U.K. Started its COVID Vaccine on Humans; Coronavirus Pandemic
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Natalie Allen. Next here this hour. Some U.S. states are planning to reopen businesses today despite a key coronavirus model showing that it will not be safe for nearly two months. Also, U.S. President Donald Trump pitches an odd method to fight COVID-19, involving bright light and disinfectants. And we go into an intensive care unit in the U.K. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh spent 48 hours with the doctors and nurses battling the virus. Thank you again for joining us. The United States is about to reach 50,000 deaths from COVID-19, and those numbers are expected to keep climbing. The World Health Organization says it could be months before scientists know what drugs will help fight this disease. Thursday, President Trump raised eyebrows when he suggested that sunlight or heat could work. A top doctor on his coronavirus task force told him, neither is a treatment for coronavirus. Despite no vaccine and concerns about testing, several states are firing their economies back up today. Right here in Georgia, the state is letting certain businesses like gyms, salons, bowling alleys, and tattoo parlors to reopen. But one data model shows that the state should wait another two months to relax restrictions. In the hardest hit state of New York, test results are showing the virus is far more widespread than previously believed. For more on that, here's CNN's Nick Watt.</s>NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The number of people infected by this rampant virus in New York State, the global hotspot might actually be stunning 10 times higher than we thought.</s>AMESH ADALJA, SENIOR SCHOLAR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY: It tells us that this virus is much more widespread.</s>WATT: Phase one of an antibody testing program suggests that as many as 2.7 million New Yorkers might have already been infected. But the state's current confirmed case count is just under 270,000.</s>GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): Thirteen-point-nine percent tested positive for having the antibodies. They had the virus. They developed the antibodies and they are now quote, unquote, "recovered."</s>WATT: New York's death toll of around 19,000 is almost certainly also too low.</s>CUOMO: That number is going to go up. Those deaths are only hospitalizations or nursing home deaths. That does not have what are called at home deaths.</s>WATT: Now, a higher infection rate could mean this virus is actually less deadly than we thought. Kills fewer of those who get it. And.</s>ADALJA: We are developing some immunity to this. There are people that have mild illness that don't even know that they are sick. And those individuals maybe part of how we move forward as we start to think about reopening.</s>WATT: But New York is not opening up. Not yet.</s>RICHARD BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, CDC: We need to see how it's playing out in each community and have the ability to test thoroughly and protect citizens before we think about opening up.</s>ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We absolutely need to significantly ramp up. I am not overly confident right now at all.</s>WATT: Where ever, whenever we open, cases will likely rise.</s>MAYOR CARLOS GIMENEZ (R), MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA: We're never going to come up with something which just gives you a zero probability or possibility that you're going to spread the virus. But what we want to do is make sure that you reduce the possibility.</s>WATT: In Miami-Dade, despite a new case count that is not consistently coming down in accordance with those White House reopening guidelines, apparently, they are planning to open arenas, golf courses and parks with twists.</s>GIMENEZ: You will be able to play tennis. Singles tennis but not doubles tennis. You have to jog in a certain direction. So, there are a lot of differences.</s>WATT: And meat packing plants still seeing outbreaks across the country. Tyson just closed its fourth facility. A beef processing plant in Washington State to test all employees. This place usually produces enough beef every day to feed four million people. Not anymore. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>ALLEN: In the United Kingdom, scientist have started human trials for a potential coronavirus vaccine, but the government does stress social distancing measures could extend into next year if no vaccine or treatment is found before them. Let's go now to CNN's Nic Robertson, joining me live from London. And good morning to you, Nic. Certainly, this vaccine trial is a hopeful one.</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is. Two people have been injected so far. About 300 people will be given this vaccine in the short -- over the next few months. They will be aged between 18 and 55. Not everyone is going to get the actual vaccine, of course, there is another substance will be injected into people that that is the control in this. But what the researchers hope is to be able to scale this up, if it is successful, come full, and have millions of potential vaccines available. That's the hope. This of course, is just the very beginning of the research. The government has initiated that it's test, track, test, track, and trace method now to try and get on top of the virus. They're scaling up the number of people that can be tested. They say they have the capacity to test 51,000 people a day, remembering, they promised to have 100,000 by the end of the month. That still seems to be a stretch. But they say they are now expanding the pool of people who will be tested for the virus to vital workers and their families as well. So that can be expanded to up to 10 million people across the country. The government is also now said it's going to employ 18,000 people on the tracking part of