>> NOW TO THE STORY OF A
WISCONSIN MAN WHO HAS A VERY
BIG PERSONAL STAKE IN THE
FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF
CORONAVIRUS.
IT'S THE STORY OF JAMES
MALECHEK.
HE HAS BEEN QUARANTINED IN
BEIJING, CHINA.
HE IS THE COACH FOR THE CHINESE
OLYMPIC SWIM TEAM.
HE AND COACHING STAFF WERE IN
THE MIDST OF A TRAINING CAMP
PREPARING FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPIC
GAMES WHEN THE CORONAVIRUS
OUTBREAK BEGAN.
HE JOINS US FROM HIS BEIJING
APARTMENT IN A COMPLEX WHERE HE
AND HIS ATHLETES ARE GATED FROM
THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
JAMES, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> WE UNDERSTAND AGAIN THAT IT
HAS BEEN SIX WEEKS THAT YOU
HAVE BEEN IN ISOLATION.
WHAT HAS THAT BEEN LIKE?
>> IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING
EXPERIENCE.
MANY OF THE ATHLETES AND
COACHING STAFFS HAVE -- WE'VE
BUILT KIND OF A BOND OF
UNDERSTANDING EVEN THOUGH WE'RE
FROM COMPLETELY OPPOSITE SIDES
OF THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE A LOT
MORE IN COMMON.
IT'S BEEN A VERY UNIQUE
EXPERIENCE TO SAY THE LEAST.
>> HAVE YOU AND YOUR FOLLOW
COACHES AND ATHLETES BEEN
TESTED FOR CORONAVIRUS?
>> YES.
WE INITIALLY WHEN WE GOT
QUARANTINED ON THE 27th WE HAD
BEEN SCHEDULED REGULARLY FOR
ROUTINE CHECKS.
SINCE THEN IT'S BEEN MOSTLY
TEMPERATURE CHECKS AND
OCCASIONALLY SOME BLOOD WORK TO
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS
STILL FREE FROM THE CORONAVIRUS.
>> AND TO DATE THAT IS TRUE,
THAT EVERYONE IS NEGATIVE.
>> SO FAR I'VE HEARD ZERO
PEOPLE WITHIN THIS COMPLEX HAVE
HAD IT.
>> SO STILL HOW FRIGHTENING HAS
IT BEEN TO BE IN CHINA DURING
THIS DEADLY OUTBREAK THERE?
>> IT'S BEEN FAIRLY CONTROLLED
ON OUR END.
EVEN BEFORE WE WERE PUT INTO
ISOLATION, MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T
GOING INTO HEAVILY CROWDED
AREAS, CERTAIN PARTS OF THE
CITY ARE KNOWN FOR LARGER
TRAFFIC AREAS.
THEY SLOWLY STARTED TO WEAN US
AWAY FROM THOSE AREAS AND SINCE
THE QUARANTINE WE HAVEN'T HAD
ANY CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE
SOURCES.
SO TO ME IT'S -- NOT BAD.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK WHAT
ABOUT YOUR CHINESE SWIMMERS OR
STAFF?
DO THEY HAVE FAMILIES THAT THEY
CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT
OUTSIDE THE ISOLATION THAT YOU
ARE NOW LIVING IN?
>> SEVERAL OF THE COACHES ARE
ACTUALLY FROM WUHAN ORIGINALLY
AND WHEN THE OUTBREAK HAPPENED,
WE WERE ALREADY AT TRAINING
CAMP SO THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO
GO HOME FOR SPRING FESTIVAL AND
SEE THEIR FAMILIES, WHICH THEIR
FAMILIES ARE STILL IN WUHAN AND
STILL IN ISOLATION.
SO SOME OF THE COACHES ARE A
LITTLE WORRIED STILL AND HAVE
OBVIOUSLY CONCERN FOR THEIR
LOVED ONE, THEIR FAMILIES STILL
TRAPPED IN WUHAN.
>> WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS RIGHT
NOW?
>> MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS JUST
THAT EVERYONE'S SAFETY IS STILL
KEPT TO A HIGH STANDARD.
WE'VE BEEN IN THIS QUARANTINE
FOR SO LONG ALREADY THAT TO ME
THE SAFETY HAS TO BE TOP
PRIORITY STILL.
AS MUCH AS WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO
GET OUT AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO
GO GET DIFFERENT FOOD OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE STILL
HAVE TO REMEMBER FIRST AND
FOREMOST THAT WE'RE PREPARING
FOR TOKYO.
THAT'S GOT TO BE THE END GOAL.
THAT MEANS SPENDING MORE TIME
IN QUARANTINE, SO BE IT.
>> ARE YOU TRYING TO GET
EVACUATED BACK TO THE UNITED
STATES?
>> I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT
SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE
QUARANTINE STARTED.
INITIALLY MY CONCERN WAS FAIRLY
HIGH ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE
U.S.
BUT SINCE WE'VE BEEN IN HERE SO
LONG I'VE SEEN THE PRECAUTIONS
AND THE CLEANING ROUTINES AND
THE CONSISTENT CHECKUPS ON THIS
END.
I'M INDIFFERENT BECAUSE PART OF
ME WANTS TO GO HOME BUT THE
OTHER PART OF ME LOOKS AT THIS
AND GOES WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR
SIX WEEKS, YOU HAVE ZERO CASES,
THAT'S A HARD NUMBER TO GO
AGAINST IN MY BOOK.
SO PART OF ME DOES.
>> PART OF YOU DOES AND PART OF
YOU WANTS TO STAY PUT AND SEE
IT THROUGH.
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOUR FAMILY
AND FRIENDS BACK HERE IN
WISCONSIN?
>> NOT AS CONCERNED AS THEY
ORIGINALLY WERE.
ONCE I HAVE CONTACTED THEM AND
JUST TALKING THEM THROUGH AND
HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE
WAY THAT THE SITUATION IS, THEY
STEPPED UP ALL THE NECESSARY
PRECAUTIONS FROM THIS END.
TO ME IT'S PRETTY SAFE ON MY
SIDE FOR THE TIME BEING.
NOW, I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED
THAT IF WE WERE TO BE LET OUT
OF QUARANTINE THAT WE'RE
OBVIOUSLY EXPOSED TO THE RISK.
BUT THE RISK IS WORTH BEING ON
QUARANTINE.
>> JAMES MALECHEK, WE
APPRECIATE YOU CHECKING IN AND
TELLING US ABOUT THE
CIRCUMSTANCE AND WE HOPE TO
CHECK IN WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE
AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR