The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a simple message for Americans: No, you shouldn’t be afraid.
During a House Foreign Affairs hearing, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan asked CDC Director Robert Redfield a number of rapid-fire questions about what Americans should do as coronavirus spreads.
Houlahan said she wanted to ask simple questions, “for the human beings who are at home, for my kids, my family members, my community.”
Redfield’s answers were equally simple.
Here’s the full exchange:
Houlahan: Should people be afraid?
Redfield: No.
Houlahan: Should people engage in regular handwashing and coughing into their sleeves?
Redfield: Absolutely.
Houlahan: Should people be stocking up on cleaning supplies?
Redfield: No.
Houlahan: Should people be stocking up on prescription medicines that they have?
Redfield: Not at this time.
Houlahan: Should people be stocking up on food supply?
Redfield: Not at this time.
Houlahan: Should you wear a mask if you are healthy?
Redfield: No.
Houlahan: Is there a website where people can go to access good information about these questions?
Redfield: Yes, absolutely, CDC.gov.
When asked if Houlahan missed anything, Redfield took the time to add: “We need to make sure those N95 masks are available for the doctors and nurses that are going to be taking care of individuals that have this illness. And it really does displease me, to find people going out, there is no role for these masks in the community.”