Second Wave "Not Inevitable" - Dr. Fauci
Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the second wave of COVID-19 is not necessarily inevitable as long as the right measures are observed well.
The increase of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as the states reopened its economic activities should not be a cause for alarm, he said. However, if the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations would increase, that is something to be concerned about, according to Fauci during an interview with CNN.
According to a published report by CBS News, the deluge of patients could overwhelm the country's healthcare system as Fauci mentioned last month. He even described it as an "uncontrollable outbreak."
The leading top infectious disease expert in the country also shared that the prediction by some health experts about the second wave of COVID-19 in the county may not happen this year. Instead, he said that everyone must need to follow stringent measures.
Vaccines in Different Stages
The race to end the global pandemic is not yet over. Hundreds of researchers and pharmaceutical companies are still working on a potential vaccine that will ultimately kill the virus. However, a news report says that Moderna, the frontrunner in developing vaccines, will be entering the last phase in July.
Meanwhile, former CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerbering who is now the executive vice president at Merck & Co Inc., said that 130 vaccines are now in the different stages of production points. She is also optimistic that the global pandemic will end soon.
She said: "I think the science is on our side, but that doesn't say anything about the speed, the safety, and the durability and all of the other criteria that have to come into play before we have something that we can count on to give us that population immunity."
COVID-19 Cases in the United States
As of this time, the U.S. has recorded more than 2 million COVID-19 infections and a death toll of more than 116,000 according to the data from Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. This makes the U.S. the country with the highest infections and deaths.
New York still remained the state in the country with the highest infections and deaths. As of this time, the state has recorded more than 400,000 cases and with a death toll of more than 30,000. They are followed by New Jersey and California.
Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo claimed that the state has now the lowest rate of transmission. He said: "We were the number one state in terms of infection ... and now we are the last state in terms of rate of transmission. That is because New Yorkers stepped up. They were smart. They were disciplined. They did what they had to do, and we need to stay there."
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