Experts Warn US Coronavirus Spikes May Get Out of Control Amid Reopening

By Staff, Agencies

US health officials on Friday urged Americans to continue adhering to social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures, and warned that states may need to reimpose strict restrictions if COVID-19 cases spike.

In recent weeks, experts have raised concerns that the reopening of the US economy could lead to a fresh wave of infections. About half a dozen states, including Texas and Arizona, are grappling with a rising number of coronavirus patients filling hospital beds.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease official on Friday cautioned that the "blips" of rising coronavirus hospitalizations being reported by some states could get out of control if robust contact tracing regimes are not put in place.

As restrictions on economic activity are lifted, the United States was bound to see increased infections, Fauci told CNN.

"But when you start seeing more hospitalizations, that's a sure-fire sign that you're in a situation where you're going in the wrong direction," Fauci said.

Relatedly, officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] said the public should continue to maintain 6 feet of social distance, wash hands regularly and wear facial coverings to reduce the risk of infection.

“If cases begin to go up again, particularly if they go up dramatically, it is important to recognize that more mitigation efforts such as what were implemented back in March may be needed again,” said Jay Butler, the deputy director of infectious diseases at the CDC, who spoke to reporters along with CDC Director Robert Redfield.

So far, more than 114,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States alone, according to a Reuters tally. About half a dozen US states are grappling with a rising number of coronavirus patients filling hospital beds.

Texas and North Carolina on Friday reported their highest hospitalization rates since the pandemic began. But officials in both states point out they also have among the lowest rates of deaths from COVID-19.

Fauci underscored that increased hospitalizations represented a worrying trend, however, and a sign that "maybe we need to slow down a little" on reopening.