Fauci warns Covid and flu hitting US at the same time could be disastrous as he calls for masks in all schools

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A confluence of flu season with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic may lead to disaster in the US according to the White House's top doctor on the coronavirus.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Monday during an ABC News interview that Americans may be in for a "difficult time" if the flu and coronavirus pandemic are in full motion at the same time.

"If we do not do the things in a uniform way ... as we get into the winter and fall, with the likelihood we'd have a convergence, we'd have a convergence of two respiratory diseases," Dr Fauci said. "We can have a very difficult time."

Dr Fauci rejected the idea that the pandemic will simply disappear and urged Americans to follow pandemic safety guidelines and continue to social distance and wear face masks while in public.

"I want to impress upon the American people in a way that's so clear: There are things that we can do that would get the level down," he said. "If we go into the fall and winter with the same situation ... we will have upticks of percent positive, and then you have the inevitable surging of infection."

He said Americans could curb the virus, but "it's not by wishful thinking."

The doctor said that while Americans current actions do not suggest the virus will be significantly curbed by the fall, that does not mean it is impossible to do.

"The way human nature is acting out there, it doesn't seem likely [curbing the virus will happen.] But that doesn't mean it can't be done," he said.

The doctor also said face mask use should be universal in schools, and urged all Americans to continue social distancing.

"There should be to the extent possible social distancing, avoiding crowds. Outdoors [is] always better than indoors and [you should] be in a situation where you continually have the capability of washing your hands and cleaning up with sanitisers," he said.

His comments come after a photo of a high school in Dallas, Georgia, made news last week. The photo shows a crowded hallway full of teens, many who weren't wearing masks, and little room for social distancing.

Dr Fauci said the photo was "disturbing."

Despite the US's inability to get a handle on coronavirus relief due to both failures in leadership and failures among the American public to follow public health suggestions, Dr Fauci said he had hope that the situation could improve by the fall.

"My message is one of cautious optimism and hope," he said. "But I'm also very realistic to know that if we don't do it, we're going to continue to have this up and down."