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Coronavirus News: CDC director warns second wave could be worse

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

CDC director warns second wave could be more devastating

Candace McCowan reports doctors, nurses are leaving field hospitals, but could return

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- There are new warnings about a second wave come the fall and winter months. The director of the CDC warned on Tuesday that the second wave could hit the same time as the flu, which would be a massive burden on the health care system.

"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," CDC Director Robert Redfield said in an interview with The Washington Post.

It is one reason that Governor Cuomo says he told President Trump we don't need the FEMA field hospitals at Stony Brook, Old Westbury, and the Westchester County center right now, but that we might need them in the future.

The White House COVID-19 task force responded to the report saying steps are being taken to prepare for whatever happens later this year.

"I don't know if it will be worse. I think this has been pretty bad. When you see what has happened in New York, that was very bad. I believe it will have early warning signals both from our surveillance that we've been talking about in the vulnerable populations. We are going to continue that surveillance from now all the way through the fall to be able to give us that early warning signal," Dr. Deborah Brix said.

The United States saw 24,000 flu deaths in a 8 month period. So far, the U.S. has seen 43,000 COVID-19 deaths in just two months.

Doctors and nurses who came to New York City to support the field hospitals will leave on Wednesday. It is certainly a sign of improvement and as a thank you, some staying at a Midtown hotel were greeted by cheers and received a police escort as they headed to their final shifts.

The question is will we need them to eventually come back?