Ebola Virus Outbreak, Thomas Frieden CDC Press Conference
The first confirmed case of Ebola in the United States, located in Dallas, Texas, prompts a critical analysis of the public health response. Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the CDC, delivers a press conference where he emphasizes that the virus is only spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Skepticism arises regarding Frieden's phrasing, specifically his use of the term "importation" and his closing remark about humanity being "connected by the air we breathe," which contradicts earlier statements about the virus not being airborne.
ebola· cdc· thomas frieden· texas· quarantine· pandemic· viral transmission
00:00 I can't jump in an F-16 and take off. Adam Curry, John C. Dvorak It's Thursday October 2nd 2014 time to get the nation media assassination episode 657 This is no agenda Sheltering in place cowering in the corner Ebola is real and it's here in FEMA region 6 In the capital of their own star state Austin Texas Good morning everybody! I'm Adam Curry And from northern Silicon Valley where there's no Ebola yet I'm John C. Dvorak Oh man. Drupal just minutes ago!
01:12 It's a fantastic opportunity and we are not taking advantage of it, John. Yeah, it's too late for us No! We're not taking advantage of it. We're not taking advantage of anything You know who is taking advantage of this? The way he knows how to do it properly Obama? No! But think about it...it's Ebola in Texas What are you going to do? Rick Perry? NO Oh, the seed seller? I'll tell you this. If Ebola breaks out in the United States... ...I'm going to quarantine myself wearing a mask. I've already got it in place for my family That's right! Buy our masks now! We gotta be selling masks John Seeds, masks everything all-in-one go
01:59 It's unbelievable Yes, it is rather unbelievable I would have to agree Man it's funny being here on the front line you're not even near Dallas how many miles is Dallas from Austin? Oh gosh state It's got to be 300 miles at least. No, no it is not that far. It is a good four and half hour drive. Well that is not 300 miles lost into Dallas distance. Okay I said 300 miles we are now going to see as John consult the book of knowledge. You said 400 miles? I said 300. Okay well whatever this 195. That what I meant close enough
02:51 Okay, it's 195 miles so that's from here to Reno for me. Yeah, this is like No the whole thing is ridiculous What is ridiculous? This is a complete bullcrap Setup I'm not even sure exactly what we're being set up with anymore You know, imagine for a moment John if you will. I don't think this was really that...I don't think it was planned because it was so...it was poorly executed. It was... Oh no! Never take a couple aspirin and go home. Exactly but never let a good crisis go to waste and that's what we're seeing here. We need to terrorize old ladies. And then we have to frighten the bejesus out of them
03:36 That is what is going on and it works. You know, you see how many people contact me because I'm in Texas? Hey are you okay man? Hey you can always stay at my place here in California if you want. It's just... Okay so I just wanna place you for a moment We're in a disaster movie. Okay, you with me? Yeah, right there we're in a contagion like disaster movie and And and right now we are Walking into a diner it's a dusty road out there You know we've rolled up in our in your old in your Lexus And we go in to grab a cup of coffee and then as we're chatting about how quiet it is around these parts these days, We look up and see on the television there's some breaking news. It looks like we have... Oh yes! It looks like the director of CDC is speaking to us
04:28 As you've been hearing from us, Ebola is a serious disease. Seriously listen to this it is exactly like the movie! It's only spread by direct contact with someone who's sick with the virus... Sick? And its only spread through body fluids The incubation period is 8-10 days after exposure can be as short as 2 days or as long as 21 days and then all of a sudden the guy behind the counter starts puking I watched this, this is Dr. Thomas Frieden from the CDC who we have had our eye on during this Ebola scare. Yep! For a number of reasons he holds some interesting patents on virology He is not without controversy His appointment was not without controversy
05:20 And he seems to...he is one of these guys who, again John the truth just wants to come out when people like this go on television and speak. I think he's really digging this. To me he is just I think he gets off on this position that he's in. Oh, he's having fun. He's not all it shows to let us listen. Let's listen very carefully and put the full speech in the show in a show notes on the clips there so you can listen to is about five minutes long. I picked out a few bites
05:58 That I found curious at best And you listen along tell me what you think of these little things where I believe the truth is just forcing its way through his lips whether he wants it or not. The bottom line here is that, I have no doubt that we...I like this No doubt When someone says I have no doubt That does not instill any confidence in me You know what I mean? Yeah, I know what you mean. Okay the bottom line here is that i have no doubt that we will control this importation or this case of... What? Importation?! Well it came from outside the country but then why does he correct himself
06:51 Oh. Importation or this case of Ebola. See what I'm saying? He corrects himself. Importation or this case of Ebola. Strange, okay next thing i noticed This is...I don't know why he wouldn't just stay with importation because it sounds better if it was like you know some fluke although I guess there's some messaging that they don't want to do anything about preventing airlines from coming and going freely Could be could be could be now this blasted blasted this was a very funny gaff that he made, and I'm not sure why he made it. We identify all people who may have had contact with the patient while he could have been infectious and remember Ebola does not spread from someone who's not infectious Okay... Ebola does not spread from someone who is not infectious
07:44 Yeah? It does not spread from someone who doesn't have fever and other symptoms. Isn't that an interesting mistake he makes there? Well, what was the mistake in your eyes? Well he corrects himself again... He says Ebola does not spread from someone who's not infectious well of course if you don't if you're not infected you can't spread it Right So why does he even say this? Well he meant to say He's reading, John. How does he make these mistakes? Yes! Of course he is reading! How can he make these mistakes?! Okay then again here is the no doubt but this is different than the no doubt that he throws out this time It is certainly possible that someone who had contact with his individual a family member or other individual could develop Ebola in the coming weeks But there is no doubt in my mind That we will stop it here
08:41 Now it's no doubt in his mind, even less confidence. And now my favorite one! This is the very end... Oh hold on a second. This guy needs some media training or something. Yeah, Curry Dvorak Consulting Group. Well yeah. What happened here? Why didn't this uh...? Aw man.... There's some copywriting looks like I somehow didn't clip this right. Let's go to the very end of this response Not only of CDC where we already have more than 130 people in the ceo says here But also throughout the US government The president has leaned forward to make sure that were acting very well Sandburg what? Cheryl Sandberg
09:25 Lean forward Yes, MSNBC is their lean forward campaign But now listen what he says Lee there and the Defense Department is on the ground already strengthening the response We're working with USAID in other parts of the US government as well as with a broad global coalition to confront the epidemic there Okay, but ultimately you are all connected by the air we breathe What? Why is he saying this? You cannot get Ebola through the air, but ultimately we are all connected through the air we breathe. And that was the end of his statement. It sounds like messaging to me! Well yes... you're the director of the CDC and trying to calm people and keep saying don't worry you can't get this from a toilet seat
10:19 You can't get it from the toilet seat. You can only get it from coming into contact with someone who has it and then he ends by saying... Global coalition to confront the epidemic there, but ultimately we are all connected by the air we breathe What? Big tall connected by the air we breathe Ultimately We Are you heard the man say it! We might be all connected by the water we drink Well that will be in the next speech. We can slip that one in Huh. That was just peculiar, I don't know what that was all about.
