Hey, that folks did. It is Tuesday, May twelfth, and is it freaking anybody else out that they keep telling us we shouldn't be freaking out about handa virus? And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. We just wanted to hop on and give everybody a quick update world. It seems like the thing that everybody keeps talking about, wondering about, and yes, even concerned about. But the doctors keep telling us there is nothing to worry about here.
Uh yes, it's interesting. That is what we're hearing from the World Health Organization, from plenty of the doctors and much smarter people that we're listening to who are there in Nebraska who are overseeing all those passengers who made their way here. But then we have headlines like a Harvard health professor telling CNN telling the Today Show anyone
on that ship is high risk. People are talking about a birthday party that happened in twenty eighteen where there wasn't close human to human contact like a shared bed. There was just a birthday party where people were six feet of part and it's spread. So look, it's a little, it's a lot confusing, and it is scary.
So it's too much, is what it is. Because everybody, like we said, now going back to something in twenty eighteen, or thinking of some story or finding something anywhere around the world, and the headlines keep coming, and some of them are written actually too scare you. But some of this does need to be acknowledged as sincere and real, giving what we just went through the past five years. So this morning, I guess, rope the big headline the ship that we've been keeping an eye on for a
week or so. Everybody's off, and that's a big deal.
Yes, everybody's off who was supposed to get off. They're still cruising that ship up to the Netherlands. But yes, everyone has been or is in the process of being repatriated correct to their official countries. But every country has different policies on bringing their folks back and where they're putting them. And even with what we chose to do here in the United States, it's a bit confusing where our folks went.
But we'll get into where all the Americans are at this point, who they are, and what their level of risk is. But again, given the ship one hundred and fifty passengers that were on board, what the process was. It is significant that this morning we are getting official word that every passenger has been safely taken off that ship. The ship is on its way to the Netherlands. It was a Dutch flagged ship, so it's going home essentially at this point. So as far as the ship goes
and passengers go, there is no longer at least that connection. Now, all those people did get on planes and start going back homes under different protocols roads that you just mentioned, and so it's hard to keep up with the numbers. But here are the latest at least we can give, and you help me. You've been looking at some of the same information and different information, but at least right now,
there were nine cases that they were working with. Seven of those have been confirmed to be the and strain of the haunt virus. Is that what you have?
Yes, it is confusing. The numbers are all over the place. You kind of have to go to several different news outlets to try and cobble it together. But that is my best that's my best way to put it. Yeah, nine cases, seven of them are confirmed, but there are still some other here and there. Maybe this maybe that this person's experiencing symptoms I don't know why it's so difficult to test. Maybe there aren't many places in the
world where you can test for this virus. And even hearing that it's on a spectrum, it's not a yes or no like a pregnancy test. It's you get a varying degree of results. So it is a little confusing.
So all the cases we speak of again, several more could pop up. Several more people are symptomatic right now, even but those are the confirmed cases at least that we can give you. Nine suspected cases, seven confirmed now of these cases that we know of orgues. This is where we have three people among that group have died. Of course, the couple, the initial elderly couple on board, and then the German national, which I didn't realize until this morning was a woman. Is that right that was
on board? You said the body of those Yeah, I had.
No idea anything about that person.
So that was a German national. Sales of three that have died. Now, all the other positive cases or suspected cases in that group, folks are from Netherlands, Britain, US, Germany, France, Switzerland and Spain. Wow, robes are kind of all over the place and some of the most metropolitan and major world powers in the world.
Yeah, that's crazy to think about how remote this ship was. But this ship, this is why cruise ships are concerning for a lot of virologists epidemiologists, because you've got people from all corners of the world coming together in close proximity, sharing buffet style meals, and so, yeah, if anything happens now, you're spreading something and then all of those folks go back home to all their corners of the world. And it's concerning when you have a virus like this take off on a ship like this.
