Dr. Anthony Fauci said he hopes for a sharp reduction in daily COVID-19 cases in the United States before the flu season arrives.
“We’re right around 40,000 new (daily) cases,” he said Wednesday on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports. “That’s an unacceptably high baseline. We’ve got to get it down. I would like to see it 10,000 or less. Hopefully less.”
The nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases also cautioned people to avoid large gatherings and not neglect public health guidelines during Labor Day weekend to avoid another surge of cases similar to those seen after other holiday weekends.
“We know from prior experience that when you get into holiday weekends, the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, there is a tendency of people to be careless somewhat with regard to the public health measures that we keep recommending over and over again,” he said. “So, I really want to use this opportunity almost to have a plea to the people in this country to realize that we really still need to get our arms around this and to suppress these types of surges that we’ve seen.”
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His messaging to MSNBC about the fall echoes what he said a month ago about there being a sense of urgency among health experts to reduce COVID-19 cases by September. Speaking to a combination of the flu season and the coronavirus pandemic, he warned, “If we don’t get them down, then we’re going to have a really bad situation in the fall.”
Fauci stressed on Wednesday the continued importance of staying socially distanced, wearing masks, and hand-washing frequently. He also reminded viewers that even if someone doesn’t have symptoms of the virus, they can still pass it on to others.
“If you get infected, you are part of the propagation of the outbreak,” he said. “So, if we can remember that as we get into the holiday season, and try to enjoy yourself as much as you can, and you can do that, you don’t need to lock yourself down, but don’t be careless about things, and such as, you know, crowds, in a bar or what have you. Make sure you wear your mask. Make sure you wash your hands as often as you can. And if we do that, I think we can get through this weekend without seeing a surge.”
The U.S. leads the world with more than 6 million COVID-19 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker, and has recorded roughly 185,000 associated deaths.
