Fauci says virus death toll higher than reported

The nation's top infectious disease expert warned Tuesday the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus is "almost certainly" higher than the number currently being reported.

Dr. Anthony Fauci made the comments during a Senate hearing on the pandemic, which many lawmakers and witnesses, including Fauci, attended via video conference.

Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 287,000 — more than 80,000 in U.S. alone.

Asked if the U.S. mortality count was correct, Fauci said, "the number is likely higher. I don't know exactly what percent higher but almost certainly it's higher."

Fauci, a member of the coronavirus task force charged with shaping the response to COVID-19, testified from his home in Bethesda, Maryland after self-quarantining when two White House staffers tested positive for the virus.

Asked about the prospects of a so-called second wave of infection in the fall or winter, Fauci said the virus will not just disappear, as President Donald Trump has suggested.

"When you talk about will this virus just disappear and as I've said publicly many times, that is just not going to happen, because it's such a highly transmissible virus," Fauci said.

Still, he predicted that even if there is a rebound of the virus, the country will be able to deal with it much more effectively.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

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