[Jake Tapper, Cnn:] Yes, it's amazing, Modly saying that Captain Crozier was too naive or too stupid, I think not knowing that the letter would get out and then Modly's audio gets out as well. Fascinating Our coverage on CNN continues right now. Thanks for watching.
[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn:] Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room." We're following breaking news on the coronavirus pandemic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care just 24 hours after being hospitalized for treatment of persistent coronavirus symptoms. We'll go live to London in just a moment. We're also standing by to hear this hour from the experts on the White House coronavirus task force as the U.S. death toll from the pandemic now surpasses 10,000 more than three times as many people has died on 911. All that coming up. Let's get the latest first on the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's condition. Our chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is in London for us. Clarissa, what's the very latest information you're getting?
[Clarissa Ward, Cnn Chief International Correspondent:] Well, Downing Street is very keen to emphasize, Wolf, that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in the best hands. He possibly could be here at St. Thomas' hospital just behind me. But make no mistake about it. This is a pretty dramatic update. No one was really quite expecting this. The tone that we had heard from Downing Street throughout the day was largely positive. We were told that the prime minister was in good spirits that he continued to lead the country from his hospital room that he was simply there as a precautionary measure because he had these persistent symptoms of coronavirus for 10 days. Now, of course, we are hearing a very different story. He is in the ICU. There is no indication as of yet, Wolf, that he has been intubated or that he requires a ventilator. But one can assume or speculate that certainly they would not have moved him to the ICU were it not for the very real prospect that they think he might possibly need that kind of treatment in the future. They say, the doctors I've spoken to, that they do see dramatic shifts in COVID-19 patients, particularly around the day 10 or 11 mark. So clearly they want to be prepared for any scenario, particularly given that this is the prime minister. One other thing to add, of course, Wolf, is that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has deputized to the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab. Raab made a televised statement to the nation just about an hour ago in which he said, again, the prime minister is in good hands and will continue to carry out his mission, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Ten days ago, 11 days now, he acknowledged that he had tested for coronavirus. He was home the first 10 days then all of a sudden he goes into the hospital. Now it's revealed he's in intensive care. And all this time the government, Downing Street, was suggesting things were just fine, right?
[Ward:] And that's I think what Downing Street is really going to have to answer to because there is a real sense among people here of hold on a second, how did this happen? How did this change so quickly? We know that with coronavirus patients and we've seen that they can deteriorate quickly and dramatically. But once we understood that the prime minister had been admitted to the hospital last night, people don't go into the hospital on a Sunday night, Wolf, if they just have mild symptoms and are feeling fine, which is the line that Downing Street had really been trying to push from the get-go. It was clear from that moment that something more serious was going on. And yet we saw Downing Street to continue to push this narrative that this was just precautionary, these were just persistent symptoms of coronavirus and that he was just there essentially for routine tests. Now, in very dramatic fashion, it has become quite clear that the reality is much more serious than that, and the British public feels strongly that they have a right to know, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] They certainly do. All right, Clarissa Ward in London, we'll check back with you to get more information. I want to continue to follow the breaking news right now. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with us. Sanjay, he's 55 years old, now day 11 or day 12 of a positive coronavirus, you know, confirmation and all of that. What does it tell you that he was finally taken to the hospital and now is in intensive care?
[Sanjay Gupta, Cnn Chief Medical Correspondent:] Well, you know, when he went to the hospital last night, they said at that time it was for routine sort of testing, I believe, Wolf. But it's a significant decision to send someone to the hospital in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic. There are obviously a lot of people there who have the infection. You're more likely to become even more sick if you're in the hospital sometimes because you can contract things there, so. And obviously these beds, hospital beds are at a premium. And the ICU beds even more of a premium. And as you know, Wolf, ventilators, those are being reserved for patients who are among the most critically ill. So, you know, it's concerning. It's always a little bit more challenging to figure it out when it's someone like the prime minister. Is this more an abundance of caution, sending him to the ICU because he may be having some shortness of breath, just to make sure he can be in the intensive care unit? Should he need some more breathing support? You know, we don't know at this point. You know, we're hearing the same things, obviously. But it's concerning, Wolf. And, you know, 10, 11 days, as you point out, into this, it's not unusual. Oftentimes, that's what we're hearing, is that patients who end up needing to be hospitalized, sometimes they can sort of be, you know, doing okay for several days and then start to have more of a decline, even that many days out.
[Blitzer:] He's 55 years old. What kind of treatment, Sanjay, would he get in ICU that he wouldn't necessarily be able to receive in a general hospital room?
