Coronavirus Watch: CDC warns of 'worst fall' if Americans don't take precautions

Americans must take precautions now to avoid "the worst fall" we've ever seen. 

That's the stark warning from Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is telling Americans to wear masks, socially distance, wash their hands and avoid crowds in the next few months.

"I'm not asking some of America to do it. We all have to do it," Redfield told WebMD. "Or this could be the worst fall, from a public health perspective, that we have ever had."

It's Thursday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here is the most significant news of the day, as of 12:30 p.m. ET:

• A Texas mom who transmitted COVID-19 to her unborn baby girl waited 20 days to cradle her daughter for the first time.
• Disney World and the union for its actors and singers reached a deal that provides COVID-19 testing and allows talent to return to work after a two-month dispute.
• New Zealand’s first known community outbreak in more than three months grew to 17 cases Thursday. Health officials are still working to trace where the virus came from.
• About 43% of schools around the world don’t have access to water and soap for basic hand-washing, the United Nations estimates.
• Outdoor classes? Seattle public schools will begin the academic year remotely but will explore the creation of outdoor classes, The Seattle Times reported.
• Unemployment claims drop: For the first time in months, the number of people who applied for jobless claims last week dropped below 1 million.

Today's numbers: The U.S. reported the most deaths in one day since May, pushing the nation's total above 166,000, the Johns Hopkins data dashboard reported Thursday. The U.S. was closing in on 5.2 million confirmed cases. Iowa reported its 50,000th case and Illinois was on the verge of 200,000 cases. See the numbers in your area here, and check out where cases are rising here.

What do you want to know about the coronavirus? Submit your questions through this form. Nancy from Maywood, New Jersey, asks: Is Advil safe to take during the pandemic?

There have been some reports claiming ibuprofen – the active ingredient in Advil – can make coronavirus symptoms worse, but there's no widely accepted data about ibuprofen and COVID-19. Many credible medical organizations have advised caution on the matter and often suggest acetaminophen as a possibly preferable treatment.

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– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck