The US could see a 4th coronavirus surge driven by new variants, CDC chief warns, as cases rise across more than half the country

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

White House/YouTube

• The US could see an "avoidable surge" in COVID-19 cases, CDC chief Rochelle Walensky said Monday.
• Relaxing measures while variants are "spreading rapidly" is a "serious threat," she said.
• Her comments come as over half of US states have seen an increase in cases over the last two weeks.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

Plateauing COVID-19 case rates, and the discovery of coronavirus variants in several states, could mean that an "avoidable" fourth surge in COVID-19 cases is on the way in the US, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Monday that the US is at a "fork in the road" in the pandemic, as more and more people get vaccinated.

She noted several indicators pointed to a concerning trend, including:

• The number of cases of COVID-19 are hovering at a high level - between 50,000 and 60,000 daily cases.
• New hospital admissions have also plateaued between 4,500 and 5,000 admissions a day.
• Deaths from COVID-19 are declining but remain high, and the rate of decline is slowing..
• Some states and regions, such as the Northeast and upper Midwest, are seeing "a significant rise in cases," Walensky said.
• Coronavirus variants are "spreading rapidly," she said. The B.1.427 and B.1.429 variant, first identified in California, accounts for 52% of cases in California, 41% in Nevada, and 25% in Arizona, Walensky said.
• The B.1.1.7. variant, first identified in the UK, is estimated to be causing 9% of cases in New Jersey and 8% in Florida, she said.

"Taken together, these statistics should serve as a warning sign for the American people," Walensky said.

Referring to the leveling of COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions seen in the last two weeks, she said: "I consider [them] to be very concerning."

Unless action is taken "right now," "we will have another avoidable surge," Walensky said.

The rise in cases is most likely due to the "tension" between the desire to open up the country and the risk associated with variants, experts have said, as STAT reported on Saturday.

Walensky added on Monday: "The continued relaxation of prevention measures while cases aren't are still high and while concerning variants are spreading rapidly throughout the United States as a serious threat to the progress we have made as a nation."

According to John Hopkins University data, as of Sunday, more than half of US states had experienced a growth in new cases in the last two weeks, while 24 states saw a decrease.

The US could be going the way of Europe, she said, where cases are surging after having plateaued, led by the B1.1.7 variant first identified in the UK.

Walensky's warning comes as the US ramps up its vaccination rollout.

Some 24.9% of the total US population have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 13.5% are fully vaccinated as of Monday, according to CDC data.

President Joe Biden has said that all US adults should be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, and some states are expected to start vaccinating all adults by April, Insider's Aria Bendix reported earlier this month.

But experts warn that while vaccination rates rise, the virus can continue to circulate.

Uncontrolled spread of the virus "increases the risk that an even more dangerous variant may emerge," Dr. Tom Frieden, the former CDC director, told CNN on Monday.

The B.1.1.7. variant is of particular concern as it was shown that people infected with this strain are 55% to 64% more likely to die from COVID-19, Insider's Aylin Woodward reported.

"I'm calling the American people to action, whether they're vaccinated or not, to recommit to doing the right thing," Walensky said on Monday.

"Take the steps we know work to stop COVID-19. Wear a well-fitting mask, socially distance, avoid crowds and travel, and be ready to roll up your sleeve to get vaccinated when the vaccine is available to you."

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