Dizzying day on coronavirus front. It's been clear since last Friday--Iran, Italy, South Korean--that COVID-19 is not "very much under control" in U.S. or anywhere else. @kakape and I have story. Hello mitigation. Containment, so yesterday. sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/c…
@kakape But at WHO presser this morning, Bruce Aylward said mission to China he led found that other countries could learn from their successful strategy. Really? Lockdown NYC if there's community spread?
@kakape CDC then holds presser and Nancy Messonier says "disruption of daily life might be severe" in US.
@kakape Trump then downplays problem, saying at presser that "we're very close to a vaccine" only to have WH backpedal and saying he was referring to Ebola. Huh? There is an approved Ebola vaccine.
@kakape Then HHS holds its own presser at which NIAID's Fauci explains that vaccine trials may start soon but will take at least 8 months--in best case--to learn whether it works.
@kakape Here's what vaccine history says: Some are easy to make, some are difficult. Here's what we don't know: Whether this one will be easy or difficult. Could be 1 year, could be 20, could be never.
@kakape WHO recommends no travel restrictions. US bars any foreign national who has been to China in last 14 days.
@kakape HHS Sec. HHS refers to commitment for "radical transparency" but does not transparently address why this country ignores WHO recommendations. What's next? Barring everyone who has been to Italy?
@kakape As for radical transparency, here's hoping that WHO and China release the report ASAP from the international team's visit last week. And China, how about holding regular pressers for international media?
