Pence optimistic about U.S. readiness should coronavirus resurfaces

Vice President Mike Pence expressed optimism Wednesday about the nation's ability to handle the coronavirus if the illness resurfaces.

"We think we're gonna be in a much, much better place next season" if the virus comes back,  Pence said during an interview with the Wall Street Journal. 

He said "we will have not only an enormous volume of testing to be able to identify people early on who contract the coronavirus to do the contact tracing to be able to focus on effective containment.”

He also noted there will likely be new therapeutic medications available this spring, and vaccines could be available around the beginning of the new year.

He noted that "we have reason to believe that Americans who have contracted the coronavirus also will enjoy a significant amount of immunity."

Pence was asked about comments made by CDC Director Robert Redfield in a Washington Post interview regarding a possible resurgence of the virus.

Redfield "assured me that he did not say the coronavirus would be worse next year," Pence said, noting that he had spoken with the CDC director.

At Wednesday's coronavirus task force briefing, Redfield sought to clarify the meaning of his remarks, explaining that the situation next fall/winter could possibly bring more difficulties due to the simultaneous circulation of both coronavirus and the flu.