Pouch: "New COVID Cases This Fall Could Double Current Numbers"

Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] There is a forecast that if the spread of COVID-19 centered on the Delta variant continues in the United States, the number of new confirmed cases this fall could soar to 200,000, double the current figure.

Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), stated this in an interview with the U.S. media group McClatchy on the 4th (local time).

Director Fauci said, "Infections are increasing very steeply across the United States," adding, "The daily number of confirmed cases could reach 200,000 within a few weeks."

As of this day, the average daily number of new confirmed cases in the U.S. over the past week is 96,472. Fauci said, "Just a few months ago, there were 10,000 confirmed cases per day," and predicted, "I think the number of confirmed cases will be between 100,000 and 200,000."

U.S. health authorities also warned that if the COVID-19 spread continues until winter, more severe variants could emerge.

Fauci said, "It is fortunate that the vaccines we currently have are producing very good results against the virus," adding, "If another variant with the same high transmissibility as the current variant but more severe appears, we could be in serious trouble."

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