Dr. Deborah Birx Warns Social Distancing Efforts Against Coronavirus Will Continue ‘Through Summer’

Social distancing may be here for quite some time. Speaking with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, Dr. Deborah Birx, who is among the White House coronavirus task forces top public health officials, shared her thoughts on how long the practice will continue.

According to Birx, don’t expect the measures to come to an end anytime soon despite some states beginning to loose restrictions. “Social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases,” Birx told Todd. This came after Todd brought up a statement made by Vice President Mike Pence, who said that “if you look at the trends… I think by Memorial Day weekend we will largely have the coronavirus epidemic behind us.” Birx said the narrative comes from places like Detroit and Houston that have seen their peaks and have found a steady decline, but urges everyone that in order to maintain this drop, social distancing must be prevalent.

Todd and Birx spoke in depth about the pandemic and the various states, such as Georgia, that have slowly reopened. Birx said all of the governors are aware of the risks, but are taking proper steps in doing so in the right manner. “They talk about this not as turning on a light switch, but slowly turning up the dimmer,” Birx said. “Very slowly.”

Birx couldn’t avoid Todd bringing up President Donald Trump’s recommendation about using disinfectants as an injection. Birx advised that that is not the case. “I also made it very clear, and so has Dr. Fauci and everyone associated with the task force, in their clarity around this is not a treatment.”

At the end of March, Trump extended the national ruling on social distancing until April 30. When he made his press conference, Trump offered that, “The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end.”