CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Ebola Outbreak

Interview

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CABRERA: Let's move to question number two. Will more states follow suit now that three states have imposed their own quarantine rules?

California Congressman Adam Schiff is back with me now.

Congressman, we did just hear from Dr. Fink there on the ground in Liberia talking about how important it is to isolate people as they're trying to combat the spread of the disease in those West African countries. So, you know, to play devil's advocate, I know you have said that you don't believe quarantining people here coming back to the U.S. is the right move. What do you think is going to stop the spread of Ebola in the United States, that being said?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, I think the steps that the NIH and CDC have been recommending are the right steps, and that is that people should be monitoring themselves. That in some cases may very well be appropriate to have health care practitioners go out and help them in monitoring. But to uniformly quarantine everyone that comes back from these areas will discourage people from going there to serve and do the brave work that Dr. Fink is doing and will only allow the contagion to spread and that I think poses a risk throughout Africa and ultimately a risk back here at home. So, I'm afraid it's going to be counterproductive. I'm also afraid that with three large states now doing this, you're going to find other states eager to follow suit and make the problem even worse. So, I'm very concerned with this, what I consider to be a rash action that is not warranted by the science, not recommended by the health care professionals, but I think a reaction to the fear that's out there.

CABRERA: Last hour, we both heard New York Mayor Bill de Blasio talking about the nurses at New York's hospital being disrespected by some in the public because of Ebola patient Dr. Craig Spencer's presence in their hospital.

Why do you think there is such a stigma about Ebola here in the U.S.?

SCHIFF: Well, people are very afraid of it. We don't know much about it. I mean, as the American public, the health care practitioners actually have quite a bit of experience with it.

But I think the reaction, the human reaction is natural to be afraid, but at the same time, we should have great respect for these people who are taking the courageous step to go there and help on the front lines and when they come back, we should show just a fraction of their courage by treating them with respect, but not recoiling from them or their children. That I think is a minimum that we ought to ask of ourselves because they are really putting themselves in harm's way and we ought to applaud that. We ought to venerate that and it really appalls me as I know it does the mayor of New York City to see anyone who's taking up that fight given this kind of treatment back home.

CABRERA: Last question for you. There was a lot of criticism about the administration's and the leadership's response initially when Ebola came to the U.S. How do you assess the leadership now?

SCHIFF: Well, I mean, there have been mist mistakes. Certainly I think giving approval for the nurse to fly when she had a temperature was a mistake, and you have to expect, unfortunately, when we're deal with this in states for the first time, there are going to be some mistakes, but by in large I think getting good information out there which the CDC and NIH are trying to do, establishing better protocols, establishing this fast response team, all of these things I think are very positive steps.

New York was fortunate as the mayor said, they had three months to get prepared and they did. Dallas didn't have that time to get prepared and it showed.

So, you know, we certainly haven't had a perfect reaction response but we're learning sometimes the hard way. But I have a lot of confidence in the expertise at NIH and CDC, in the dedication of the people there, and I have just nothing but respect for organizations like doctors without borders that are doing this incredibly important work.

CABRERA: Representative Adam Schiff from California, thank you.

SCHIFF: Thank you. CABRERA: And coming up, we have already seen some people like Dr. Kent Brantley and Nancy Writebol survive Ebola with the help of blood transfusions. Our medical experts take a look at the science behind that procedure, next.

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