"I know that travel is up, and I just worry that we will see the surges that we saw over the summer and over the winter again."
But now, the troubling
B.1.1.7 variant strain is spreading more rapidly in the US.
That strain isn't just more contagious, health experts say. It
appears to be deadlier as well.
And the combination of young, carefree revelers and states ditching safety mandates has helped send the country backward, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
"What we're likely seeing is because of things like spring break and pulling back on the mitigation methods that you've seen now," Fauci told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
The great news is all three vaccines being distributed in the US appear to work well against the B.1.1.7 strain. But with only 15.8% of the US population fully vaccinated -- and
anti-vaxxers and
vaccine hesitancy preventing America from returning to normal faster -- it's time for a reality check.
"Now is one of those times when I have to share the truth, and I have to hope and trust you will listen," Walensky said.
"I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom ... 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."
Before she became CDC director, Walensky was on the front lines of the pandemic, witnessing some patients die from Covid-19.
"I know what it's like as a physician to stand in that patient room -- gowned, gloved, masked, shielded -- and to be the last person to touch someone else's loved one, because they are not able to be there," she said.
The US has come "such a long way," Walensky said, pleading with all Americans to keep masking up and "hold on a little while longer" as more people get vaccinated.
Young people are fueling much of this new surge
At least 27 states have averaged at least 10% more cases each day this past week compared to the previous week, according to Johns Hopkins University. https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/29/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.html