WASHINGTON (WJW) — Dr. Anthony Fauci said it’s likely there will be a second coronavirus outbreak in the fall.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases answered a few questions during the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Monday. It came a day after President Donald Trump extended federal social distancing guidelines through April.
Fauci said he anticipates coronavirus will be cyclical and return in the fall because of its degree of transmissibility.
Fauci said the second outbreak will be a different ball game compared to when the virus was first detected in the United States. We have better ability to test and contact trace, there are clinical trials for therapeutic intervention and a vaccine is on track, the doctor said.
“What we’re going through now is more than just lessons learned, it’s going to be things we have available to us that we didn’t have before,” Fauci said.
When asked about the possibility of a second outbreak, Trump said, “I hope it doesn’t happen, but we’re certainly prepared.”