Although our efforts to stop the spread of the virus
by staying home have helped a lot,
we're now learning that opening up too soon
might come at a big cost.
REPORTER: As much of America wrestles to reopen,
the New York Times obtaining a preliminary analysis
about what could happen
if social distancing rules are relaxed.
The report provided to FEMA
shows the number of Americans dying every day
from the coronavirus could nearly double by June 1,
3,000 a day.
And cases could soar from 25,000
to 200,000 a day.
REPORTER 2: A University of Washington model
has raised its projected death toll
to more than 134,000 by August.
That's nearly double the estimate
from less than a week ago,
largely because more Americans are leaving their homes.
Yeah, that's right.
Experts are warning that relaxing social distancing
without having tracing and testing programs in place
means that a lot more people could die.
And did you hear those numbers?
3,000 deaths a day.
134,000 deaths by August.
Those numbers are even more terrifying
than the ones in your child's math homework
that you have no idea how to do.
I feel like every day this story develops,
it makes it a worse story for us to tell to our grandkids.
"And what happened when social distancing
was proving effective, Grandpa?"
"Well, then we decided to (bleep) it all up
by going to the beach 'cause we wanted some ice cream."
I get it, man. It is so hard to stay inside right now,
because the weather is amazing out there!
It's almost like the sun is trying to lure us out
so coronavirus can get us.
And I'm not gonna lie, guys.
I've never trusted the sun.
Like, it's there during the day,
but then, at night, it's gone?
Where'd you go, huh?
Meeting up with corona to plot our downfall?
I'm onto you, you sunny bastard.
And as if that wasn't a grim enough prediction,
we're now learning that, while we've been trapped indoors,
coronavirus has been going to the gym.
REPORTER: New this morning, scientists have discovered
a mutant coronavirus strain that they say
is more contagious than COVID-19.
A study led by the Los Alamos National Lab says
the new strain appeared in Europe in February
and quickly spread to the Eastern U.S.
Now, once it's out, it becomes the dominant strain,
and that makes it more contagious
than the original version
that was traced back to Wuhan, China.
The report says the mutation is in the spikes
on the outside of the coronavirus.
Researchers say it could make treatments more difficult
to develop and could reinfect people
who survived the earlier strain.
Oh, come on, man.
You know what? This sucks.
The coronavirus might be mutating?
And not in a cool Ninja Turtle kind of way,
where it just wants to eat pizza and hit on reporters.
No, it's becoming more deadly.
And I guess we've learned yet another thing.
Coronavirus is like an annoying college student.
It got worse when it went to Europe.
"Sorry, guys, I can only eat baguettes now.
Uh, and, if you'll excuse me, I have to pop to the loo."
And, look, if the virus can mutate to get worse,
then, us humans, we've got no choice, man.
We're gonna have to mutate to fight back.
I think we can do it if we just focus.
Come on, Trevor, mutate. Mutate.
Mutate. Mu...
Ah.
I guess nothing happened.
Now, if America is ever going to get the coronavirus
under control, antibody testing seems
like the best way to do it,
because that can tell us where the virus has been,
who might now be immune,
and how you can track the movement of the disease.
Unfortunately,
antibody testing has also hit a bit of a snag.
REPORTER: Today, the FDA put the brakes on antibody tests.
Roughly 200 hit the market in recent weeks
amid few restrictions.
Now the agency says guardrails are needed,
writing, in part, "We unfortunately see
unscrupulous actors marketing fraudulent test kits
to take advantage of Americans."
So far, the FDA has only granted emergency authorization
to 12 antibody tests.
The makers of the rest will have to apply
within ten days showing their positive readings
are 90% accurate
and negative readings 95%.
Yep, that's right.
In an attempt to boost testing in the U.S.,
the FDA basically approved anybody who claimed
they had an antibody test.
And then it turned out that many of those tests
were actually trash,
and that's way worse than having no tests at all.
Because now you think you could be immune
when you're actually not.
There are two things you need to be sure work:
antibody tests and bulletproof vests.
Because you can't return those to the store.
You can't be walking in, like, "Yeah, I bought this last week,
"and it totally doesn't work the way you said.
And, by the way, can you call 911?"
And if the antibody test can't tell you if you have antibodies,
well, then you may as well just use the original auntie test.
"Auntie, do I have the coronavirus?"
"No, baby, but you need to eat some more.
Is my sister not feeding you?"
But guys, I think there's an easy solution here.
If there's a test
that tells us which antibody test works,
why don't we just use that test to test for antibodies?
(laughs) I mean, I'm no Dr. Fauci,
but I think I cracked it.