Available . Well ask dr. Anthony fauci in a live interview. Split decisions, while more states forge ahead with reopening, the countrys largest pumps the brakes, california now planning to close all beaches and parks, fearing a weekend repeat of scenes like this. Honoring a hero. The family of an emergency room doctor who fought on the front lines speaks to us in their first interview to remember her legacy. I just would want people to know how much she gave to the world in her time here. The Important Message they want to share this morning. Massive storm system, dangerous weather stretching from the deep south to new england, tens of millions in the path of heavy rain, flooding and high winds. Als forecast and the potential impact on your weekend. Those stories, plus, heading home, the very first patient at one of new yorks hardest hit hospitals given a heros sendoff after spending nearly two months battling the coronavirus. His inspiring story. Today, thursday, april 30th, 2020. Announcer from nbc news, this is today, with savannah guthrie, and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a. Welcome to today on this thursday morning, so happy youre joining us, good morning, savannah. Its so nice to see you, hoda. We have a heartbreaking interview. Dr. Lorna breen was an e. R. Doctor in new york city one of the hardest hit hospitals, over the weekend she took her own life and we hear from her sister brand new numbers show 3. 8 million americans applied for Unemployment Benefits last week, pushing the total since the outbreak began to 30 million. Business correspondent jo ling kent joins us. You think about the number, 30 million, is seems huge. What does it all mean, jo . Reporter hoda, good morning. It is a staggering, upsetting number. 30 million. What it means is about 18 of the u. S. Work force is currently out of a job. The biggest, hardesthit states are florida, georgia, new york, and here in california. And the reason you keep seeing millions of people without work every week is the layoffs from Big Companies like boeing and lyft, as well as backed up systems in different states finally processing claims. Were still hearing tons of complaints of people that cant get their hands on benefits, on the money. Something is not working. What is that . Reporter yeah. These are very old, decades old systems in these states trying to process an onslaught, unprecedented amount of claims right now. I talked to california state labor secretary, she says theyre doing everything they can, bringing in more than a thousand people to try to ramp up abilities here, also bringing in new technology, Companies Like google and microsoft are trying to help here. But these are old systems, expensive to operate, and very difficult to update. So the frustration is real. They have to work fast. Rent is due tomorrow for a lot of people. Thank you. Lets turn to rare good news in the battle against the coronavirus. Evidence an antiviral drug may help patients recover more quickly. Well talk about that with dr. Anthony fauci in a moment. First, tom costello has more on the potential break through. Reporter good morning, hoda. Weve been talking for weeks about potential drugs that might have efficacy, might work against this pandemic, none of them has had the gold seal of approval or approved by the fda. That may be about to change, theres promising news about this drug called remdesivir, it may be a real effective strategy in the fight against this pandemic. This morning, a promising option for treating the sickest coronavirus patients, with president trumps urging the fda appears poised to approve the use of remdesivir, an antiviral that has shown positive signs during Clinical Trials led by the nih. It is a medicine that prevents the virus from growing. What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus. Reporter dr. Anthony fauci, the nations lead Infectious Disease expert saying there is clear cut evidence it works. We think its really opening the door to the fact that we now have the capability of treating, and i can guarantee you as more people, more companies, more investigators get involved its going to get better and better. Reporter the nih trial involved 1,100 patients nationwide. Its accelerated recovery times from 15 to 11 days and at 8 the mortality rate is lower than 11. 6 of those who received a placebo. Emory University Hospital is leading the charge of the trial, more patients than any other site. Weve been in contact for several weeks with a top researcher there, dr. Meta. We do want to make sure we offer it to all the patients that would qualify and would get benefit from it. Reporter still he cautions these results are preliminary. Arnold wegg is both a doctor and a patient. He recovered from covid19 after receiving remdesivir along with another drug. I think its really appropriate to give these medicines with established track records a try in this desperate population. Reporter remdesivir is not for everybody, its for the sickest of the sick in the hospital icu, only usable in an iv form. Youre not going to see this in a pill form at the local pharmacy. The nih says the study still needs to be peer reviewed. Gilead sciences is ramping up production of the med and now researchers want to know how effective it is in combination with other drugs and might that be even more helpful. Savannah, back to you. All right, tom, thank you, that sets us up nicely for dr. Anthony fauci, the face of americas response to the coronavirus pandemic