Fauci: US could see ‘well over 300,000’ COVID-19 deaths

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, warned Monday that COVID-19 deaths could easily top 300,000 if the trajectory of the pandemic does not change.

The number of coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations have been rising for weeks with no signs of slowing as the U.S. deals with another wave of the pandemic.

“We’re now at over 250,000 deaths, a quarter of a million deaths. You could get well over 300,000 and close to even more than that if we don’t turn things around,” Fauci said during a livestreamed Washington Post event.

He stressed that reaching that number is not inevitable if people practice public health measures, such as mask-wearing and social distancing.

“I don’t want this to be a doomsday statement. It is within our power to not let those numbers happen,” he said.

Why it matters: Fauci’s comments come ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, when millions of people are expected to travel and gather with friends and family outside of their households, despite advice from public health experts.

The U.S. is averaging about 170,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, a 54 percent increase from the average two weeks ago.