The CDC's director warned of a fourth COVID-19 wave in a March 29 briefing, but some physicians have offered a different perspective, according to a March 30 article published by ABC7.
"I'm gonna lose the script and I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said in a plea to remind Americans of the seriousness of COVID-19.
"We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are, and so much reason for hope, but right now I'm scared," Dr. Walensky said.
However, some physicians said the data shows reasons to be optimistic about a fourth wave.
When ABC7 asked Monica Gandhi, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco, if she was concerned about a fourth wave, she said she is not.
"I, in fact, am feeling really hopeful and optimistic that we're going in the right direction. So I think it was a little alarmist," she said in reference to Dr. Walensky's remarks. She added that while cases remain low in California, other parts of the U.S. with lower rates of natural immunity and fewer restrictions may see worse surges.
Alok Patel, MD, a member of ABC7's vaccine team, said that if there is a fourth wave, there should now be a cushion because of the vaccine.
"A large proportion of Americans over 65 have gotten a vaccine, so even if we see surges, fingers crossed we will not see as many hospitalizations or deaths as we saw in the first three waves," Dr. Patel said.
More articles on leadership and management:
'The question is not if, but when': World leaders call for treaty to fight future pandemics
Corner Office: St. Tammany CEO Joan Coffman on navigating change and leading with integrity
Corner Office: Saint Alphonsus Health System CEO Odette Bolano on the importance of taking calculated risks