JUDY WOODRUFF: Several
American public health
leaders warned this weekend

that the coronavirus
is spreading unchecked
throughout the country

and is likely to get
significantly worse in
coming days and weeks.

Whoever wins the White House
faces a daunting path ahead.

States reported more than
80,000 new cases in the
U.S. just yesterday and
more than 445 deaths.

William Brangham looks at
the urgency of the situation
with Dr. Ashish Jha.

He's dean of Brown University's
School of Public Health.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Dr. Jha,
great to have you back
on the "NewsHour" again.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said recently that

Thanksgiving at the end
of this month could be
an inflection point for
this incredible surge that

we are seeing across the
country. He also said
that December might be
the toughest month yet.

Does that sound right to you?

DR. ASHISH JHA, Dean, Brown
University School of Public
Health: Unfortunately,

I think Dr. Gottlieb
is right about this.

We are in a very difficult
situation already. And
here we are, the beginning

of November, we are identifying
about 100,000 infected people
a day across the nation.

As opposed to the spring
and summer, those surges,

which were located in
specific regions, right now,
every part of the country

is seeing increasing
number of cases; 49
states actually are seeing
increasing number of cases.

So, we're probably missing
70 percent, 80 percent
of all the cases out
there. So, the real number

of infections is substantially
greater. And we're not doing
the things to slow this down.

And so, by the end of this
month, I expect things to start
looking much worse, unless

we act now. So, we can
avoid a horrible December,
but we have got to make
some changes right now.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And we are
on the cusp, of course, of this
enormous national election,

one that's really been
sort of transformed and
deformed by this virus.

Every aspect of our society has
been. And yet the president on
the campaign trail recently has

been saying that we're rounding
the corner. He also suggested
at a rally recently that

he might consider firing
Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Help us put this into
perspective. Do you think --
is this just bluster that the

president sometimes is
known to do, or should we
take this more seriously?

DR. ASHISH JHA: So, first
of all, I think it's worth
noting that Dr. Fauci

has been and continues to
be the most important voice
for fighting this pandemic.

The president can certainly
choose to get rid of Dr.
Fauci from his Coronavirus
Task Force. That is

his decision. He can choose
not to listen to the most
expert voices in the country.

It's not clear that he could
fire him from his NIH role.

But either way, it so undermines
the national confidence in
scientific expertise for the

president to even suggest that
he would fire someone like Dr.
Fauci. I obviously hope that

he doesn't carry through
with it. It would leave the
American people much worse off.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All
right, Dr. Ashish Jha,

Brown University School
of Public Health,
thanks, as always.

DR. ASHISH JHA: Thank you.