A top U.S. health official warned that the country may be headed toward restrictions on society like those implemented in Italy if the spread of the coronavirus is not slowed.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who appeared on Fox News on Monday to update viewers on the spread of the coronavirus and efforts to slow it, said the country has reached a critical moment that could determine how many lives are lost to the disease in the coming weeks.
“We are at a critical inflection point in this country. We are where Italy was two weeks ago in terms of our numbers, and we have a choice to make as a nation,” Adams said. “Do we want to go the direction of South Korea and really be aggressive and lower our mortality rates, or do we want to go the direction of Italy?”
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Italy reported about 1,700 cases of the coronavirus and 34 deaths two weeks ago, according to the Associated Press, and its government locked down the country, ordering every business other than pharmacies and grocery stores to close. People who leave their homes can be fined if they do not have permission or an appropriate reason to be outside. On Monday, Italy reported having nearly 25,000 cases of the disease and more than 1,800 deaths.
South Korea, which implemented an aggressive testing regime, has seen roughly 8,000 cases of the disease and 75 deaths. The United States has had about 4,100 cases of the coronavirus and 71 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The Trump administration has pledged to expand testing for the COVID-19 virus following delays and limited capacity.
Changing individual behaviors in the coming weeks could prevent the worst outcomes of the health crisis if people follow basic social distancing and hygiene recommendations from health experts, Adams said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines on Sunday recommending that all social gatherings of more than 50 people be canceled or postponed.
The CDC also recommends that people wash their hands and clean home surfaces often, stay away from large groups of people or places large groups tend to gather, and for those feeling sick, stay home and self-isolate.
States and localities are also taking precautionary steps to limit the spread of the virus, including school closings, curfew recommendations, and restrictions on businesses, such as restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms.
“When you look at the projections, there is every chance that we could be Italy, but there is every hope that we will be South Korea if people actually listen, if people actually social distance, if people do the basic public health measures that we’ve all been talking about as doctors all along, such as washing your hands, such as covering your cough, and cleaning surfaces,” Adams said.
