“What’s the lethality rate?” Jackson, the Surgeon General asked.
Clearing his throat, “So far, one hundred percent,” Sutton answered and everyone dropped their reports and looked at him. “If everything continues to unfold the way we have all feared, H5N1 has learned to transmit human to human.”
“Incubation period?” Jackson asked.
“Six to ten days after infection, but the victim shows no signs, with the exception of a slight runny nose, sneezing, and itching of the nose and eyes,” Sutton said.
“Oh, come on, it’s spring! Half the population has that now,” Kenner shouted.
Ignoring Kenner, “When are they contagious?” Jackson asked in a trembling voice.
Nodding his head, “Thirty-six to forty-eight hours after infection, yet won’t show signs for another week,” Sutton said and Jackson rocked back in his chair, visibly shaken.
“Care to enlighten?” the President asked, looking at Sutton.
“Sir, those infected don’t show signs of it until six to eight days later. The most prevalent is hard coughing as the lungs fill with fluid, but some patients pass blood in the bowels from a cytokine storm,” Sutton said, looking at the president. “After the coughing starts, average time to death is twelve to twenty hours. Those put on ventilators manage to hang on for another day before dying.”
Before the president could respond, “How are the anti-viral meds working?” Jackson asked.
Shaking his head, “The advance team report none are responding,” Sutton answered. “Even Flu-X shows nothing.”
“So,” the President snapped, looking from Jackson to Sutton. “We developed a flu drug in secret, spending billions, and it doesn’t work?”
“That’s correct,” Sutton answered with no shame.
“How about a vaccine?” the President asked.
Cringing and dropping his eyes to the report, “We should have a trial dose ready in ten months,” Sutton finally said.
“We know anything about the case in London?” Jackson asked, grabbing a glass of water.
“Just that James Taylor left Hong Kong on the twelfth,” Sutton said. “He’s a senior executive for Tong Shipping, but MI6 is doing background.”
“Can’t they ask him?” Temple, the Secretary of the Treasury snapped.
“No, he’s in a coma and they don’t expect him to live much longer. He arrived at the hospital in a coma,” Sutton snapped back, getting tired of feeling like he was responsible.
“What’s the CDC recommendation?” the President asked.
“Total travel ban in and out of the US for two weeks,” Sutton said and most of the table jumped up yelling.
Grabbing a cup, the president tapped the table to get the attention of those that were yelling. “Please!” the President shouted, looking at their chairs. “Surely that can’t be all,” the President said, leaning back in his seat.
Taking a deep breath, “Yes sir, Mr. President. We feel if a case is confirmed in the US, we need to declare a fourteen-day holiday and force people to stay at home,” Sutton responded. This time, even the president jumped up, shouting with the others.
“Shut the fuck up!” the President bellowed at the others. The throng of cabinet members all froze, staring at the president in shock. “I’m the boss, so sit down,” the President snapped and then looked down the table at Sutton. “Do you realize the impact to the economy those actions would bring?”
Nodding, “Yes sir, but if people start dying, then that would be worse because there wouldn’t be anyone to work or spend money,” Sutton answered as sweat beaded on his forehead.
Sitting back down, the president narrowed his eyes at Sutton. “So, the CDC is one hundred percent sure this will reach us?” the President asked.
“We believe it already has,” Sutton replied. “We are waiting for confirmation on a case in Los Angeles.”
Glancing around the table and stopping at the Secretary of Treasury, the President leaned back in his chair. “Temple, is there any way we could do a shorter holiday like Mexico did years ago?” the President asked.
Scoffing as he threw his hands up, “Mr. President, our economy is a thousand times bigger than Mexico’s. Our economy generates over fifteen billion dollars a day, sir. You do the math,” Temple huffed.
Sutton’s eyes grew wide, hearing the numbers as the president looked over at the Secretary of Labor. “Kasich, is a minimal shutdown feasible from your area?” the President asked.
“Mr. President, unemployment is finally under four percent. Asking the companies to shut down, even for a short period, means they will have to lay off thousands,” Kasich answered.
“Mr. President?” the Secretary of Homeland Security said, holding up his hand.
“Yes, Paterson,” the President sighed.
“Reports over the last two decades indicate the average family only keeps three days’ worth of food in the home,” Paterson said, looking down at the report. “Even if we declare this holiday, people will have to get out to buy food or they will riot.”
“Everyone,” the President said, clearing his throat. “I want each of you to come up with fifty million dollars from your area by the end of the day and transfer it to the CDC. I want Homeland to allot seven billion,” the President commanded, then looked at Sutton.
“You tell everyone at the CDC, nobody goes home until we have a vaccine. You will have the finances, now you should be able to put more people working on a vaccine with ten billion dollars,” the President told him.
The Secretary of the Treasury gave a sigh of relief, pulling out his smartphone. “Mr. President, I’ll make sure the CDC has that in the next few hours,” Temple said with a lazy smile. “Hell, if need be, we can double that.”
“Mr. President,” Sutton said, feeling lightheaded with the way everyone casually tossed around the word ‘billion’ associated with money. “The finances will help, but research takes time and no matter how much we spend, we can’t buy time.”
“I beg to differ,” Temple laughed out and most joined in, giving a chuckle.
