I think we don't know which way SARS is going yet. Clearly there are some places where cases continue to go up. Primarily China. There are other areas where new cases are being reported, but there are some areas where new cases have not been reported. Vietnam have not had any new cases since April 4. Hong Kong cases seem to be stabilizing, so we don't really know what trend this epidemic is having globally.

COOPER: And in fact, if Vietnam has no new cases by April 30, they will be taken off the list by the WHO of target countries.

DEL RIO: Correct.

COOPER: So that's some good news, actually.

DEL RIO: I think it is. And I think that clearly transmission of this virus appears to be not consistent, and appears to be maybe over time dying in the general population.

COOPER: It might die out on its own, you are saying?

DEL RIO: It's hard to know. We still don't know enough what are the risk factors for acquiring the disease. But a lot of transmission has occurred inside hospitals, and that I think is something very interesting, is something that deserves attention.

COOPER: CDC says it's okay to go to Toronto as long as you take regular precautions, washing your hands, don't visit hospitals. WHO says don't go to Toronto. Would you, as a doctor, go to Toronto?

DEL RIO: Not to go to a hospital clearly, but I think you go to Toronto on visiting and I think you probably are OK. You need to decide what the risks are and what the condition is. WHO has put Toronto on the list for similar reasons it has put Singapore. But I think that I would emphasize that individuals have a higher risk of dying by driving a car on the interstate today than by going to Toronto and getting SARS.

COOPER: And more people die of influenza every year.

DEL RIO: Absolutely. Influenza is a major killer and continues to be a major killer. This past winter it is estimated by CDC that approximately 30,000 Americans died of influenza, and we haven't stopped traveling because of influenza.

COOPER: What's the most misunderstood thing about SARS right now, in terms of public consciousness?

DEL RIO: I think the perception of risk is what concerns me the most. People are very concerned about getting SARS, but there are other issues that are much more significant healthwise for the average individual. I think if you have not traveled to southeast Asia, China, Hong Kong. If you have not been in contact with somebody coming from those places who is sick, not only coming from that place but is also sick, you're likely not going to get SARS. SARS is staying very limited in an areas, and people are very concerned. They are anxious and I think people need to realize there are many other health risks that you are exposed to routinely. As I said, traffic accidents being a good example of them, yet people are not staying home because there may be a risk of dying on the interstate today.

COOPER: And very briefly, some people talk about quarantining patients in the United States.

DEL RIO: Patients that are identified with SARS are being kept in isolation and should be quarantined until they have cleared the infection. But quarantining cases of suspected SARS until the case was proven would probably be unnecessary since many individuals, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with suspected SARS that really don't have it.

COOPER: And right now, we should point out that is the majority of the cases in the U.S.

DEL RIO: Absolutely.

COOPER: Suspected but not actually identified. All right. Doctor Carlos del Rio, appreciate you joining us, thanks very much.

DEL RIO: Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com