White House COVID-19 experts said on Sunday that the United States has entered a new phase in the outbreak of the novel coronavirus with infections being "extraordinarily widespread" in cities as well as in rural areas.
Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House task force, said, "We are in a new phase... What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread" in rural as well as urban areas." During her appearance on CNN's State of the Union, Brix cautioned dwellers of rural areas that they are "not immune or protected from this virus."
Appealing for Alertness from Multi-generational Households
Coronavirus cases continue to surge in some parts of the country and the public health officials are trying to work with governors to tailor responses for each state. Birx said that people living in multi-generational households in an area that is experiencing an outbreak should wear masks inside the home to protect the elderly or those with underlying conditions.
Admiral Brett Giroir, an assistant Health and Human Services secretary, continued to stress the importance of wearing masks. "If we don't do that, and if we don't limit the indoor crowded spaces, the virus will continue to run," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"We are very concerned and this is a very serious point." The coronavirus, which first appeared in China, has infected 4.6 million people in the United States and killed more than 155,000 Americans, according to a Reuters tally.
Need to Protect Individuals With Comorbidities
Birx said federal officials have been working on individual reports for each state examining community trends and hospital records. "Each of these responses have to be dramatically tailored," she said, after witnessing the situation in 14 states over the last three weeks.
"As I traveled around the country, I saw all of America moving," Birx said. "If you have chosen to go on vacation into a hot spot, you really need to come back and protect those with comorbidities and assume you're infected."
If people wear masks and avoid crowds, Giroir said, it gives the same outcome as a complete shutdown. "That's why we're going to all the states, we're on local radio, we give specific instructions to every governor by county, what they need to do when we start – when those counties start tipping yellow, because that's the time when you have to stamp it down," said Giroir.
(With inputs from agencies)
