BALTIMORE — There’s growing concern about a possible fourth surge of COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Theodore Bailey, who is the Chief of Infectious Disease at GBMC Hospital, said he is expecting another surge of the virus due to new virus variants combined with states relaxing restrictions.
“The virus wants to spread,” Dr. Bailey said. “It will spread if it has the opportunity.”
He shares the concerns of Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health experts who warn against rolling back restrictions, believing it could lead to a resurgence of COVID-19.
“With a pandemic like this, there’s no such thing as momentum, so if you’re seeing a decrease in cases, it’s only ever because of what we do collectively, how much caution we’re taking and how much social distancing we’re doing,” he said.
Over the last week, at least 15 states, including Maryland, saw their average case numbers rise at least 10 percent, according to data from the CDC.
On Friday, the state also reported more than a thousand cases two straight days for the first time in over a month.
However, COVID-19 cases are still falling in the U.S overall.
So far, more than two million Marylanders have been vaccinated and more people will eligible when the state moves into Phase 2 next week.
But, despite the progress, it’s not enough to hold of the virus if we aren’t cautious in the weeks and months ahead, Dr Bailey said.
“This amount of cases in our community has already proven itself capable leading to an escalation and a rise we saw before,” he said.
Dr. Bailey is advising officials to not rush lifting restrictions until more people get the vaccine.
“The vaccine is part of the fight, but we are not there yet,” he said.
He said it’s important to continue practicing social distancing, wearing a mask and limiting exposure to people outside of your household.
