Virus Blizzard News Today

Opening schools. i think its going to be really challenging to open schools in this kind of virus blizzard, this virus firestorm. i have advised places like washington, d.c. and new york if you can hold it off a couple of weeks, recognizing that thats really difficult given all the schools that kids have missed, maybe make it up on the pack end or shortened vacations in the summer, that might be one way to go. i think its going to be really challenging when you have a virus agent thats looking l...

How much worse do you fear it could get? >> well, you know, i think the way this is going to work, joe, is were seeing this kind of regionalization of this big wave, this big firestorm, what my friend mike osterholm calls this virus blizzard. its starting first in the northeast, washington, d.c. is just unbelievable level of transmission, new york city. this is going to continue probably for a couple of more weeks, then you are now seeing it pick up in pennsylvania, ohio, indiana, illinois. and ...

So it doesnt take a lot of increase in hospitalizations because that kind of disruption and breakdown. >> and that leads us to schools. schools across the country are reopening five days from now. many are opening on january 3rd. and you dont like this idea. so whats wrong with it? >> well, you know, first of all, you know, i understand the importance of bringing back kids to school. i was, im a parent of now theyre four adult kids, but when they were little, we understood the importance as well...

Projection, a tidal wave? >> well, i dont know if its going to be a tidal wave but certainly a lot of pediatric hospitalizations. more than weve ever seen. and its not because the virus is selectively targeting kids. what weve seen in south africa and the uk is when you have this firestorm or what my friend mike osterholme calls virus blizzard. there will be pediatric hospitalizations. and the other tough piece, keeping the schools open because of this high transmissible. you start seeing absenc...

>> reporter: others fear the return to school next week could be even worse. >> i think what were going to see is once children go back to school, within a week or two of schools opening, is when we see the highest numbers. >> reporter: amid the winter weather, the pandemic is roaring across the country, with 250,000 new cases diagnosed daily, thats a record. >> this variant is a game-changer in terms of its high, high transmissability. its like a virus blizzard. >> reporter: hospitalizations ar...