So this virus that was at the tip of the earth, at the literally the bottom of the earth for the most part, is now sitting in Nebraska quite literally. So let's give you the update on the Americans. Yes, among the group, one of them has tested positive and roll This was a little We watched this press conference live yesterday that they gave in Nebraska. It was it took a little while to nail down exactly what was happening with these At least are the numbers that we know.
This is what they gave us. So if this is not accurate, it's on them.
Exactly eighteen Americans slash passengers were flown back from that ship of or Among those passengers, sixteen or at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and two a couple was taken down to Emery in Atlanta.
So this was where things got a little confusion confusing. First of all, eighteen we were told it was seventeen, but the eighteenth happened to be a British national who has dual citizenship. Okay, I just want to throw that in Therefore, of this conversation, let's just say eighteen Americans were brought back. It was confusing as to why, and I think we have a handle on it now though, robes why did sixteen stay in Nebraska and why'd you need to send two down to Atlanta.
It sounded as though there just wasn't enough room. At the end, it sounded as if they also needed to leave space in case any of the folks who they now have in quarantine get sick and have to be moved to a bio containment unit, which I believe they only have a limited amount. So they have of the
sixteen who are in Nebraska, fifteen or in quarantine. One is in a bio containment unit because that person did test positive, and I think maybe they were just anticipating, given the long incubation period, that they could have more people that might have to move over into a biocontainment unit. So they just wanted to separate, especially one of the
group that was showing symptoms. And I don't know if it was a hero she, but that couple, one of the two was moved down to Emory because they had a facility there to contain them in case they do test positive.
And how he said it makes sense. He said, yeah, Nebraska, we want a couple other people get sick and then we have to scramble to try to fly somebody to Atlanta. Let's just go ahead and get them there now, and we're not in a panic situation. It made sense, But it took that press conference, those doctors, and those reporters a long time to get around to some clarity on exactly what all that.
Means, to the point where it almost felt like we weren't getting the whole truth, and so reporters were asking follow up after follow up after follow up, and look, I just think you have a bunch of public health officials who don't want to alarm the public, don't want to misspeak, and to their in fairness to them, they hadn't had the opportunity to truly sit down with each of these passengers and figure out how they were exposed, when they might have been exposed, for how long they
could have been exposed. They didn't have all the answers to all the questions, so it seemed it was a little confusing, and it did seem like we weren't getting all the information.
We got there eventually, but this was a bunch of robes. How many people would you say were on stage at least seven, I think yeah was the number. And you had doctors. You have people who work in labs and deal with policy or in treating patients. They're not sometimes the best trained communicators, and so it wasn't you could
tell it wasn't that well organized. It was one of these things where everybody had to step up and I'm from this group and this was our role, and then I'm from this place and this is what we do. And then I'm from the White House and the President is really concerned about that, Like everybody got their bit in.
Yeah, And we see this in some of these massive press conferences where it just gets confusing. I believe at one point you said, man, we need Anthony Fauci right now.
We need one dude. That's what I mean. You can have say what you want about Anthony Fauci. We just needed one voice. And quite frankly, a lot of us listen. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and he's spoke plain speak, and he spoke directly, and if he didn't know the answer, he'd tell you didn't
know the answer, right, And just I appreciated him. It was too many people wrote from too many different places trying to send out one message, but it ended up each of them had their individual messages that we were stuck trying to piece together. I hope that this gets better.
Yeah, agreed, And you know, I do think that when people are kind of telling you, don't worry, it's low risk, shouldn't be concerned. It's like there's nothing to see here people. Meantime, you've got everyone and has matt suits and quarantines and biohazard. Like it's just the visuals don't match the audio.
And that's where the communication part comes in to play. Is that you just have to like even if you know as a doctor, there is nothing to worry about. You have to realize your audience doesn't have your same unique education to understand the level of risk. All I know is that y'all told me a lot of little bugs six years ago, and next thing you know, I can't find toilet paper. It's a grocery store. So really that's on our minds, that's all we hear.
Real, Yeah, I'm thinking about body bags stacking up in nursing homes and coming off the cruise ships and all of those things. How it all began.
