Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Friday that the United States could soon be hit by an increase in COVID-19 cases – although the country has administered more vaccines than any other nation.
The recent plateau in record post-holiday rates is actually a sign that Americans should mask and prepare for another potential explosion of infections, said Fauci, citing previous trends in coronavirus data at a press conference at the White House .
“We recently experienced the worst peak,” said Fauci. “The point is that we are starting to stagnate. This level is around 60,000 to 70,000 cases per day. When you have so much viral activity on a plateau, it almost invariably means that you are at risk for another peak.
“Many countries in Europe have seen just that – last week, a 9% increase in cases, something we desperately want to avoid,” he added.
On the other hand, when coronavirus cases stabilized after the first wave of infections last spring, the number of daily national cases was about a third of what it is today, he said.
“Many of us will remember very vividly – in late winter and early spring – that we had a wave that was dominated by the New York metropolitan area. After the sudden increase, we reached a baseline of around 20,000 cases per day. This is a very high baseline, relatively speaking, ”he said.
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He warned that even amid optimism about federal plans to vaccinate all Americans by May, it is crucial to continue fighting the virus with masks, social detachment and hand washing.
Meanwhile, White House officials reported that nearly 55% of Americans 65 and older have received at least one vaccine in the United States.
A total of 82 million people – more than any other country – have been vaccinated in the United States, according to Andy Slavitt, the senior White House adviser to the COVID-19 Response Team.