Former US FDA Director: "COVID-19 Expected to Struggle in Winter After a 'Quiet Summer'"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), predicted on the 21st (local time) that after experiencing a "quiet summer" regarding COVID-19, there is a possibility of struggling again as the weather gets colder.

On the same day, former Commissioner Gottlieb said on CNBC that while the number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is expected to continue decreasing over the next few weeks, "it does not seem likely that we can declare the pandemic over." He forecasted, "In terms of the spread of the coronavirus, we expect to have a very quiet summer, but as winter comes, we will have to wrestle with COVID-19 again."

The reason the average daily new cases in the U.S. fell below 30,000 for the first time in over a year is attributed not only to vaccines but also to warm weather and immunity from previously infected individuals. Although most states have eased restrictions on restaurant operations and mask mandates, the fact that many Americans have not yet returned to pre-COVID-19 lifestyles is also explained as a background for the recent decline in cases.

Former Commissioner Gottlieb said, "Assuming that more than one-third of the unvaccinated population has been previously infected and about half of the population has received at least one vaccine dose, we have reached a fairly high level of immunity." He also observed that although the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the U.S. is about 33 million, the actual number of infections is likely higher than the official count.

Former Commissioner Gottlieb served as FDA commissioner during the Donald Trump administration. He is currently a board member of the U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.