Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has recently said that the ongoing COVID pandemic may get worse in coming months, stating that there could be a post-holiday surge in new cases.
CNN asked the nation’s top infectious disease expert whether the worst was yet to come, to which he replied, “I do.”
Dr. Fauci said, “We very well might see a post-seasonal ― in the sense of Christmas, New Year’s ― surge, and, as I have described it, as a surge upon a surge.”
The NIAID director also said holiday travel could cause a surge in new coronavirus cases. He said travelers exposed themselves at airports and then mix households when they arrive at their destinations.
Health authorities have been urging people to avoid traveling, but “it’s going to happen,” Dr. Fauci said.
“We are really at a very critical point,” he added. “So I share the concern of President-elect (Joe) Biden that as we get into the next few weeks, it might actually get worse.”
Biden has recently warned Americans about the “darkest days” in the COVID pandemic are ahead and urged them to prepare themselves for a difficult struggle. Dr. Fauci has agreed to serve as Biden’s top health adviser.
The United States has already seen a surge in new cases this month, killing over 65,000 people so far in December, compared to about 37,000 in November, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
In addition, COVID hospitalizations have gone up, with over 100,000 people hospitalized per day since December 2.
So far, the virus has sickened more than 19 million Americans, with officials reporting over 343,000 deaths.
Experts believe that COVID vaccines should bring the pandemic under control. However, it will take many months for the Americans to achieve herd immunity, Dr. Fauci said.
Health workers and long-term care residents of medical facilities have been the top priority groups receiving the vaccines.
He said, “I hope that by the time we get to the fall we will reach that critical percentage of people that we can really start thinking about a return to some form of normality.”
Dr. Fauci, who recently turned 80, received the COVID-19 vaccine. He said he experienced no side effects except arm soreness for about 24 hours. The article was published in Medscape Medical News.
