The U.S. could have the coronavirus outbreak "largely" behind it by June if guidelines are followed properly, the country's vice president said Wednesday.
"I hope people look at what happens if all of us continue to do our part, and that is by some time in early June, we could well have the coronavirus largely behind us as a nation, reopen our country, put America back to work," Vice President Mike Pence told CNN.
"I never want to minimize the loss. I just want to make sure people know there is light at the end of the tunnel."
Pence, who heads the White House's coronavirus task force, said early signs suggests social distancing was proving effective and the U.S. can save lives "between now and the summertime" by putting guidelines into practice.
He said he agrees with the assessment of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease expert, who said the U.S. could see another coronavirus outbreak in the fall.
"We believe that the likelihood is that, just like the flu, the coronavirus will likely manifest again either in the fall or in the winter of next year," said Pence.
With nearly 200,000, the U.S. has the most COVID-19 cases in the world, followed by Italy, Spain, China, and Germany, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The death toll is more than 4,300, while more than 8,300 have recovered.
The virus, which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, has now spread to 180 countries and regions.
More than 900,000 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll above 45,000 and almost 190,000 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins.
