Lessons from India surge? Don't underestimate situation - Fauci

"Don't ever underestimate the situation, you know, the reason that India is in such dire straits now is that they had an original surge and made the incorrect assumption that they were finished with it and what happened, the opened up prematurely and wind up having a surge right now that we are all well aware is extremely devastating," Fauci said.

India's The seven-day average of daily infections hit a record 390,995 on Tuesday, with 3,876 deaths, according to the health ministry.

Official COVID-19 deaths, which experts say are almost certainly under-reported, stand at just under a quarter of a million.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticized for allowing huge gatherings at a religious festival and holding large election rallies during the past two months even as cases surged.