Coronavirus death toll in US could reach 100,000, according to President Donald Trump. He added that the country may get a vaccine by the end of 2020.
He predicted 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths across the US. Meanwhile, he claims that a vaccine could be ready this year, while experts suggest a cure will take 12 to18 months.
Trump held an election campaign on Sunday. He promoted an "incredible" future. During a two-hour Fox News broadcast, he discussed the swift recovery of the US economy. He also blames China for the spread of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 already infected over 1.1 million and killed more than 67,000 in the US alone. Most public places are no longer open, such as schools and businesses.
"We're going to lose anywhere from 75, 80 to a 100,000 people. That's a horrible thing," said Trump.
He said he hoped that there would only be less than 100,000 fatalities in the country.
"We can't stay closed as a country [or] we're not gonna have a country left," Trump said regarding the partial lifting of shutdowns in several states.
Coronavirus vaccine
Moreover, Trump stressed that there would be a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.
"The doctors would say, well, you shouldn't say that," Trump said. "I'll say what I think ... I think we'll have a vaccine sooner than later."
However, several health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, previously emphasized that a vaccine will likely be available a year to 18 months away.
There is an "incredibly small" chance of developing a highly effective vaccine or cure for COVID-19 within the next year, according to England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.
Furthermore, Trump said he wanted students to return to schools and colleges in the last quarter of the year. Though he mentioned the possibility of a resurgence of coronavirus.
"We'll put out the embers, we'll put out whatever it may be. We may have to put out a fire," he said.
Meanwhile, Trump said the federal coronavirus aid may become $6 trillion from the nearly $3 trillion Congress already passed. This would help alleviate heavy economic burden of the current public health crisis.
"There is more help coming. There has to be," he said.
Blaming China
Trump also blamed China for allowing the coronavirus to spread. He added that China made a "horrible mistake."
Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested there was "a significant amount of evidence" that COVID-19 started from a Chinese laboratory. However, he did not counter the conclusion of US that it was not man-made.
The Office of Director of National Intelligence pointed out that the American intelligence community “will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence.”
They aim to find out whether “the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.”
When a reporter at the White House asked the President last week about the origins of the virus, he replied: “You have heard all different things. Three or four different concepts as to how it came out.”
“We should have the answer to that in the not-so-distant future and that will determine a lot how I feel about China,” the president added.
