CDC head says US coronavirus outbreak could be controlled if '90% of Americans' follow safety guidelines like wearing a mask
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director said the coronavirus could be managed if Americans follow preventative measures to stop the spread of the virus, CNBC reported.
- "But it is going to require all of us to embrace these mitigation steps," CDC head Robert Redfield said on a conference call. "And we're going to need to do that four, six, eight, 10, 12 weeks and then we will see this outbreak under control."
- Redfield also advises parents to get their children tested for influenza as the fall season approaches.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director said the coronavirus could be contained if most Americans follow safety measures to help prevent the spread of the virus for the next couple of months, CNBC reported.
"It's in our hands, within our grasp," CDC Director Robert Redfield said on a conference call, according to the outlet. "But it is going to require all of us to embrace these mitigation steps. And we're going to need to do that four, six, eight, 10, 12 weeks and then we will see this outbreak under control."
According to CNBC, Redfield said "at least 90% of Americans" need to wear face coverings, social distance, and wash hands as preventative measures to protect against COVID-19.
"I think we're seeing progress over the last four weeks, I hope that progress will continue, but I think none of us should turn away from the recognition that it's key each of us recognize we want to make sure COVID stops with us," Redfield said, according to CNBC.
The director also said he advises parents to get their children vaccinated for influenza, CNBC reported, especially as schools across the country are reopening for the fall.
Earlier this month, Redfield warned that the combination of coronavirus and influenza could worsen the effects of the pandemic, Insider previously reported.
"I'm asking you to do four simple things: wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands, and be smart about crowds. If you do those four things it will bring this outbreak down," Redfield said in an interview with WebMD. "But, if we don't do that … this could be the worst fall from a public health perspective we've ever had."
Currently, John Hopkins University COVID-19 data shows over 5.5 million coronavirus cases in the United States. The data dashboard shows that there are nearly 23 million cases of the virus worldwide.
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