[Gupta:] Well, you know, the biggest thing, Wolf, as you might imagine, is the breathing machine. Now with again, in the midst of this pandemic, if you're in the ICU, that's usually why you're being sent there. There are a few different reasons. One is, you know, the ventilator, more breathing support. There could be something related to the heart or someone needs to be given medications to maintain someone's blood pressure. It could be just additional monitoring, this abundance of caution that we're talking about or a new sort of therapy. But as you know, Wolf, there aren't any particular proven therapies for this coronavirus. So what's given are usually things that are considered supportive therapies, someone's having difficulty breathing, you address that. If someone is having difficulty maintaining their blood pressure, you do that. And I should point out, Wolf, I mean obviously, he's 55, so he's not in this more vulnerable population, but there are, you know, obviously many stories of people of that age group who do need hospitalization. And, you know, as frightening as it is, most people still do recover, not to minimize this in any way. But if you just look at the pure statistics here, most people still do recover from this, Wolf. And you know, I think that's part of the reason you want to be aggressive with care as well.
[Blitzer:] What about those admitted to ICU? What do we know about the recovery of coronavirus patients who have to wind up in the intensive care unit?
[Gupta:] Well, if they end up on a breathing machine, obviously that's going to be more serious, you know, and there's different data around the world. I think it's tough to it's hard it actually make sense of that right now. What we have heard, for example, in New York City is that for, you know, most people outside of a coronavirus pandemic, the average length of time that someone would be on a ventilator is three to four days. But with the coronavirus infection, it's a lot longer. You're talking 11 to 14 days, even longer than that. So, it's a prolonged hospital course once someone ends up on the breathing machine, typically, which is why that, again, has to be a very careful decision. I think the bar, you know, by which someone would actually be placed on a ventilator, have a breathing tube placed and all that has got to be high because they're going to probably be on that machine for some period of time. And again, Wolf, I mean, there is a high demand for these ventilators right now and it's not clear in many places whether there's enough of a supply.
[Blitzer:] We of course wish the prime minister a speedy recovery. Let's hope for the very best. All right, Sanjay, we're going to get back to you. We have more questions coming up in this hour. I want to get some more on the pandemic's impact across the United States. CNN's Nick Watt is joining us right now. Nick, Americans are being warned to brace for what's expected to be the worst week yet. What's the latest?
[Nick Watt, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, that's right, Wolf. We heard this morning from one official here in the U.S. who said we should expect rolling peaks over the next few weeks. And that's why today we've seen, for example, Arkansas, which is doing okay right now, giving five ventilators to Louisiana, which is being hit very hard. And here in California, still waiting for the surge, so the governor is going to give 500 ventilators from California to the national stockpile. So, this we are told, will be the picture over the next few weeks, different places getting hit hard at different times.
[Unidentified Female:] This is what we train to do. This is what we signed up for. Just not in this volume.
[Watt:] In New York State, the rate of new infections is finally falling.
[Gov. Andrew Cuomo , New York:] It is hopeful but it's also inconclusive. And it still depends on what we do.
[Watt:] So despite good news, the governor just extended their stay-home order through the end of the month and doubled the fine for noncompliance.
[Cuomo:] This is an enemy that we have underestimated from day one and we have paid the price dearly. While the numbers look like they may be turning, yay, it's over? No, it's not. And other places have made that mistake.
[Unidentified Male:] with any pain anywhere? No. No.
[Watt:] Even if peak infection has passed, health officials say peak death rate is still likely to come.
[Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary For Haelth:] For New York and New Jersey and Detroit, this week is going to be the peak week.
[Watt:] In New Jersey, Sheryl Pabatoa just lost both her parents, both health care workers.
[Sheryl Pabatao, Parents Died Of Covid-19:] This was the year that they were supposed to retire. I didn't know this was their retirement.
[Jerome Adams, U.s. Surgeon General:] This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans lives quite frankly. This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 911 moment.
[Watt:] More than 10,000 Americans dead already, according to Johns Hopkins University. And one model the White House task force is using suggests we're still 10 days from the peak when we could lose 3,000 or more in one day. In Michigan, more than 600 dead and counting.
[Gretchen Whitmer, Governor Of Michigan:] We are running dangerously low on PPE. At Beaumont Hospital, we have less than three days until N95 masks run out.
[Deanne Criswell, Commissioner, Nyc Emergency Management Department:] This is a nationwide impact and it's hard to adjudicate those resources across the nation knowing that you're not going to have enough for everybody.
[Watt:] Peak infection in California now not projected until mid-May.
[Unidentified Female:] I think it's pretty clear at this point that this 1is what April is going to look like.
[Watt:] Most of us still told to stay home at least another three weeks, likely longer. In Louisiana, the same model suggests they've actually passed their peak need for beds and ventilators. It was grim. Still is.
[Latoya Cantrell, Mayor Of New Orleans:] Our coroner's office is at capacity when it relates to our dead bodies of our loved ones.
