As the coronavirus continues to spread, igniting fears over a possible pandemic, a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus could eventually be “impossible” to contain.
On Monday, Dr. Tom Frieden opened up about the possibility in a statement to reporters. “We think it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to contain it… but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try,” he said. “Never before have we seen a pathogen emerge and have global spread like this. That is scary.”
According to the New York Post, Frieden was head of the agency under President Obama’s term and was the health commissioner in New York under Mike Bloomberg. But despite his experience, he said the recent spread, which has seen over 89,000 people affected, is an “unprecedented situation.”
To make matters worse, Frieden believes that children could be secret carries of the virus. To back his argument, the ex-director highlighted a recent report in which a 10-year-old, who visited China amid the outbreak, didn’t show any symptoms but was later diagnosed.
“The fact that children may get infected but not show symptoms poses a risk to pediatricians,” he added.”
According to reports, though nearly 90,000 people have been affected by the virus, the fatal effects have affected older patients or others with underlying health issues. But since its outbreak in December, the virus has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people.
