U.S. could suffer ‘the worst fall ... we’ve ever had’ if COVID-19 isn’t stopped, CDC director says

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent interview that the United States might be in store for a bleak fall season from a public health perspective.

• “For your country right now and for the war that we’re in against COVID-19, I’m asking you to do four simple things: wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and be smart about crowds.”
• “I’m not asking some of America to do it. We all gotta do it.”
• He said this could be ”the worst fall, from a public health perspective, we’ve ever had.”
• “It’s dependent on how the American people choose to respond. It’s really the worst of times or the best of times, depending on the American public. I’m optimistic.”

So what can you do?

• Redfield said it’s important for every American to follow the CDC’s coronavirus recommendations, including wearing a mask and remaining socially distant from others. Wash your hands when you can and avoid large crowds, too.
• Redfield encouraged all Americans to get a flu vaccine as well. Cases of flu often hit hospitals hard. Avoiding those cases will free hospitals up to help with the coronavirus patients, he said.