WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. government's top infectious disease expert said on Tuesday there were "glimmers" that social distancing efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus were having an impact, even though the nation was still in a very dangerous situation.

"We're starting to see glimmers that that is actually having some dampening effect," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci told CNN in an interview. "But that does not take away from the seriousness ... We clearly are seeing cases going up." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Tim Ahmann; editing by Susan Heavey)