NASHVILLE - Gov. Bill Lee's administration is ramping up Tennessee government's response to the coronavirus, with the governor on Wednesday announcing formation of a 15-member task force to boost the state's readiness and response to the COVID-19 virus.
But minutes after the governor publicly announced the move, Senate Speaker Pro Tem Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, a retired pharmacist, suggested in a budget hearing with state Commissioner of Health Lisa Piercey that the respiratory virus is no worse than the flu.
"Would you give us a little bit of comparsion between that and just flu, maybe some of the statistics?" Haile said. "I think that we have - overhyped is the term - I'm not sure that's quite the correct terminology I want to use. Let you talk a little bit there if you would."
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Piercey, a physician, said "clinically it does look somewhat like [flu]. It is a disease of the lower respiratory tract with primary symptoms of fever, coughing and shortness of breath. We also know that it spreads similar to influenza through droplets and through close contact with sick individuals.
"What we don't yet fully know [is] its virulence and how contagious it is as compared to influenza," Piercey added. "We know that the incubation period of coronavirus is two to 14 days, with most people getting sick five to six days after exposure. That's somewhat similar to influenza."
But she said "similarities there start getting fuzzy because we don't yet know enough yet about the transmissibility or other components that we know about influenza."
Haile then asked about mortality rates. Calling that "also a good question," Piercey, a physician, said it is "something we can't predict with certainty in the United States right now because our denominator is so low."
Citing China, where the illness first surfaced about two months ago, Piercey said a study of 45,000 confirmed cases found 81% of those who came down with COVID-19 "had mild to moderate symptoms. They did not require hospitalization. I think that is an important point, because in your words, hype, praise, whatever, I think a lot of people have heard the message if you get this there's nothing you can do and we're all going to die.
"And," Piercey added, "let's just be frank. That's a mainstream message right now, perpetuated by social media and other venues. Quite frankly, 81% are mild to moderate and don't require hospitalization. Those that do require hospitalization are typically much older and have pre-existing conditions. Also similar to influenza."
Haile said he "thought it was important to get that message out," noting the hearing was being live streamed. "I wanted to share that, to kind of tap down a little bit and help folks realize this is not a lot different than what we've experienced with the flu. While we don't have those numbers on fatality yet, there's not a lot of difference there it appears at this time."
While no coronavirus cases have yet to be reported in Tennessee, there have been more than 150 reported nationally, including two in Georgia.
There have been 11 deaths, the latest announced Wednesday in California. Ten other confirmed coronavirus-related deaths were in Washington state.
Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing the global case fatality rate for the coronavirus is believed to be about 3.4 percent, higher than the 2.3 percent reported in a China CDC study released in February.
Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said the mortality rate for seasonal flu is 0.1%.
A study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found a death rate of 1.4 percent among a group of 1,099 patients, suggesting the rate could be lower than those reported by the WHO and Chinese officials. Some have suggested it could be even lower.
Speaking with reporters after the state Senate meeting, Piercey said, "I should say the mortaility in developed nations is less than it is in China. We don't know why that is and we don't have enough experience outside of China to make sure our numbers are statistically significant."
She said it "is higher than influenza, but it's still relatively low. If you read the reports, the coronavirus mortality may be in the 1% to 3% range, which is higher than flu. But it's a lot less than what I think the mainstream public believes it to be."
Asked later about those cases, Piercey said officials "do know that that was in a nursing home and a contained facility. All of our contained populations are at a higher risk, whether it's influenza, norovirus, stomach bug or coronavirus."
In announcing his new Tennessee task force, Gov. Lee said the 15-member group will work to "enhance Tennessee's coordinated efforts to prevent, identify, and treat potential cases of COVID-19."
"As confirmed cases of the coronavirus spread across the country, it is important that Tennessee remains prepared," Lee said. "To help us be even better prepared, this group of experts will work closely with me and my administration, along with local, state, and federal agencies, as we continue to monitor any potential developments."
The task force is expected to "develop and execute strong precautionary measures, resource allocation, and emergency response plans should the need arise in Tennessee."
Task force members range from health professionals to business community members. In addition to health commissioner Piercey, other task force members include:
- Dr. Penny Schwinn, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Education
- Dr. Jonathan Moorman, infectious disease division chief, East Tennessee State University
- Dr. Martha Buchanan, director, Knox County Metro Health Department
- Mike Krause, executive director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission
- Bradley Jackson, president and CEO, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce
- Dr. Tom Talbot, chief hospital epidemiologist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Dr. Jonathan Perlin, chief medical officer, HCA
- Dr. Wendy Long, president and CEO, Tennessee Hospital Association
- Dr. Sara Cross, infectious disease chief, Regional One Health
- Holly Sullivan, director of worldwide economic development, Amazon
- Doug Kreulen, chief executive officer, Nashville International Airport
- Jeff Aiken, president, Tennessee Farm Bureau
- David Lusk, director, FedEx Global Security Operations Center
- Rebecca Kelly, state director, AARP Tennessee
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.