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The US could see as many as 100,000 daily coronavirus infections if states where cases are surging don’t begin taking stronger measures to combat the spread, the nation’s top infectious disease expert has said
Dr Anthony Fauci issued the grim warning to a Senate committee on Tuesday while discussing president Donald Trump’s response to the deadly virus.
Elizabeth Warren, the Democrat senator, referred to comments Fauci made in March, when he theorised the US could see between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths from Covid-19, with millions more infected, before the end of the pandemic. As of late June, there have been more than 125,000 deaths in the US.
“Based on what you’re seeing now, how many Covid deaths and infections should America expect before this is all over?,” Warren asked.
“I can’t make an accurate prediction, but it is going to be very disturbing, I can guarantee you that,” Fauci replied. “Because when you have an outbreak in one part of the country, even though in other parts of the country they’re doing well, they are vulnerable.”
States such as New York have seen a decline in cases, but others, including Texas, Arizona and Florida, are seeing a resurgence of infections as politicians have pushed to reopen businesses. At least 16 states have now paused their reopening plans amid the spike in cases.
“We can’t just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk,” Fauci said. “We are now having 40-plus thousand new cases a day, I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 cases a day if this does not turn around, so I am very concerned.”
Fauci previously warned that the US would have cases well into autumn.
Trump, meanwhile, has been largely silent on the continued spike in cases, instead focusing on vandalised statues and his own ego. As more than 40,000 new cases and more than 800 new deaths were reported Tuesday in the US, the president was busy tweeting about himself.