The nation's top infectious disease expert is warning Americans that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely get worse this fall and winter.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says that we’ll need to “hunker down” because it won’t be easy. Our Chief Health Editor Dr. Partha Nandi joins us now to weigh in on these sobering comments.
Our caseload is certainly a lot better than it was back in August. Right now, we’re averaging around 36,000 cases a day. But that is still too high.
Dr. Fauci would actually like that number to be around 10,000 or less per day. So there’s a huge gap difference. And that’s why he’s warning Americans not to underestimate the pandemic and to not look at the rosy side of things.
I completely agree with him. We cannot let our guard down. I know many people are pandemic fatigued, but we are nowhere near the finish line.
The numbers could surge because of Labor Day celebrations. But also, we’re heading into fall and colder weather. So folks will naturally move indoors where the virus can be spread more easily.
Also, many students across the US have returned to school for in-class teaching. And we’ve already seen case increases and temporary school shutdowns because of the virus. Plus, colleges and universities have become hotspots.
For instance, the University of Tennessee has 600 active COVID-19 cases and over 2,000 in quarantine or self-isolation. And that’s mainly because too many students are not following social distancing guidelines.
I’m very concerned because if these college students go home, then they can spread it to other family members.
The CDC’s ensemble forecast predicts that a total of 205,000 to 217,000 deaths will be due to COVID-19 by October 3rd. That’s very disheartening news.
But, on a positive note, masks can really make a difference. If 95% of Americans wore face masks than over 120,000 lives could be saved by January 1st. That’s according to experts at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. And that is pretty amazing news.
Plus, it’s something that most of us can do. So please, wear a mask. Encourage loved ones over the age of 2 to also wear a mask. Let’s do everything we can to stay virus-free and keep ourselves and others as safe as possible.
This week on the Dr. Nandi Show, you’ll hear all about the broad spectrum of autoimmune disease. It happens when our immune system goes haywire and begins attacking the cells in our own body. Joining Dr. Partha Nandi, MD is one of the world’s leading authorities when it comes to autoimmune conditions, Dr. Tom O’Bryan. Dr. O’Bryan discusses how autoimmune diseases always attack the weakest link in the body and how to spot the signs of a problem before it’s too late. Also, a functional medicine physician, Dr. Amy Myers shares how she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease and explains how gut imbalance, candida, and leaky gut can lead to autoimmunity. Plus Dr. Keesha Ewers explains how suppressed emotions can morph into physical disease. Tune in this Sunday, September 13th at 12:30 pm.
