[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the U.S. National Institutes of Health, who has been asserting his presence, once again made a strong statement opposing President Donald Trump's position.
On the 29th (local time), Fauci warned that the United States could face a situation where millions are infected and over 100,000 deaths occur due to COVID-19.
He cautioned, "I can say the number of deaths will be between 100,000 and 200,000. The number of patients will also reach several million."
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, as of 3 p.m. that day, the number of COVID-19 patients in the U.S. was approximately 136,868, with 2,409 deaths.
Fauci has been the top U.S. infectious disease expert responsible for epidemic prevention since 1984. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, he has participated in the coronavirus task force and has consistently expressed views differing from those of President Donald Trump.
This statement is presumed to be a response opposing President Trump's indication of possibly easing social distancing guidelines to reopen the economy, pointing out that the risk of COVID-19 remains.
He predicted that the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. will continue for the foreseeable future, saying, "(It will) continue for the next few weeks. Not tomorrow, certainly not next week."
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