US death toll 'almost certainly' higher than reported, says Fauci

'The true death toll from Covid-19 in the United States is likely higher than the official 80,000 count'

WASHINGTON: Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Tuesday many experts believe more people in the United States have died from Covid-19 than those who have been reported.

"Most of us feel that the number of deaths are likely higher than that number," Fauci told a Senate hearing.

"Given the situation, particularly in New York City, when they were really strapped with a very serious challenge to their health-care system, that there may have been people who died at home... who are not counted as it because they never really got to the hospital," he said.

Fauci added he was not sure "exactly what percent higher" the real death toll could be.

Fauci also issued a warning about some states that disregard Covid-19 guidelines for safely reopening. He said those actions would "turn the clock back" on stemming the tide of coronavirus infections.