and the director of the National Institute of allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Fauci, good to see you with good news to report this morning. You said remdesivir is not a knockout, this isnt a miracle drug but it sounds like it is a breakthrough. Can you explain why . Well, its a really important proof of concept because this is the first very highly powered, about 1,100 individuals and it was a placebo controlled, randomized trial, which ive been talking about for some time now, which is really the Gold Standard of how you prove something is safe and either works or doesnt work. And although the results were clearly positive from a statistically significant standpoint, they were modest, the improvement was 31 better chance of recovering and getting out of the hospital. Thats important. But its the first step in what we project will be better and better drugs coming along, either alone or in combination, drugs of this type, and drugs addressing other targets of the virus. So its good news. But i was very serious when i said this is not the total answer, by any means, but its a very important first step. The fda is expected to grant emergency usage for this so that it could be put into practice right away. What do you know about that . How soon do you expect that . Well, you know, its going to be really quickly. I was speaking with the commissioner of the fda yesterday evening, last night, and hes moving along very quickly. They have not made a final decision yet. They have not announced it. But i would project that were going to be seeing that reasonably soon. The company that makes the drug has described a very complex process, this is not easy, its not a pill, its intravenous, it takes months and months to manufacture. Are you confident that enough can be out there soon enough to make a difference here . Well, what im hearing, savannah, is that the company is really committed to getting it out as much as they can, as quickly as they can. So i would hope that that actually winds up being the case. Im pretty confident that that will be the case because i believe theyre committed to trying to get this out as quickly as possible. So well see. But i think its going to happen. Weve been talking about a treatment, the big picture here, we all are badly wanting a vaccine, as you well know. The administration has confirmed that it has a program called operation warp speed, thats what the administration is calling it, according to reports the goal to speed the timeline for a vaccine, hundreds of millions of doses to be ready by january. Do you feel thats in the realm of possibility . You know, i do, savannah. I mean, im obviously part of the team thats involved in that. And the question is, you always have to say you want to get a vaccine that is safe and thats effective and that you can scale up rapidly. So what the plan is right now, as i mentioned to you a couple of times on the show, were in early phases of a trial phase one. When you go into the next phase were going to safely and carefully, but as quickly as we possibly can, try and get an answer as to whether it works and is safe and if so were going to start ramping up production with the companies involved. And you do that at risk. In other words, you dont wait until you get an answer before you start manufacturing. You, at risk, proactively start making it, assuming its going to work. And if it does, then you can scale up and hopefully get to that timeline. So we want to go quickly but we want to make sure its safe and its effective. I think that is doable thats a big if things fall in the right place, yeah. I was going to say, though, thats a big deal because weve heard you say 12 to 18 months, i mean, january, hundreds of millions of doses that could be ready, i mean, that would be huge. Right. Well, yeah, but, savannah, remember, go back in time, i was saying in january and february that it would be a year to 18 months. So january is a year. So it isnt that much of what i had originally said. Time flies, i guess. Yeah, right. Let me ask you about the stay at home orders, the federal guidelines expired today, many states are taking steps to open up their states in different ways. How nervous does that make you as the person whos got their well, savannah, i wouldnt say it makes me nervous but it makes me, again, committed to the things that i had been speaking about now for a considerable period of time, ever since we got into the mitigation phase, the 30day guidelines of gradually opening up as we get into now opening up america. Remember, thats a phased process. The first phase we call a gateway. In other words youve really got to have 14 days of continual diminution in the number of your cases. So if the states and locally follow those guidelines in a gradual way and have the capability of, if you get blips, which we will get blips, savannah, theres no doubt, when you pull back, there will be cases, and what we need to do is make sure they have in place the capability of identifying isolating and Contact Tracing individuals. If they do that and do the states that are i feel cautiously optimistic. I feel cautiously optimistic that that well do it. Sorry for the overtalk, were on our satellite. Do the states that are taking those steps now, in your mind, have that ability to contact trace, and crack down on an outbreak if it starts again . You know, savannah, honestly, i cant go state by state with you and say this state is doing this and they have it. The only thing i