World Health Organization Warns of "Very Serious" Situation Unfolding in Europe; Israel Enters Nationwide Lockdown Again As Coronavirus Cases Surge
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: The World Health Organization is warning of a quote, "very serious" situation in Europe, as you're about to see on this map, new coronavirus cases are surging in many countries. So the surge is represented there in orange and dark red. There are now more than 30 million cases of the virus around the world. Joining us now is Maria Van Kerkhove; she's the World Health Organization's technical lead on this pandemic and an infectious disease epidemiologist. Miss Kerkhove, thank you very much for being here. So that was new cases that we just showed. Let me also show new deaths in Europe, just in the past week. Again, red and orange show the uptick. And you can just see how much of Europe are seeing new deaths. So what's happening in Europe and what are the worst hot spots?</s>MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGIST: So thanks for having me on the show. I mean, the first thing that you point out are the increase in cases. And what we're seeing as societies are opening up as they're trying to determine how we get sectors back online, we are seeing some resurgence in case numbers, which is an increase in the numbers of cases in a number of countries all over -- all over Europe. But that's also happening across the northern hemisphere. Part of that is due to the fact that we can test more, we can -- we have better surveillance. So, we're in a much better position now to be able to find cases. The really worrying trend that we're seeing is an increase in hospitalizations, an increase in ICU rates in a number of those countries. And given that we're in mid-September, we haven't really hit Autumn or the Winter season in the northern hemisphere. And we haven't even started to hit the flu season yet. So we're worried that these increasing numbers of hospitalizations and ICU are really going to overburden an already burdened system.</s>CAMEROTA: Do you know what caused that increasing number in hospitalizations and ICU admissions?</s>VAN KERKHOVE: Well, part of it is increased circulation of the virus. And so as the virus circulates more and infects more people, it has the possibility to reach vulnerable populations. So these are individuals who are of older age or who have underlying conditions. But we do see as societies have opened up, we are seeing outbreaks in younger populations, in this 15 to 44-year-old age group. I mean, part of that has to do with the way people are socializing, people are going out and about and living their lives and trying to get back to what is this new normal. But if the virus has an opportunity to spread, it can infect many people, it could reach those vulnerable people, and those vulnerable people have a higher chance of needing hospitalization and needing intensive care.</s>CAMEROTA: Are the worst hot spots right now Spain and France and the U.K.?</s>VAN KERKHOVE: Yes, so we've seen -- we heard yesterday that the U.K. has a doubling of hospitalizations every eight days or so. We're seeing parts of France which are reaching ICU capacity. And again, this is really worrying because as we hit the flu season, as we start to see other viruses circulating, respiratory viruses circulating, it's very difficult to distinguish COVID from flu from other respiratory pathogens that are circulating. And if the beds are full with COVID patients, they will be very challenging for the healthcare system to deal with other respiratory diseases. The good news is that we have a flu vaccine. So, we really need to see flu vaccination uptake increase across the northern hemisphere this year, especially this year, so that -- because we have a tool against flu. We don't yet have that for COVID, but we have it for flu and that will help and it'll particularly help vulnerable populations.</s>CAMEROTA: Israel -- it was just announced, our reporter just told us is going back into lockdown mode between today and for the next three weeks, meaning people need to stay in their homes, businesses are shut. They can't go more than half a mile from their homes. So what did Israel do wrong?</s>VAN KERKHOVE: Well, it's not about right and wrong. Look, I mean, we're in a very -- the world is in a very different situation than we were in the Spring. We know a lot more about this virus. We know how it behaves, we know how it can be surged, and we know what works. We know what will break chains of transmission. This is about all of this public health infrastructure that you hear W.H.O talk about, a lot is comprehensive approach. Active case finding, isolation of cases, contact-tracing, quarantining of contacts, and in some situations, some restrictive measures may need to be put in place. What we are hopeful, though, is we're hopeful that many countries will be able to apply these interventions at a really localized level. You know, you give one country as an example, but other countries are trying to demonstrate the use of these tools and again, these are tools that we have right now at the most local level. So, applying them, maybe some restricted movements and of course making sure you do physical distancing, you wear the mask where appropriate, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, all of that still holds true, but there may need to be some additional measures that are put in place. We are --</s>CAMEROTA: Yes --</s>VAN KERKHOVE: Hopeful that they could be put in place at a localized level for a limited amount of time in the smallest geographic area and then lifted when they can be lifted again.</s>CAMEROTA: We only have 30 seconds left. President Trump as you know announced that the U.S. will be getting out of the World Health Organization. Has that had any measurable impact one way or the other on this global pandemic?</s>VAN KERKHOVE: Well, listen, we are, you know, 100 percent focused on what we need to do to prevent transmission, to suppress transmission and to save lives. We worked with international scientists all over the world including many from the United States. We remain firmly focused on what needs to be done and we can do this.</s>CAMEROTA: Maria Van Kerkhove, we really appreciate a status report from Europe. Thank you very much. John?</s>VAN KERKHOVE: Thank you.</s>JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to remember some of the more than 197,000 Americans lost to coronavirus. Cheryl Smith-Longfellow was a veteran ICU nurse at Singing River Hospital in Oceans Springs, Mississippi. She is survived by three children, nine grandchildren. The "Sun Herald" reports family members were with her at a safe distance when she passed, along with a line of nurses stretching down the hallway. She was 60. Fifty seven-year-old Mark Ivester was president of North Georgia Technical College. A long time friend tells the "Atlanta Journal Constitution", he was all about making a difference in people's lives. He's survived by his wife, four children, two grandchildren, and his own parents. Wendell Smith was a transportation worker for a Spartanburg County School District in South Carolina. Smith's wife and step-daughter also worked for the district. He is remembered as someone truly dedicated to his position, who always put the students' interest before his own. We'll be right back.