Reuters

Public health officials warned for the first time on Tuesday that the spread of the novel coronavirus is "inevitable" in the US and said the virus could lead to a "severe" disruption to the everyday lives of Americans.

"Ultimately we expect we will see community spread in the United States," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters during a conference call. "It's not a question of if this will happen, but when this will happen, and how many people in this country will have severe illnesses."

Messonnier also said: "We are asking the American public to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad."

That assessment was echoed by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who told a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday there would likely be additional cases of coronavirus in the US and called it "an unprecedented, potentially severe health challenge globally."

He asked lawmakers for $2.5 billion in additional funding to fight the virus, which Democrats slammed as terribly inadequate. There are 53 cases in the US so far, 39 of which originated overseas.

The heightened warnings from top health officials sharply contrasted with statements emanating from the White House, which downplayed the threat. It threatened to crowd out advice from public health experts imploring Americans to prepare.

President Trump in a tweet on Monday said that the coronavirus was "very much under control" and insisted a day later that "the whole situation will start working out."

That position was mirrored by Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council. He said in a CNBC interview: "We have contained this. I won't say it's airtight, but it's pretty close to airtight."

At a press conference later, Azar was asked about the chaotic messaging from the government and attempted to reconcile them, noting there was a surge of new coronavirus cases abroad but not to the same extent within the US.

"All of this is part of the same message," Azar said. "This is a very serious public health condition worldwide. We are taking this incredibly serious here in the United States. And we are doing the most aggressive containment efforts in modern history to prevent its spread of the United States."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement to Business Insider, White House spokesperson Judd Deere said there was "a political effort by the left and some in the media to distract and disturb the American people with fearful rhetoric and palace intrigue."

"The virus remains low risk domestically because of the containment actions taken by this Administration since the first of the year," Deere said. "The global situation is serious and changing hourly, which is exactly why Secretary Azar continues to lead a whole-of-government response in partnership with state and local leaders that includes the best experts on infectious diseases."

He noted the administration's efforts to obtain additional federal spending to combat the spread of coronavirus and said the president received "regular updates" and was prepared to take further action as needed.

Trump is facing bipartisan furor over his handling of the coronavirus. The White House set up a task force last month, but lawmakers are growing concerned the administration isn't prepared to deal with a rapid outbreak.

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York charged the president on Monday with having "no plan" to deal with the coronavirus and said he's demonstrating "towering and dangerous incompetence."

Some Republicans like Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana also demanded more answers from acting homeland security chief Ken Wolf during a congressional hearing to basic questions about the federal government's readiness to manage the situation.

The coronavirus has spread to over 37 countries including Iran, South Korea, and Italy, though the epidemic appears to be slowing at its point of origin in China. Its infected 80,000 people and caused over 2,700 deaths, mostly in China.

The surge of coronavirus cases overseas sent stocks tumbling for the last two days with the S&P 500 falling 3.4% on Monday, its biggest drop in the last two years. The sell-off for the Dow Jones in that timespan equaled 1,911 points amid mounting coronavirus fears.

Messonier said communities should start planning "social distancing measures" to curb the spread of virus. They include arranging for employees to work from home, closing schools, and canceling meetings. Otherwise, people can take ordinary precautions like washing their hands and staying home when signs of an illness appear.