[Watt:] Quick note on those models we're quoting. No one says they're rock solid. No one says they weren't changed but what they do say is they are based on the level of social distancing we are currently doing and if ease up, those models could get worse, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] All right, thanks very much. Nick watt, reporting for us. Let's got to the White House right now. Our chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, is standing by. Jim, as we wait to hear from the experts of the coronavirus task force, I understand you're learning new details of what's been going on behind the scenes there. What have you learned?
[Jim Acosta, Cnn Chief White House Correspondent:] That's right, Wolf. The administration is warning the U.S. is heading into what health officials are describing as a critical week for the nation's battle against the coronavirus. But during what could be the darkest hour for this pandemic, top administration officials are feuding over the president's recommendation of an unproven drug for the virus.
[Acosta:] Despite only having a background as a businessman, President Trump is offering free medical advice, urging Americans to load up on an unproven drug used for malaria patients as a treatment for the coronavirus.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] What do you have to lose? What do you have to lose? What do I know? I'm not a doctor. I'm not a doctor, but I have common sense.
[Acosta:] But health experts including the president of the American Medical Association say misuse of the drug hydroxychloroquine could have serious consequences.
[Patrice Harris, President, American Medical Association:] You could lose your life. It's unproven. And so certainly there are some limited studies, as Dr. Fauci said. But at this point, we just don't have the data to suggest that we should be using this medication for COVID-19.
[Acosta:] Even though some of the common side effects from the drug, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and headache are not serious, studies have shown hydroxychloroquine can be potentially dangerous for patients with heart troubles and overdoses can be fatal. Dr. Anthony Fauci has repeatedly warned the drug has not yet been proven as an effective treatment of coronavirus.
[Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases:] The data are really just at best suggestive. There have been cases that show there may be an effect and there are others to show there is no effect. So I think in terms of science, I don't think we can definitively say it.
[Acosta:] A heated argument over the drug flared up inside the White House situation room over the weekend. Trade adviser Peter Navarro insisted the drug has been proven even though it hasn't, while Fauci correctly noted its efficacy is only anecdotal.
[Peter Navarro, White House Trade Adviser:] Doctors disagree about things all the time. My qualification in terms of looking at the science is that I'm a social scientist. I have a Ph.D. and I understand how to read statistical studies whether it's in medicine, the law, economics, or whatever.
[Acosta:] Then at Sunday's coronavirus briefing, the president would not allow Fauci to comment on hydroxychloroquine.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] How many times we answered that question?
[Unidentified Male:] May be 15
[Diamond:] the doctor.
[Trump:] Fifteen times.
[Acosta:] A month ago as the president was touting a low number of cases, White House officials seemed to say medical opinion should carry more weight.
[Kellyanne Conway, Counselor To The President:] It is being contained. And do you not think its being contained?
[Unidentified Female:] I'm not a doctor
[Conway:] You said it's not being contained. So, are you a doctor or a lawyer when you say it's not being contained?
[Acosta:] On the government's response to the pandemic, an inspector general's report looked at how hospitals are coping and finding severe shortages of testing supplies and extended waits for test results and widespread shortages of personal protective equipment, put staff and patients at risk. The president claims the administration's performance has been miraculous.
[Trump:] FEMA, the military, what they've done is a miracle. What they've done is a miracle in getting all of this stuff. What they've done for states is incredible.
[Acosta:] But the shortages come at a critical time, when the U.S. is expected to bear the brunt of the pandemic.
[Deborah Birx, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator:] The next two weeks are extraordinarily important. This is the moment not to be going to the grocery store, not going to the pharmacy but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe.
[Acosta:] On the firing of Captain Brett Crozier who wrote a memo sounding the alarm that sailors on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt were suffering from the coronavirus, the acting secretary of the Navy is defended the commander's removal, accusing him of a betrayal.
[Thomas Modly, Acting Secretary Of The Navy:] If he didn't think that information was going to get out into the public, in this information age that we live in, then he was A, too naive or too stupid to be the commanding officer of a ship like this. The alternative is that he did it on purpose.
[Acosta:] And as for this battle over hydroxychloroquine, a source close to the coronavirus task force said Dr. Anthony Fauci would continue to offer his opinion that the drug is still unproven. He has done that in the past in a number of interviews and we are told he will keep doing so. And something else we're tracking, Wolf, President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden did speak by phone today about the coronavirus pandemic. There was some speculation over the last several days that they might not actually get on the phone and talk about it, but that did happen today, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] I want to know what how that conversation went. I assume we'll find out fairly soon. All right, Jim Acosta, thank you very much. Stay with us, we're waiting for the experts over at today's White House coronavirus task force briefing. We'll have coverage when the experts start speaking. I'll also speak with the mayor of Boston. He's calling on officials here in Washington to stop sending mixed messages about the coronavirus response. Much more of our special coverage right after this.