Briefing With Secretary Of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano And DHS Chief Medical Officer Jon Krohmer, M.D.
Press Conference
Subject: Daily Update On The 2009 H1N1 Virus
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STAFF: Hey, guys. Good afternoon. Welcome.
Today Secretary Napolitano is going to give her daily briefing on the 2009 H1N1 virus. She's joined by Dr. Krohmer, DHS's chief medical officer.
SEC. NAPOLITANO: Thanks. Thank you, Sean (sp). And again, thank you for joining us.
Today the CDC reports that we have 403 confirmed cases in 38 states. As I said yesterday, we remain cautiously optimistic about how this virus is spreading and the fact that it appears relatively mild when we think about the potential for novel influenza strains. As a result, the CDC today modified its interim guidance regarding the closure of schools and child-care facilities.
As CDC announced earlier today, this particular strain is currently causing a disease similar in nature to seasonal influenza, and with the new information they've been able to collect, no longer recommend communities immediately close schools. Instead, teachers and students with influenza-like illness should stay home, which is consistent with what would be recommended during a typical flu season.
This is an encouraging development.
And we applaud communities and school districts for taking proper actions to protect the health and well-being of students and faculty while the scientific process was ongoing.
And although we have these encouraging signs, I want to be clear. This is not a time for complacency or the belief that we can simply declare victory over H1N1 and move on. While we have taken steps that have successfully limited the impact of H1N1 at this time, this virus is still present in our country.
People are still getting infected and sick, with some requiring hospitalization. And H1N1 will likely reemerge down the road, even as early as the coming fall, when the flu season really begins.
This is why we are preparing now for what may come in the future. We are not in a place where we can simply sit back and see what happens. We have to lean forward. And we have to remain prepared, because nature has a way of being a little unpredictable and throwing a curveball from time to time.
We are operating not only on a theory of leaning forward but one of shared responsibility. Again individuals need to continue to practice good, common-sense hygiene, to prevent the spread of the flu.
This means washing your hands regularly, covering your mouth. When you cough, cough into your sleeve. And if you are sick, stay home from work. If your child is sick, keep your child home from school. These are the ways, basic precautions that can be used, to prevent the spread of the illness.
Families. Families need to have contingency plans, for dealing with school closures and other items that might impact the household. As I mentioned earlier today, CDC's interim guidance has now changed, as they've learned more about this flu, so that they are no longer recommending school closure.
Businesses. Businesses should have contingency plans, to deal with absent and sick employees, so that your operations can continue. Managers need to be thinking, about the next phase of this outbreak, to ensure the continuity of operations and services.
And governments at all levels: federal, state, local, tribal. They need to stay focused and continue to work together, as we have for the past two weeks. I've been pleased with that cooperation so far. We're going to keep it up.
Everyone has a role to play in this effort, and today I'm pleased to announce that progress has been made and the CDC now has been able to revise the guidance for our schools.
With that, I'll be happy to take a few questions.
Q Can you tell us what's going on down on the border? Are the CPB folks still screening people who come up from Mexico? And how many folks are being pulled aside? How is that going?
SEC. NAPOLITANO: Yeah, it's going well. There have been -- and we can get you the exact numbers of those who have been pulled aside. To date, at least as of my last briefing, no one actually had been confirmed with the H1N1 virus who had been pulled aside, but some people have appeared with symptoms or looking sick, and they have been pulled aside. And that continues, just as we would during a regular flu season, now.
Q And the medications, the viral medications -- are they all in place now?
SEC. NAPOLITANO: The 11 million antiviral courses that were designed to be distributed by the 3rd of May are distributed.
Q On the school closures, with only 403 confirmed cases and possibly 700 possible cases, do you think that the school closures were too broad to implement when you implemented them? I think there was a county that said as many as 330,000 schoolchildren could not attend school in the last several days because of the CDC's guidance.
SEC. NAPOLITANO: Right. We rely on the CDC -- you have to rely on the doctors, the epidemiologists, and realize we've been working this problem and developing information every day.