can do is from 40,000 feet just continue to urge the ones who dont have that capability to really go very slowly and those that do go ahead and go by the guidelines. The guidelines are very, very explicit, and very clear. Theres a lot of leeway because we give the governors the opportunity to be very flexible but you have to have the Core Principles of the guidelines. You cant just leap over things and get into a situation where youre really tempting a rebound. Thats the thing i get concerned about. I hope they dont do that. All right, dr. Fauci, thank you for your time this morning. We really appreciate it. And we should mention that tomorrow morning on today were going to have the First Television interview with the ceo of gilead sciences. That is the company that makes remdesivir. And thats tomorrow morning on today. Hoda, over to you. Savannah, thank you. Hoda, good morning. The governor here in the state of florida unveiling plans to reopen parts of the state. But across the country a completely different story. We are expecting the governor there, gavin newsom to be announcing today hes putting state parks and beaches back on a total lockdown. This morning california taking a step backwards. After crowds packed just opened beaches over the weekend. Two Law Enforcement sources telling nbc news governor gavin newsom now plans to shut down all beaches and state parks effective tomorrow. On wednesday he told savannah, trying to recover too quickly could start a second wave more damaging than the first. We dont want to run the 90 yard dash, you saw the images, that is a real concern. Reporter the bay area extending shelter in place orders through may. Although limited outdoor businesses could reopen, including construction and golf courses. In an effort to get back to normal, the mayor of los angeles promising to make coronavirus Testing Available to anyone who wants it, whether they have symptoms or not. The first major u. S. City to do so. Meanwhile, in florida, where some of miami beachs most iconic stretches sit empty we do have hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Reporter Governor Ron Desantis allowing restaurants and retail to reopen next week at 25 capacity but not in the three biggest counties in the southeast part of the state. Runs this miami motel. More frustrating than confusing. I feel like this is the best day of my life and it brings me hope for the future. This thing might be ending soon. Reporter its like a weight being lifted off your chest, in a way. Oh, yeah. Reporter so far no state thats reopening right now has met the white house guidelines of 14 Straight Days of declining cases. Theyre expecting june for hotels and restaurants and hoda, savannah, interesting things going on here, im at one hotel on south beach where a new, safer, stronger implementation theyre bringing into play infrared cameras that can take body temperatures of 120 people per minute allowing them to flag potential fevers. And now, hoda, to that story of hope and perseverance in new york city, a patient who survived a long battle with coronavirus is finally back home. [ cheers and applause ] that was the moment rodrigo received the sendoff, the hospitals first covid patient way back at the beginning of march. 53 days later hes healthy and hes going home, amazing to see the Health Care Workers applauding him. You know what, they deserve applause as well. Al, youre tracking some storms. Out west, some really hot weather. 9 Million People under some sort of heat advisory or warning through friday. Thats a tough time for beaches to be closed. Look at the 10 to 20 degree above average temperature for yuma, palm springs. L. A. Three degrees above normal. Fresno, 89. Re record highs limoke capital one knows life doesnt update you about your credit card. For charges that might surprise you and helps you fix them. Another way capital one is watching out for your money, when youre not. Whats in your wallet . Good morning. I am meteorologist, kari hall. As we look live outside in San Francisco its clear here but we have seen fog near the coast and also right along some of our coastal areas. We will see that drizzling continue as well. As we look at our temperatures inland, sunshine and highs in the 70s. Our 7day forecast keeps more of the same weather, and as we go into the weekend slightly cooler with highs in the mid70s and warming up again in the valleys next week. And that is your latest we and that is your latest weather. Guys all right, al, thank you. Coming up, savannah, i know you have a really powerful intervsa lives in the New York Hospital she died by suicide earlier this week and this morning were going to tell you about her, were going to celebrate her legacy with her sister and her brotherinlaw and were really hoping this painful story will help other families. Looking forward to hearing that. And a little later the growing frustration felt by parents coasttocoast who are supervising their childrens online learning. Look for whats being done to ease some of that burden but first, this is today on nbc. There are times when our need to connect really matters. To keep customers and employees in the know. To keep business moving. Comcast business is prepared for times like these. Powered by the nations largest gigspeed network. To help give you the speed, reliability, and security you need. Tools to manage your business from any device, anywhere. And a team of experts here for you 24 7. 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