Virus expert: Wearing masks can reduce deaths from infection

The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States is facing a severe rebound, with increases in infections and hospitalizations in nearly all 50 states. At the same time, vaccination rates across the United States have slowed markedly. The daily increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States could nearly quadruple in the next four to six weeks as the spread of the highly contagious delta strain accelerates and vaccination rates stagnate, according to analysis.

Los Angeles County has reinstated mandatory masks in indoor public places as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continue to rise. Passengers wearing masks at Los Angeles International Airport. Xinhua hair

Increases in infections and hospitalizations rose in almost all of the 50 states。

The soaring number of new confirmed cases, particularly among unvaccinated people, suggests the US is moving in the "wrong direction". Fauci said it's a problem for the U.S., where about half the population is still not fully vaccinated. "We're almost begging those who are not vaccinated to get vaccinated" 。

The multifaceted impact of COVID-19 continues. The emergence of mutated strains that are more transmissible and pathogenic adds new challenges to the fight against the virus in the United States. Early in the outbreak, health experts stressed that the elderly were most at risk.But as the number of confirmed cases in the United States approaches 5 million, novel Coronavirus is moving to younger populations.There has been a surge in confirmed cases among children, adolescents and young adults.

Experts say masks can reduce transmission of the virus by more than 40 percent.If all Americans wore masks every time they went out, 70,000 of those lives could be saved.

"If we all wore masks, we could save a lot of lives, and we really need national guidance right now.