the tests, track and trace method of getting on top of the virus. So, you know, the government here is sort of pushing forward with its message that it is on top of the things that it says it will get on top of in testing, and providing an environment that people can ultimately end the lockdown from. What we have heard from the first minister of Scotland on that, who has been much more outspoken than the government here, the United Kingdom government in London, the first minister of Scotland who runs many things in Scotland, including the health services, said, look, when this lockdown ends, it will be a new normal. It won't be like it is today. We'll have to do things and businesses, leisure centers, and schools that we don't do today. For example, she said, perhaps there will be bigger social distancing inside schools. Meaning, pupils won't go to school every day. That there will be rotations. She also said that Scott should be ready for some changes, that there could decisions that new ideas, new regulations may have to come into play very quickly. So, the country is slowly being prepared for what, the end of the lockdown may look like. The government is trying to get on top of how they would manage that type of scenario.</s>ALLEN: All right, Nic Robertson with that, we appreciate it, Nic. Thank you. Let's talk more about it with our guest now, Sterghios Moschos joins me from Newcastle England, he is an associate professor of molecular virology from Northumbria University. Good to see you. Thanks for being with us, Sterghios. I want to talk about our report there from Nic Robertson, this vaccine, the vaccine studies, the tests that are underway, what are you hearing about it, and is it hopeful?</s>STERGHIOS MOSCHOS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN CELLULAR & MOLECULAR SCIENCES, NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY: So first of all, I need to congratulate (Inaudible) very generous effort for moving so fast with this particular project. So, he's got a lot of experience working with this vaccine product, and it's great to see that it's actually started its safety trials as quickly as possible. Now, we need to emphasize that while this is the first stage, and you will notice that there's only two people vaccinated, that's just to make sure that there is no unexpected safety issues that will crop up going forward. So, the correct pace, and the correct steps are taken to move forward.</s>ALLEN: Right. People have to understand that this is a process, and when we say that there will be social distancing for months, that is why.</s>MOSCHOS: Yes, it will -- I mean, we have to be very clear. When we design vaccines, we try our best to make sure that these things work. (Inaudible) But it can take us years before we find the right combination. That will actually allow the person who receives the vaccine to be protected. There is a lot of encouraging data coming from animal experiments worldwide. But you know, we killed diseases every day, but we don't manage to do that in humans as easily. We have to bear that in mind. So, for the time being, we should all be happy that this is being done, and the money is being poured into research to try to solve this problem as fast as possible. But for the time being, we must continue maintaining social distancing as long as it takes.</s>ALLEN: Yes. I want to talk with you about that, professor. Because some U.S. states are starting to reopen businesses today. That is, opening them without massive testing. Will rushing into reopening societies increase infections without testing?</s>MOSCHOS: Yes. I wanted to be as cathartic as that. I know you're laughing. But listen, in northern Japan they're experiencing a second wave. In Singapore, they are experiencing the second wave. And Singapore is a hot country. There is a lot of myth about, you know, heat and humidity will affect it, nonsense. We are in a situation where we've got this virus, that it's going to pick up the thread from the point it left off, and just go wild with it. People need to think clearly, listen to the medical advice and implement it as well as they can. Some states in the United States, some countries worldwide think otherwise, these are political decisions and not scientific decisions. Don't take your life, your loved one's lives, your friend and colleague's lives at risk. Because someone said OK, let's just sort the economy first, and then sort out the public. You need the public to have an economy.</s>ALLEN: Absolutely. It needs a healthy one at that. Well, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease experts in the U.S., I guess everyone knows him by Tony at this point, he said, we will have coronavirus in the fall, I'm convinced of that. You talked about that just for a second. But what do we know about this virus that indicate warmer temperatures this summer will not have an impact?</s>MOSCHOS: So, we have evidence from the early days when we had transmission in countries in Asia where it is warm and humid climate. And we have quite a lot of transmission in those places as well. We have evidence from the United Arab Emirates and parts of the world where it's got dry and hot climates and there's transmission there as well. So, you know, the data is out there. The hot heat doesn't seem to affect the situation much.</s>ALLEN: I want to ask you about the latest research coming out of New York. It's now believed that one in five New Yorkers has had COVID-19. Some may not have known it. The antibody test suggests the virus has spread much more than previously thought. And what else can this testing reveal about the infection rate in a population?