Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. | Kevin Dietsch – Pool/Getty Images
CDC Director Robert Redfield on Thursday said the number of coronavirus infections in the U.S. could be 10 times higher than the confirmed case count — meaning a total of more than 20 million.
“Our best estimate right now is for every case reported there were actually 10 other infections,” Redfield said during a call with reporters, referencing data from antibody tests that show who has been exposed to the virus.
He added that with cases spiking across the country, Americans should continue social distancing and wearing face coverings. He particularly singled out younger people, under the age of 50, who have accounted for an uptick in cases as states began to reopen.
“I’m asking people to recognize we’re in a different situation today than we were in March and April where the virus was disproportionately being recognized in older adults,” he said.
The CDC on Thursday removed a specific age threshold on its guidance for who is at high risk of contracting the virus and now says risk increases steadily with age among adults.
The agency also released new data showing pregnant people with the coronavirus are more likely to be hospitalized than non-pregnant people who are infected.
The context: The U.S. has nearly 2.4 million confirmed cases and more than 120,000 deaths so far.
Redfield’s comments come as President Donald Trump indicated he sought to slow down coronavirus testing in order to shrink the number of confirmed cases. Redfield and other federal health officials testified before Congress on Tuesday that the president has not asked them to wind down coronavirus testing and that they are committed to increase testing capacity.
His comments also come as a number of states are experiencing alarming surges in cases. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday delayed his state’s plans to reopen after a surge of new cases and concerns about the state’s hospital capacity.
What’s next: CDC officials highlighted concern about increased activity during the Fourth of July holiday and doubled down on their guidance for people to avoid large gatherings and wear face coverings when in public.
They also told reporters they are looking into new public health messaging strategies, including exploring the use of the social media platform TikTok to reach younger Americans.
