FDA commissioner refuses to defend Trump claim that 99% of Covid-19 cases are ‘harmless’
“I’m not going to get into who is right and who is wrong,” Dr. Stephen Hahn, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 35% of cases are asymptomatic, but even people with mild or no symptoms can spread the virus to others.
While the World Health Organization has said the global fatality rate is likely less than 1%, the WHO also said about 20% of all people who are diagnosed with coronavirus are sick enough to need oxygen or hospital care.
“I totally support the CDC and the information that they’re putting out with respect to this pandemic,” Hahn said Sunday.
Hahn said the coronavirus pandemic is “a rapidly evolving situation” but stressed that the US “absolutely must take this seriously.”
Pressed by Bash on the program whether the President’s comment is true or false, Hahn again did not defend the President’s claim.
“What I’ll say is that we have data in the White House task force. Those data show us that this is a serious problem. People need to take it seriously,” Hahn said.
“if you don’t follow local and state guidelines about what to do, if you’re not following the CDC and White House task force guidelines, you are putting yourselves and you’re putting your loved ones at risk,” Hahn said.
Asked if he was uncomfortable by the President holding those events that put Americans at risk, Hahn said the circumstances are different.
“I think in terms of that specific instance at the White House, it’s important for everyone to remember that it’s a different set of circumstances. People are tested regularly. The President is tested regularly,” Hahn said.
‘Too early to tell’ if Florida is safe for GOP convention
Hahn said it is “too early to tell” whether Florida will be a safe place for the Republican National Convention next month amid a surge of Covid-19 cases there.
“We’ll have to see how this unfolds in Florida and around the country,” Hahn said.
Florida set an all-time record of the most coronavirus cases in the US in a single day on Saturday, with a total of 11,458 cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The convention is slated for August 24-27 in Jacksonville, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
The President’s reelection team selected the Sunshine State as the new location for much of the convention after sparring with officials in North Carolina over convention size and social distancing requirements.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.
