As Wuhan Tests Millions to Prevent Second Wave of Coronavirus, Doctors Warn U.S. Is Not Prepared - Newsweek

A second wave of novel coronavirus cases could hit the U.S.

health care system is likely to be overwhelmed by the time the second wave arrives if sufficient medical supplies and other preparations are not in place, doctors warn.

"The single most important step forward that needs to be taken at this time is for the Administration and the Congress to take seriously the advice of the experts and make the investments in the needed preparations for likely COVID-19 second wave," he added.

have begun reopening with eased lockdown measures but the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday warned of an "immediate second peak" in infections if restrictions are lifted too soon even in countries where cases appear to be declining.

We may get a second peak in this wave," he said.

Last week, a team of scientists that worked as advisers to Obama warned in a letter (led by Holdren) distributed to senior officials of the Trump administration, members of Congress and other government officials that the country needs to start preparing now to avoid the "extraordinary shortage of supplies" seen in March and April, The Guardian reports.

It needs to be at a national level, in close collaboration and coordination with state and local officials," the letter said.

Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the COVID-19 task force, and Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, warned the country needs to prepare for a second wave of cases.

states were ready to reopen, he warned the nation needed to expand testing and contact tracing capabilities to combat a potential second wave of infections.

At the end of April, Fauci noted the second wave was "inevitable" and "if by that time we have put into place all of the countermeasures that you need to address this, we should do reasonably well.".

He warned that if restrictions are eased too quickly, the second wave of the outbreak could "get us right back in the same boat that we were a few weeks ago," he said at the end of April.

Back in April, Redfield warned that the second wave may hit the country even harder than the first wave, coinciding with the start of the flu season, and see the country's health care system overwhelmed.

North Carolina reported its highest single-day jump in cases as the state entered the second phase of its reopening.

Texas saw its second, third and fourth highest daily spikes in cases since the outbreak began within two days of lockdown measures being eased in the state.