When I first started at CDC about two months ago, I made a promise to you. I would tell you the truth, even if it was not the news we wanted to hear now is one of those times when I have to share the truth and I have to hope and trust you will. Listen, I'm going to pause here. I'm gonna lose the script, and I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending view. We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope. Right now I'm scared. I know what it's like as a physician to stand in that patient room, downed, loved, masked, shielded and to be the last person to touch someone else's loved one because their loved one couldn't be there. I know what it's like when you're the physician when you're the health care provider, and you're worried that you don't have the resources to take care of the patients in front of you. I know that feeling of nausea when you read the crisis standards of care and you wonder whether they're going to be enough ventilators to go around and who's going to make that choice? And I know what it's like to pull up to your hospital every day and see the extra morgue sitting outside. I didn't know at the time when it when it would stop. We didn't have the science to tell us. We were just scared. We have come such a long way. Three historic scientific breakthrough vaccines and we are rolling him out so very fast. So I'm speaking today, not necessarily as your CDC director, and not only is your CDC director, but as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter to ask you to just please hold on a little while longer. I so badly want to be done. I know you all so badly want to be done. We are just almost there, but not quite yet. And so I'm asking you to just hold on a little longer to get vaccinated when you can, so that all of those people that we all love will still be here when this pandemic ends
CDC director has feeling of 'impending doom' amid new spike
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Updated: 11:42 AM CDT Mar 29, 2021
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made an impassioned plea to Americans Monday not to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19, warning of a potential fourth wave of the virus and saying she has a recurring feeling "of impending doom."Speaking during a virtual White House briefing, Dr. Rochelle Walensky grew emotional as she reflected on her experience treating COVID-19 patients who are alone at the end of their lives."We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope," she said. "But right now, I’m scared.""I’m going to lose the script, and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom," she said.Cases of the virus are up about 10% over the past week from the previous week, to about 60,000 cases per day, with both hospitalizations and deaths ticking up as well, Walensky said."I have to share the truth, and I have to hope and trust you will listen," she added.Walensky and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. appealed to elected officials, community leaders and everyday Americans to maintain social distancing measures and mask wearing."We are doing things prematurely," Fauci said, referring to moves to ease up on restrictions. Walensky appealed to Americans, "Just please hold on a little while longer."She added: "We are not powerless, we can change this trajectory of the pandemic."Walensky pointed to an uptick in travel and loosening virus restrictions for the increase in cases. "People want to be done with this. I, too, want to be done with this," Walensky said."We’ve seen surges after every single holiday," she reiterated: "Please limit travel to essential travel for the time being."
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made an impassioned plea to Americans Monday not to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19, warning of a potential fourth wave of the virus and saying she has a recurring feeling "of impending doom."
Speaking during a virtual White House briefing, Dr. Rochelle Walensky grew emotional as she reflected on her experience treating COVID-19 patients who are alone at the end of their lives.
"We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope," she said. "But right now, I’m scared."
"I’m going to lose the script, and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom," she said.
Cases of the virus are up about 10% over the past week from the previous week, to about 60,000 cases per day, with both hospitalizations and deaths ticking up as well, Walensky said.
"I have to share the truth, and I have to hope and trust you will listen," she added.
Walensky and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. appealed to elected officials, community leaders and everyday Americans to maintain social distancing measures and mask wearing.
"We are doing things prematurely," Fauci said, referring to moves to ease up on restrictions. Walensky appealed to Americans, "Just please hold on a little while longer."
She added: "We are not powerless, we can change this trajectory of the pandemic."
Walensky pointed to an uptick in travel and loosening virus restrictions for the increase in cases. "People want to be done with this. I, too, want to be done with this," Walensky said.
"We’ve seen surges after every single holiday," she reiterated: "Please limit travel to essential travel for the time being."
