U.S. CDC director warns second wave of COVID-19 likely 'more devastating'

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield warned Tuesday that a second wave of the novel coronavirus will be far more dire because it is likely to coincide with the start of the flu season, according to The Washington Post.

"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," Redfield was quoted as saying. "When I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean."

"We are going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time," he said, adding that the two simultaneous respiratory outbreaks would put unimaginable strain on the health-care system. 

Redfield's comments came as several U.S. states are preparing to reopen their economies.