Coronavirus

Dr. Fauci: U.S. Must 'Hunker Down' As New COVID-19 Dangers Loom

On 6-month anniversary of W.H.O. pandemic declaration, he calls for vigilance to ward off new virus wave.

Dr. Fauci: U.S. Must 'Hunker Down' As New COVID-19 Dangers Loom
Erin Scott / Pool via AP
SMS

On March 11, the World Health Organization sounded a historic global alarm with this declaration: 

"W.H.O. has been assessing this outbreak around-the-clock, and we're deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have, therefore, made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic."

Now, on the pandemic's 6th month anniversary, America's top infectious disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says it's time to "hunker down." He says the U.S. must stop assuming that rosy outcomes are just around the corner.

"I just think we need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter. Because it's not going to be easy. We know every time we restrict, we lift restrictions we get a blip. I mean, it's getting whack-a-mole." 

In his remarks Friday at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Fauci noted that new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have dropped to 40,000 a day, down from 60,000 in June. But he warned that another wave is coming, coinciding with the fall and winter flu season.

More than 6.4-million Americans have now tested positive for the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. And more than 192,000 people in the U.S. have died.

Globally, there are more than 28-million known cases and more than 911,000 known fatalities.

Contains footage from CNN.