Topline
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, has sounded more optimistic about the coronavirus pandemic in the days since since the announcement that early data shows Pfizer’s vaccine candidate is 90% effective, but Thursday morning he made clear now is the time to “double down” on established public health measures “now that we see vaccines on the horizon,” he said.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during ... [+]
Key Facts
During a live streamed panel on the coronavirus pandemic hosted by Chatham House, a London-based think tank, Fauci said it’s still vital to continue established viral mitigation measures like universal masking, avoiding congregating indoors and frequent handwashing until widespread vaccination is achieved.
“Vaccines will help us. What we’ve got to do is just hang on and continue to do and double down on the public health measures,” Fauci said.
People in countries around the world are experiencing what Fauci called “Covid fatigue,” after months of social distancing, he said.
However, he’s optimistic that the news of the efficacy of Pfizer’s vaccine candidate and news of progress for other candidates will serve as “an incentive to continue” to take precautions in what could be the final stretch of the pandemic.
“Please don’t give up, don’t despair, the end is in sight,” he said.
Crucial Quote
“Don’t stop shooting. The cavalry is coming, but don’t put your weapons down. You better keep fighting because they are not here yet. Help is on the way, but it isn’t here yet,” Fauci said.
Key Background
It’s an optimistic shift in tone for Fauci, who said earlier this month that the country could not “be positioned more poorly” for the upcoming autumn and winter seasons as new coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths spike across the U.S. On Tuesday, he said he would receive the vaccine himself and recommend it to his family if it were to get the seal of approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Until then, experts are concerned about the effects of families gathering for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb warned that Thanksgiving could be an “inflection point” in the spread of coronavirus and lead to a record-breaking surge by winter. “I think December is probably going to be our toughest month,” he told CBS’s Face The Nation.
Further Reading
‘I Trust Pfizer’: Fauci Says He Would Take Coronavirus Vaccine Upon FDA Approval (Forbes)
Fauci: U.S. Could Not ‘Be Positioned More Poorly’ For Winter And Coronavirus (Forbes)
Former FDA Commissioner Says Thanksgiving Will Be 'Inflection Point' As Coronavirus Spreads (Forbes)
