Dr. Birx: Must Prepare Now For Possible Second Virus Wave

As states approach opening for business, looking ahead and preparing for a possible second wave of coronavirus this fall is vital, Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force, said Tuesday. 

"Our job right now and our job in the White House is to ensure that we are ready for anything that happens in the fall, whether it's testing, whether its PPE (personal protective equipment), whether it's ventilators, whether it's a complete surveillance system that understands that we have to track for asymptomatics as well as asymptomatic individuals," Birx told Fox News' "Fox and Friends."

"All of those pieces need to accelerate, expand, and be ready for the fall."

Meanwhile, it will be "interesting to watch" nations in the Southern Hemisphere, she said, as "normally," respiratory diseases move south during the summer, said Birx. 

Birx also commented on Monday's announcements from CEOs from major corporations such as Walmart and CVS who are getting involved in ramping up coronavirus testing nationwide. 

"The private sector has been involved," Birx said. "It was the magnitude of involvement. I mean, I think we have really understood that you have got to bring the test to the community. Whether it's a drive-thru, whether it's a walkthrough, the community has to feel like tests are available to them. So just having it at hospitals or clinics was not going to be enough."

Birx also discussed a new report that questions whether extreme shutdowns were necessary, considering that the majority of people who were hit hard by COVID-19 had underlying issues, saying that it's still vital to maintain social distancing and wear a mask in public places, as many people do not know they have underlying conditions. 

"How many Americans actually have early signs of early diabetes, early hypertension, asthma?" she said. "A lot of Americans do. So we had an obligation to protect all Americans while we checked the data."

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