The coronavirus has completely upended the first half of 2020, but health officials say it will likely pose a threat during the second half of the year as well.

The head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention attempted to clarify his stance on an expected second wave of COVID-19.

"I think it's really important to say what I didn't say. I didn't say that this was going to be worse," said Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director.

On Tuesday, Dr. Redfield told the Washington Post, "There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will be even more difficult than the one we just went through."

President Donald Trump says Dr. Redfield is talking about a 'worst case scenario' and that the United States is better prepared now.

"If we have a little pocket here, we're going to have it put out, we're going to put it out fast. It's also possible it doesn't come back at all," said President Trump.

However, many in the medical world say the virus isn't going to fade away.

"There will be coronavirus in the fall," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN chief medical correspondent, said, "Ultimately a vaccine could inoculate us against the virus, which would be great, in a real significant development, but this is part of our human environment now."

Some states, including Georgia, are getting ready to start allowing some businesses to reopen despite the current threat. Other states like Louisiana, may not be back in business soon.

There have been almost 47,000 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.