CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus this winter will likely be worse

[RandySF]

Even as states move ahead with plans to reopen their economies, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday that a second wave of the novel coronavirus will be far more deadly because it is likely to coincide with the start of flu season.

“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in an interview with The Washington Post. “And when I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean.”

Having two simultaneous respiratory outbreaks would put unimaginable strain on the health-care system, he said. The first wave of covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has already killed more than 42,000 people across the country. It has overwhelmed hospitals and revealed gaping shortages in test kits, ventilators and protective equipment for health-care workers.

In a wide-ranging interview, Redfield said federal and state officials need to use the coming months to prepare for what lies ahead. As stay-at-home orders are lifted, officials need to stress the continued importance of social distancing. Officials also need to massively scale up their ability to identify the infected through testing and find everyone they interact with through contact tracing. Doing so prevents new cases from becoming larger outbreaks.

Asked about the appropriateness of protests against stay-at-home orders and calls on states to be “liberated” from restrictions, Redfield said: “It’s not helpful.”


https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/21/coronavirus-secondwave-cdcdirector/

[Initech]

1. Spanish Flu 2.0.

And history will repeat itself. Hopefully we'll never get to that level but hopefully we will be better prepared for the second wave than we were the first. Hopefully.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. GOP:

Soon to be voted most likely doomed to repeat history (which seems like that's all they do and the rest of us are just along for the ride).

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. I don't even want to think about this during NEXT winter, geez

That being said, I'm glad that Redfield is expressing some at least mild disapproval of the protests. I hope that his days aren't numbered now.

[Initech]

5. There should be drugs and vaccines by then.

And again I say: hopefully.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Feeling is mutual

[llmart]

4. Will these warnings be all but ignored again?

At least we have the prospect that we'll have a NORMAL President Biden who has tons of experience and who will surround himself with experienced and knowledgeable people, instead of this insane jackass who's squatting in our White House.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. I'm Saying No

The overall compliance by a large majority of people, even those who were late adopters, has been useful.
If this thing percolates up again, those people will by & large have muscle memory.

[SoonerPride]

7. That will be wave 3 or 4 by the winter

We have a 2nd wave coming in May from all these states "opening up"

[Squinch]

11. Right? I expect a Southern Armageddon by July.

[0rganism]

8. or maybe it's the third wave?

i think we get the second wave this summer
thanks to the population of stable geniuses in certain states...

[Hoyt]

10. Did CDC say "likely," or "possibly" or as Hill reported "might?" There's a difference.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. And we'll probably get there soon with all the dumbfucks who want to drop restricts early