And so, for example, last week it was unclear whether you were dealing with a strain of the flu that was more serious than seasonal influenza, the same, or less serious. And therefore, in the exercise of acting to protect the safety of students and of communities, the CDC leaned forward on school guidance. And that's where the closures came from.
Now, with being able to see better what has happened over time in Mexico, what has happened with the actual cases in the United States, they're better able to say that the -- for the safety of students, it's no longer required to actually close the school.
Q Are you considering changing any of the other guidance, like travel advisories to Mexico?
SEC. NAPOLITANO: The travel advisory to Mexico was issued by the State Department, and I don't know the answer to that question. We'll find out for you.
Q Madame Secretary, could I ask you a question on another topic? A glossary of terms, extremist-related terms, came out this morning, was reported on this morning. Just wondering what your understanding is of why that glossary was recalled almost immediately.
And also, the unit that puts out those reports seems to have been getting a lot of attention recently. Wondering how they're handling it, if the morale's still up, things like that.
SEC. NAPOLITANO: Well, the glossary was withdrawn immediately because it was never authorized to go up. It never should have been posted. It never should have been put on any kind of public website at all. So as you say, it was almost immediately withdrawn.
And it was withdrawn -- this was before the I&A report that caused so much attention involving extremists or violent extremists. That was poorly written as well. That was also posted without authorization. So in the aftermath of that report, we put in place procedures to make sure that things are not just well done and carefully done, but carefully reviewed before they're disseminated to the public, particularly to law enforcement. And those protocols are now in effect and are in force.
But the -- it was called a lexicon -- a glossary that was published this morning, like I said, was never authorized to go out, should not have gone out, was almost immediately withdrawn.
Q Do you know how the unit is handling so much exposure? You know, just a month there's been a lot of stories about the unit.
SEC. NAPOLITANO: Well, they're -- you know, they've taken some heat. And let me just say that the men and women in that unit are there because of their commitment to the protection of this country. Many of them joined the unit after the terrorist attack on 9/11, and that's their incentive for being here.
So I respect that. But on the other hand, there clearly have been some problems and we've -- now I think we have fixed those and have taken appropriate action so they don't recur. So we're going to move forward.
Q For either one of you, as far as you know, has anyone been able to map how this outbreak has gone so far, and compare it to previous flu outbreaks and draw any conclusions from that? Is there enough data to do that?
SEC. NAPOLITANO: I believe the CDC is doing that kind of analysis now, and comparing it, the spread, the time of the spread and those, to other outbreaks. I haven't seen those maps, but that's the kind of analysis that they would typically do.
Q But you haven't heard of any conclusions from that of what we can say about this particular outbreak?
DR. KROHMER: It typically takes a fair amount of time to be able to go through the public health records. So I would expect that it will be a number of weeks yet before you would see that information.
Q Oh.
SEC. NAPOLITANO: But they're doing that right now. That's the kind of analysis they're doing. And also, looking more in depth about what happened in Mexico, so we really understand what happened there.
Q And I may have missed this, but did any directives ever go out to CBP people on whether they should wear masks and gloves?
SEC. NAPOLITANO: There was a directive that went out that said that if they are in close contact with someone who appears to have symptoms of the flu, they should wear a mask. And we can give you a copy of that.
Q Although there is some good news on the possible spread and severity, there's been bad news with more countries banning pork imports. And I was wondering if you or other members of the Cabinet, the State Department or Secretary Vilsack have reached out to foreign leaders, especially China, Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe.
SEC. NAPOLITANO: I believe there's been a very consolidated response. It's not just the State Department and the Department of Agriculture, but the United States Trade Representative as well. And that was discussed in the Cabinet meeting last Friday with the president. Because there's no need to ban pork products. This is not a food-borne illness.
STAFF: All right, thank you, guys.
SEC. NAPOLITANO: Okay? Thank you all very much.
DR. KROHMER: Thank you very much.
END.
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