The  Surgeon General for the United States, Jerome Adams, on Sunday issued a warning amid the coronavirus pandemic that the week coming ahead would be the “hardest and the saddest” of “most Americans’ lives.”

“This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans’ lives,” Adams said on Fox News Sunday, hosted by Chris Wallace.

“This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment. Only it’s not going to be localized; it’s going to be happening all over the country,” Adams said.

He did, however, cut that bleak message with just a little hope, that there “is a light at the end of the tunnel if everyone does their part for the next 30 days.” 

“There is hope, but we’ve also got to all do our part,” he said.

Wallace questioned Adams on President Trump’s repeated mention of the anti-malarial drug ‘hydroxychloroquine’ as a potential coronavirus treatment. The drug does not have approval for that usage, and pharma industry experts have warned that a run on supplies could lead to a possible shortage for those who need it for its FDA-approved usage.

“Here’s what we’ve advised the president: When people are in a tragic situation, we want them to be able to have a conversation with their health care provider about everything they can do to save their lives,” Adams replied. “We feel a little bit better regarding its safety than we do about a completely novel drug.”

The Host also asked Adams about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent recommendation that Americans wear fabric or cloth masks. And the president’s subsequent declaration that he likely will not wear one. To which Adams had to say that the masks are “not a substitute for social distancing” and noted that “the White House doctors and CDC are taking pains to make sure everyone is social distancing in regard to the president.”