Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institutes of Health testified on Tuesday at the Senate hearing on “COVID-19: Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School”, alongside CDC Director Robert Redfield, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Health Adm. Brett Giroir, and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn.
The United States cannot count on the availability of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, Fauci said during the hearing, warning that the daily surge in cases could more than double if Americans fail to take steps to get the virus under control.
He added that data on vaccine efficacy may be available “sometime in the winter or early part of next year.”
Fauci also warned that the daily increase of new cases in the country, currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000 if people do not adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear masks.
“I am very concerned because it could get very bad,” he said.
His remarks dovetailed with warnings by health officials that some Americans, particularly younger adults, have let down their guard since the end of mandatory lockdowns put in place in March and April to stop the pandemic.
Redfield stated that American Airlines’ decision to resume booking flights at maximum capacity amid the pandemic is “under critical review,” saying there was “substantial disappointment” within his organization when the announcement was made.
Many states where the virus is now surging began reopening businesses without having met government health benchmarks for doing so safely.
More than 126,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions have lost their jobs as businesses and schools shut to contain the virus’ spread. The economy contracted sharply in the first quarter and is expected to crater in the April-June period.
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