Ron Klain on Coronavirus in February: ‘No Reason to Really Panic or Anything Like That’

FAVREAU Ron thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for joining me ░░░░░░░░ Thanks for having me ░░░░░░░░ So we want to ░░░░░░░░ about the Coronavirus today ░░░░░░░░ as of early afternoon ░░░░░░░░ Tuesday the latest death ░░░░░░░░ is over a thousand ░░░░░░░░ there are over 3 ░░░░░░░░ infections that we know ░░░░░░░░ globally In your opinion ░░░░░░░░ serious is this outbreak ░░░░░░░░ compared to previous outbreaks ░░░░░░░░ SARS H1N1 Ebola Where ░░░░░░░░ you rank your level ░░░░░░░░ concern KLAIN I think ░░░░░░░░ s important to start ░░░░░░░░ with this point which ░░░░░░░░ people remember when I ░░░░░░░░ over the Ebola response ░░░░░░░░ the fall of 2014 ░░░░░░░░ was a lot of ░░░░░░░░ about Ebola what it ░░░░░░░░ how dangerous it was ░░░░░░░░ on and so forth ░░░░░░░░ the fact is we ░░░░░░░░ a lot more about ░░░░░░░░ in the fall of ░░░░░░░░ than we know about ░░░░░░░░ virus right now Leading ░░░░░░░░ experts didn t know ░░░░░░░░ existed six weeks ago ░░░░░░░░ there s just a ░░░░░░░░ of uncertainty about the ░░░░░░░░ uncertainty about how infectious ░░░░░░░░ truly is how much ░░░░░░░░ s going to spread ░░░░░░░░ much it s spread ░░░░░░░░ in China how much ░░░░░░░░ we expect it to ░░░░░░░░ outside of China doubts ░░░░░░░░ how lethal it is ░░░░░░░░ will the fatality rate ░░░░░░░░ rate of serious illnesses ░░░░░░░░ up being So what ░░░░░░░░ d say is I ░░░░░░░░ we have a reason ░░░░░░░░ be concerned there s ░░░░░░░░ reason for the U ░░░░░░░░ to be more aggressive ░░░░░░░░ response than what s ░░░░░░░░ mounted so far in ░░░░░░░░ respects a reason to ░░░░░░░░ prepared for something But ░░░░░░░░ think no reason yet ░░░░░░░░ be fearful no reason ░░░░░░░░ to really panic or ░░░░░░░░ like that I just ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ unknowns about this virus ░░░░░░░░ what its path is ░░░░░░░░ to be.”