WASHINGTON D.C. – (CNN) -- The nation’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday that the United States is “struggling” to get the coronavirus crisis under control and that to say otherwise “would be a false statement.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Americans in an interview on CBS that "it is going to be a bad week" ahead as there is an escalation in cases, but that "within a week" or so the number of cases should start to flatten out.

"Are you saying, doctor, despite the deaths that we may see, that mitigation is working, and that you do have this outbreak under control?" CBS' Margaret Brennan asked Fauci.

"I will not say we have it under control, Margaret. That would be a false statement. We are struggling to get it under control, and that's the issue that's at hand right now," Fauci replied.

He continued: "The thing that's important is that what you see is increases in new cases, which then start to flatten out. But the end result of that you don't see for days or weeks down the pipe."

Fauci said that it was crucial for the coronavirus to get "globally under control," or it could become a seasonal issue. He also said that efforts to obtain a vaccine and the beginning of clinical trials will hopefully mean the US is more prepared if there is a resurgence of the virus.

As of Sunday morning, there were at least 312,000 known cases of the novel coronavirus in the US and more than 8,500 people have died, according to a tally by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

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