The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says if Americans don't act, the pandemic could surge in the fall.

"This could be the worst fall, from a public health perspective, we've ever had," said Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC.

Redfield said in an interview with WebMD that as we get closer to the fall, the severity of the coronavirus outbreak depends on us.

Redfield is asking that everyone wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from others, wash hands often with soap and warm water, and be smart about crowd gatherings.

Redfield is also asking everyone to get the flu vaccine. He says the annual flu season stresses hospital resources and the pandemic will strain them even more.

The CDC director says in order for the fall not to be "the worst of times," 95 to 99% of people have to follow the CDC's guidelines to prevent further spread of the highly contagious virus.