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White House advisor Dr. Fauci says the end of the pandemic could be coming soon, but warns of the current surge!
Dr. Fauci gives great hope!
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned this week of the rise in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the country and many parts of the world, but claimed the pandemic could end as early as next year if more Americans get vaccinated.
Speaking at a Reuters Total Health conference on Tuesday, Fauci said the coronavirus could be downgraded to an endemic level by spring 2022, meaning an infection rate low enough not to affect daily life if enough adults get vaccinated and receive a booster shot.
“If you want to become endemic, you have to set the infection rate so low that it doesn’t impact society, life and the economy,” Fauci said. “People will still get infected. People may still be hospitalized, but the magnitude would be so small that we don’t think about it all the time and it doesn’t affect what we do.”
Boosting is the key!
“Look at what other countries are doing now by introducing a booster campaign for virtually everyone. I think if we do that, and do it seriously, we can have this thing pretty well under control by spring,” the infectious disease expert added.
A day earlier, however, Fauci had also warned that the virus was beginning to rise again in some areas after stabilizing in the Delta following the summer surge. On Sunday, the U.S. reported a seven-day average of more than 82,000 new cases, up 11 percent from the previous week, according to a CNBC data analysis. But one thing does worry!
This one thing does worry Fauci
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“The one thing that is a little troubling is the fact that we are starting to reach a plateau,” Fauci said Monday in an interview hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center. “In other words, the slowdown in cases has now plateaued, and in some areas of the country we’re starting to see a little bit of an uptick.”
In the Midwest and Northeast, average daily cases rose 19 percent and 37 percent, respectively, last week, according to Johns Hopkins data. In Minnesota – the state with the worst current coronavirus outbreak – new positive cases this week have reached pre-vaccine levels.
However, the total number of hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. has remained the same over the past week. According to CNBC, about 47,000 patients are currently hospitalized with the virus, while about 1,150 deaths are reported each day.
Winter is dangerous
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Fauci added Monday that the U.S. needs to be careful this winter as more Americans head indoors in colder weather to entertain themselves. However, the infectious disease expert said those who are vaccinated should feel free to socialize with loved ones during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
“If you’re home with your family, enjoy it with your parents, your kids and your grandparents,” he said. “There’s no reason not to.”
So far, more than 68 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while nearly 59 percent are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.