Frankly, we're not as prepared as we need to be. We're certainly doing more today than we were even two years ago so we're making fast progress. The steps we're taking now really will save lives and will really help us do more to protect people in the future. |
I don't have a crystal ball, but I'd say the most likely scenario right now is we'll see it spread, |
I don't think we were expecting it to be so dramatic so quickly this year. We just didn't feel it was responsible to wait three more days during a holiday weekend to let clinicians know. |
I think hospitals did what they could to be prepared but I think it is difficult to prepare for something of this scope and, particularly in New Orleans, the flooding. |
I think it is really important to remember that when this hurricane was coming, we actually didn't know where it was going to go, |
I think it would be naive to say we'd have it in under a year. |
I'm sorry that this is becoming a political issue. This is really a health issue, |
If we do the kind of common-sense public health measures we know work, we ought to be able to stop it from being a global pandemic, |
If you can't establish that a child has been vaccinated, then vaccinate. We can't take chances. |
If you haven't left the city yet, you must do so, |
In addition to food safety, the emphasis on hand hygiene and common practices to prevent spread has just been enormous. I was in the Astrodome, and there was just a long row of sinks that had been brought in to help people wash their hands, help the health care workers wash their hands. Also, the people staying there are being given those hand-cleaning products that contain gels and so forth. |
In the shelter situation, |
It did exist in New Orleans but they didn't have gasoline for the generators, |
It hasn't reached what we call the epidemic threshold status yet, in terms of deaths from influenza-like illness. But we won't be surprised if that happens given the pattern emerging right now. |
It is too early to tell if it's SARS. Anyone with pneumonia and a travel history is going to be under investigation. ... If you've not gone there, don't be concerned about it at this point. |