According to the Washington Post, the top White House coronavirus advisor, Dr. Deborah Birx, warns that the U.S. is entering the “most deadly phase of this pandemic,” which explicitly contradicts Donald Trump, who has recently claimed the country is “rounding the corner” on the pandemic.
On Monday it was reported that Dr. Birx issued the internal report earlier in the day urging “much more aggressive action” and warning that “we are entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic … leading to increased mortality.”
In the report, she said, “This is not about lockdowns — It hasn’t been about lockdowns since March or April. It’s about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented.” The memo also reportedly warned against the type of mass gatherings that Trump has been holding around the country.
In recent weeks, new coronavirus cases have spiked in most states, with the number of new cases increasing on average nearly 83,000 over the past week. Hospitalization and death rates have also risen.
Sources say that an unnamed administration official told the Post that Birx, “feels like she’s being ignored” by the White House and that she has been urging aggressive action for weeks. In the report. Birx said there needs to be a more consistent message from the government on the importance of face masks, social distancing, and hand-washing, as well as “profound limitations on social gatherings.”
On Election night Trump reportedly plans to hold a party at the White House with about 400 people which raises concerns about a super-spreader event.
Dr. Brix’s warning is similar to those of other public health experts. Over the weekend Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Post that, “We’re in for a whole lot of hurt” unless more aggressive actions are taken to prevent a coronavirus surge this winter.
Former FDA administrator Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CBS News that “things are getting worse around the country,” he specifically warns that Thanksgiving could be an “inflection point” that leads to an even worse situation in December.
According to data from John Hopkins University, the U.S. currently has recorded nearly 9.3 million coronavirus cases, with more than 231,000 deaths, the most in the world.