</s>MOSCHOS: OK. So first of all, I need to point out that to the best of my knowledge at least, there is no information in the public domain as to how specific this antibody test is. One of the major criticisms of the Santa Clara (Ph) study was that the antibody test in their own hands looking to be not as reliable as they would have like it to be. We've got other coronaviruses that cause common cold, and therefore, does that mean that 20 percent of these people in this calendar year had a coronavirus infection that gave them a common cold? Or does it mean that they have COVID-19? Until that detail comes into the light, I'm not prepared to take this data as (Inaudible), if you like, as (Inaudible) spread of the infection. And this is a really important.</s>ALLEN: OK, we'll wait and ask you that again when we get more information about it. We always appreciate your expertise and your time, Sterghios Moschos in England, thank you.</s>MOSCHOS: You're very welcome.</s>ALLEN: We want to turn now to Singapore, which is seeing a dramatic spike in coronavirus cases. According to Johns Hopkins University, they have recorded more than 11,000 total infections. And for the past four days, they have been reporting more than 1,000 cases a day. I'm joined now by Manisha Tank, live in Singapore for us. Manisha, hello to you. And what can you tell us about what might be behind this surge.</s>MANISHA TANK, JOURNALIST: Well, we know where the surge is coming from, it's in the migrant worker community. And these are people who normally live in quite close proximity, Natalie. Even though now they are being socially distanced. So, you know, the government here is trying to do something about it. But yes, you know, I'm a Singapore resident and when this outbreak came to the shores, we were very quickly given free masks. Every household got that. We were also got free hand sanitizer. There is a massive public information campaign, we were the first to have trace together apps, for example, that trace who has the coronavirus. So, you would think that there was a lot of confidence, but it turns out that you are only as strong as your weakest spot. Just enough personal space for a bed and some belongings. This is just one dorm like many in Singapore. These construction workers call home. Under lockdown, with nowhere to go, they find themselves quarantined, isolated, fearful of a deadly virus.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm scared of this coronavirus. Because so many people dead.</s>TANK: Leaving their families behind, they flock here from India, Bangladesh, and other parts of Asia, in search of better pay and economic opportunity.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I catch it, I can't take care of my family.</s>TANK: Despite Singapore's early accolades for coronavirus control and prevention, the city-state has a surge in cases in foreign working dormitories. As the government pursues aggressive testing, some are asking if the situation could have been avoided. Especially in a community that normally lives tight-knit and crowded, shared facilities. New social distancing measures are now in place, but so-called stringent circuit breaker measures to control the spread of coronavirus have been extended until June. The threat of asymptomatic infection lingers.</s>LEE HSIEN LOONG, PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE: Fortunately, that number of unlinked cases has not come down. And this suggests that there is a larger, hidden reservoir of COVID-19 cases in the community.</s>TANK: Coronavirus cases in Singapore have gone from fewer than 1,000, to more than 10,000 in less than a month. The economic cost from the pandemic and efforts to control it has led to three bouts of economic stimulus in as many months. It is also sound a warning for other countries with densely packed populations.</s>TEO YIK YING, PROFESSOR AND DEAN, SAW SWEE HOCK SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE: What we see in Singapore can, and will happen in other countries.</s>TANK: Despite the challenges many workers who spoke to us remain positive, like Jasin (Ph) who gave us a tour of his room and the adjoining block.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, Singapore government has made a very good step for the migrant workers who are staying in dorms. Especially they like to take care of us.</s>TANK: Government agencies and charities have stepped up support. Some workers in good health are still performing the essential services that keep Singapore running, and are being put up elsewhere. So, this is the view from my apartment here in Singapore. It's midmorning. Normally this time of day I would hear the roar of grass being cut, or maybe the roar of a neighbor's renovation going on. And often, in those construction and maintenance teams, you'll find lots of migrant workers. Along with the extended lockdown, things around here at the moment are eerily quiet. But even with lockdown measures, experts warn of yet more cases to come.</s>YING: Our modelers in Singapore project that we are looking at possible case numbers of an additional 10 to 20,000 more.</s>TANK: For now, migrants like Jasin wait in limbo away from their families, unsure when this will end.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My family is also worried. They always call. My mom calls, my dad calls, my wife calls me. They are all worried about us.</s>TANK: So, you see, Natalie, even here we are experiencing the second wave of cases. And there is a really important lesson to be learned here in Singapore that we just can't be complacent even with the best public information campaign, and with all the measures that we already had in place, we are seeing these cases move very, very fast. And we can expect to see that continue over the coming weeks.</s>ALLEN: Right, other places around the world should take note. We've seen some states here in the U.S. are opening up and everyone is saying it's not the right time. Manisha Tank, we appreciate your report. We'll be thinking of those folks in Singapore. Still to come here, it's been pretty much the wildest week in oil history, where will things go next? We'll see where prices could be headed and what are the ramifications. Stay with us.