White House experts says COVID-19 outbreak in US 'extraordinarily widespread'

As the world continues to battle the ongoing health crisis, the United States has entered a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, White House coronavirus experts said on August 2. According to the experts, the coronavirus outbreak is ‘extraordinarily widespread’ in rural areas and cities.

The US, which is currently the worst-hit nation, has been witnessing an upsurge of coronavirus cases, touching even the isolated parts of the country. Reportedly, White House coronavirus advisor Deborah Birx prompted fears that rural areas are just as affected as the major cities. Raising concerns over the ongoing pandemic that has created havoc worldwide, Birx said, “local virus mitigation procedures were starting to work, but added that "what we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread.”

“To everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus. We are in a new phase," Birx added. Birx also stated that people living in multigenerational households in an area that is witnessing an upsurge of cases should wear masks even inside the home to protect the elders or those with underlying health conditions.

US Elections to be on held on November 3

Birx also added that public health officials are trying to work on individual reports for each state by examining community trends and hospital records. "Each of these responses have to be dramatically tailored," she said. While the US continues to struggle with the uptick of COVID-19 cases, the country is also bracing for the 2020 US Presidential elections, which are scheduled to be held on November 3.

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Reportedly, Alaska, Hawaii, Missouri, Montana and Oklahoma are recording the largest number of cases over the past week, according to a Washington Post analysis of health data. Experts have also raised concerns over alarming trends emerging in major East Coast and Midwest cities, and have anticipated major outbreaks in college towns as classes are set to resume this month.

Read: Parents Struggle As Schools Reopen Amid Coronavirus Surge

Read: New Mexico Reports 226 More Coronavirus Cases, 3 More Deaths

The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in China, has infected 4.6 million people in the US, making it the worst-hit country by COVID-19. The deadly virus has killed over 150,000 people in the country as of now. A total of fresh 58,947 cases and 478 deaths were reported nationwide on August 2.

(Image credit: AP)