So just a little consideration, don't just say nothing to see here, nothing to worry about. And they're saying it calmly with this no emotion, no nothing involved. Okay we're speaking not as journalists but as American sisens.
Yes. Absolutely.
Second, so the other thing here, robes is that we do have now fanned across the country people who are being monitored. These folks are not These folks were passengers, but understand they got off before the outbreak. So this thing started. What on April first, the ship took off, He got sick on April six, died on April eleventh, the first guy. But these people apparently hopped off.
On April twenty fourth, so at least almost two weeks after that death. So that's concerning. And also just the difference in how those passengers are being monitored versus how these folks who just got off the ship are being monitored.
We are texting me is not monitoring.
That is concerning because look, as far as we know, the eighteen folks who are being now held at these different facilities in Nebraska and Atlanta are being held there for now, and I believe we're hearing that they're going to be individually assessed as to when they may be allowed to self isolate. But these other nine folks just they never went to a lab, they never went to a facility. They've never from what I've understood, physically been monitored.
They're just yeah, texting, calling, checking in, taking their temperature twice a day.
I feel better.
But it's just a very different reaction to people who had the same level of exposure.
Technically, yeah, technically potentially and maybe even probably on that ship. But those folks are just out there for forty two days or whatever the number is. They're throwing around that these folks need to be monitored and ropes. I never got a direct answer. Can anybody in Nebraska right now as being monitored get up and leave and go home?
I don't think so, because from what I have read, they have said that they are going to individually assess people based on who they were exposed to, how long they were exposed to that person, and based on symptoms.
And so I heard all that.
Yeah, so right now, I know they're not allowed to leave.
Well, you say allowed, That's what I'm saying. Are they being detained? Are they not allowed? Will federal authorities not allow them to go home? I did. Look, if I was on that ship, I would love to stay at the best facility in the world, hope to monitory. Sure, But I never got that answer yesterday. Maybe it won't come up. Maybe there's no issue of them trying to leave. But is this a situation? Is the government can they hold you and tell you can't go home?
I think that they can hold you, But will they do that? I don't know. The director of the biocontinment, you know who we saw in that press conference, says that they're going to encourage Chris passengers to stay quarantined for a full forty two days. In fact, she said she highly encourages it. And part of it was that only a certain like their facility and maybe the one down in Atlanta, has the care that they might need
should they become ill. And if you look at what has happened when people become ill, it happens quickly, especially when you look at what happened with that woman in France who is now in critical condition. I was reading a report that she actually was fine when she got on the plane, but she had talked about how a few days earlier she had a scary coughing fit and they told her it was just anxiety that she was just feeling. And she's like, now I feel like maybe
I'm feeling run down. They're like, you're just you're just having anxiety.
So she was sick ahead, yes, but she.
Didn't, but they didn't really. They were just like they told her to calm down, basically, so.
She's probably symptomatic, yesgous correct.
And then when she got on the plane, only more symptoms came out. And then sure enough she went from thinking I might feel a little sick, maybe it's in my head, to literally being in the ICU.
What is the thing that? What's the It was COVID language two about the distance safe six feet six feet There was something they call when you stay in close proctivity, close contact is deemed you would have continuous prolonged contact is what they call it. Right, Yes, sick within six feet And I had to go look up again what that meant, because they keep telling us about this and the strain human and human hunt of ours robes. They keep saying, you would have to have prolonged close contact
with somebody. I said, oh, most of us don't have that. Then I went back and looked at the definition robes. We have that with.
Thirteen minutes six feet six feet apart.
That's everybody sitting in the cabin with you. Yes, for the most part.
But if you look at this birthday party that folks were talking about, where that was the only other really well known or documented case of human to humans spread of the ANDES virus in Argentina at a birthday party. Look, people are pointing out that there was not prolonged contact among some of those guests who ended up falling ill. I believe how many it was eleven people died at
that birthday party. That's scary stuff, and we don't know how closely or how long they were talking and mingling with one another.
