CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, joined a virtual conversation at Harvard Medical School Thursday to discuss coronavirus trends and vaccine research.
Fauci predicted that a second surge of the coronavirus could come as the weather gets colder.
“I think as we get into the fall and we do more indoor things, we are likely going to see upticks in COVID-19,” he said.
Fauci added that the biggest challenges right now is that up to half of the country’s cases stem from asymptomatic people.
“When you think of contact tracing and isolation and getting a feel for the kind of events that spread this particular virus, it becomes very problematic,” he continued.
When it comes to a vaccine for the virus, President Trump has said it will be available very soon.
Fauci told the Harvard Medical School that, “We project that by the end of this calendar year, let’s say November, December, we will know if we have a safe and effective vaccine and I would say vaccines, plural.”
Any sooner than that timeline is possible but unlikely, according to Fauci.
He also took time to address how the coronavirus disproportionately impacts the Black community.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows Black Americans are 2.6 times more likely to be infected, 4.7 times more likely to be hospitalized, and are dying at a rate of more than double that of white Americans.
“The disparities are profound,” Fauci said. “A rather striking difference”
He added that there’s been a major push to make sure that vaccine trials include participants that represent the most vulnerable demographics.
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