Many People in US Will be Exposed to New Coronavirus by End of 2021: CDC Official

A worker disinfects the front doors of the School Without Walls High School, which was closed today after a member of the school's staff reported close contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus, in Washington on March 9, 2020. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Many people in the United States will be exposed to the new coronavirus, which originated in China late last year, a top health official said on Monday.

“It’s fair to say, as the trajectory of the outbreak continues, many people in the United States will, at some point in time—either this year or next—be exposed to the virus,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters in a phone call.