Coronavirus: US second wave to be ‘even more dire’ as it coincides with flu season
US disease control agency chief warns second wave of COVID-19 will coincide with ’flu, overwhelming strained health system.
The head of America’s leading disease control agency has warned that the coronavirus could come back in a second wave with even more dire consequences later this year because it would coincide with the flu season.
“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” the Centre For Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield said. “We’re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time,” he said.
He said two simultaneous respiratory outbreaks would put unprecedented strain on the nation’s already stretched healthcare system.
But Dr Deborah Birx from the White House coronavirus taskforce sounded a note of scepticism about a second wave being more deadly than the first, saying: “I don’t know if it will be worse, it’s been pretty bad.”
Their comments came after another surge in deaths in the US with more than 2500 people dying in a 24 hour period taking the total US death toll to more than 45,000 with more than 800,000 infections.
It also came amid growing debate about moves by several US states to take tentative steps to reopen parts of their economy despite warnings by health experts that it could help trigger a second wave of the virus.
But Mr Trump defended moves by Georgia, South Carolina and several other states to start reopening retail stories and restaurants, saying people needed to make a living.
“The governors, I want them to do it,’ Mr Trump said. “People need money, they need help, we can’t break our country over this … some (states) will do it soon, some will not.”
The president has been urging states to reopen their economies as quickly as possible while not disregarding social distancing guidelines. He has left it up to state governors to decide when and how to reopen their economies.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who has also approved the reopening of hair salons and theatres in his state, said “it’s a tough balance …(but) we are taking measured steps.’
But the mayors of the largest cities in Georgia were dismayed by the decision, with the mayor of Savannah Van Johnson describing it as ‘reckless, premature and dangerous’ and the mayor of Atlanta Keisha Bottoms saying it was not based on ‘anything logical.’
“We see our numbers are continuing to tick up in this state, we see that our deaths are rising,” she said.
The dispute underscored a fierce national debate over whether it is more important to maintain social restrictions to reduce infections and deaths or reopen economies to create jobs.
Meanwhile the Senate passed a $US484 billion deal to provide greater assistance to small business as well as hospitals and coronavirus testing.
The legislation lifts total US government economic stimulus efforts to a record $US3 trillion to try to soften what is already the fastest economic slowdown in US history.
Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the latest measure was unlikely to be the last.
“I’d remind my colleagues this is an interim measure,” Senator Schumer said. “There’s plenty of hard-won provisions that we Democrats are pleased with but it’s ultimately a building block. The next bill must be big and bold and suited to the needs of a beleaguered nation.”
In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
Mr Trump confirmed that he would freeze immigration into the US for 60 days, including green card holders, saying it was an economic decision to help American workers.
“I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States,” Mr Trump said. “By pausing, we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs. It would be wrong to be replacing them with new immigrant labour flown in from abroad.’
The president also spoke for the first time in weeks with British prime minister Boris Johnson who is recovering from coronavirus.
“The Prime Minister shared that he is feeling better and on the road to recovery,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said.
Meanwhile Mr Trump met at the White House with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, with whom he has regularly sparred with over federal assistance for that state’s coronavirus crisis.
Mr Cuomo said it was a “good conversation” and that both he and the president chose not to dwell on their disagreements but to “put everything else aside and do the job.“
Mr Cuomo said another 481 people died in New York in the past day, taking the state toll to 14,828. But he said total hospitalisations were ‘basically flat’ and that intubation numbers were lower.
Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia
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