So stay here with us, folks. We all wrap this up in a second. But when we come back, we'll tell you where everybody's being monitored here in the US, first of all. And the other thing. When you head to the airport, any chance you're going to be hopping on a flight with one of these folks who was on that ship, Well the answer is suppose to be no.
We'll explain. All right, we continue here on this Tuesday morning, just giving me a quick update on all the developments yesterday and overnight having to do with the hauntavirus ship. Everybody is off that ship, but everybody is going back to their countries of origin. And Andy's strain of the hauntavirus has been confirmed in several places, and one of those patients is in the US roades. Talking about everybody
in Nebraska, I think everybody knows. Now this is the maybe the best quarantine facility in the world, but it's in Nebraska, and that's where everybody is. Now. At some point those folks are going to get to go home. I don't exactly know when. I don't know who gets to make that call. Robes. But when they do, how are they going to get there? Would you be concerned? I mean we're all flying, we're all in close proximity on top of each other. Certainly here in New York.
Are they going to put these people on commercial flights?
Let's hope not that passenger in Spain that tested positive. Excuse me, wasn't there someone who shared a flight? Yes, eight are an isolation of France because they shared a
flight with a sick person. So if you're on a flight with someone who either is suspected to have had it or has been exposed to it, and look, there's a whole concept and a concern about whether or not you can be or infect anyone if you're just a carrier, if you're asymptomatic and you test positive for hauntavirus, I just look, No, they should not be on a plane. I don't want to be on a plane with them, whether they're wearing a mask or not. No, thank you, There.
Is no no, no, no no, no. This is not this is not some This is not COVID.
Now.
I know we didn't know a lot about COVID in the beginning rodes, but forty percent death rate, Yeah, this is not. We can't mess around with.
This forty two day incubation period.
So that means you think you're in the clear and week two you might have another three weeks before you get sick. It's just we're not familiar with it. The doctors keep saying they have information on it, and they've known about hantavirus for a while, but ropes, we're just it's just not something that we deal with.
Well, but I'm just curious. Okay, So how we get these folks back if they're allowed to leave in a matter of days? Okay, fine, say they charter these folks home, but who's to say, are they going to be on a no fly list?
We do?
We have all the name of not just the people who were on the ship, but people who they may have come into contact with, especially those who left the ship early on April twenty fourth, all the people that they almost certainly came into contact with going to didn't someone go to a wedding? I read? So, look, this is what happens. And I know that this doesn't spread like COVID spread, but it is still understandably disturbing.
So the CDC is telling us, no, you don't have to worry about it. They are not. When they do leave Nebraska whenever it happens and go back to their cities and states, they will not to be putting them on commercial flights. They will make arrangements, So that's at least worth noting. We do know at least three people are from New York, one of them from Manhattan. That's there in Nebraska, so they will be coming back to New York City to the most populous and the densest.
That's a good way to put it in.
The country probably, so hopefully everything will be fine.
Can we find out what neighborhood that person lives in? Is it Lower Manhattan? I would like to know, you.
Know, they're people too. As somebody said, look, I just want to give you that updates. Even though they keep telling us nothing to worry about, a lot of people are worried. And the story seems to be robes expanding versus than wrapping up, if you will, we hear it new something every single day, so until this kind of gets wiped out, and maybe it's going to be forty five days.
Yes, and so we'll continue to I mean, it's the first thing I look at when I wake up to see what's happening, what's going on. I just think it's all too soon for so many of us, for all of us who went through the pandemic, and it's understandable that each day we wake up with a little bit of concern and some skepticism from what we're hearing from leaders just because viruses didn't we learn this in COVID. This is what viruses do. They mutate, So I have
that in the back of my mind. No one said anything about it, but it's obviously going to be in a lot of folks' minds for the next couple of weeks at least, so we will keep our eyes I on this ever developing story as usual, but we always appreciate you listening to us. Everyone. I'm Amy Roebuck alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.