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Dr. Anthony Fauci on reopening safely and COVID-19 vaccines
FOX 5 NY spoke with Dr. Anthony Fauci about when we might see a vaccine for COVID-19, the risks of reopening and protesting during the pandemic, and more.
It was only just a few months ago that the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, forcing millions of people into lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci led the United States through those difficult and uncertain waters, and while the pandemic is certainly not over, he offered some hopeful notes for the future in an interview with FOX 5 NY.
“We feel by the end of this calendar year, December, we will know whether or not the vaccine is safe and effective,” Fauci said about the rush to find a vaccine for COVID-19. “We should have a vaccine hopefully by the beginning of this coming year.”
Meanwhile, as more and more of the nation begins to reopen, some states are seeing a surge of new coronavirus cases, leading to concerns over whether the nation is reopening too quickly.
“There are areas in the country that are opening up in a very measured, careful way according to the guidelines and you will see cases that will appear, it’s how you handle them, how you do the identification, isolation and contact tracing that will determine whether you see a surge or not,” Fauci said.
Meanwhile, the George Floyd protests across the nations have drawn thousands out into the streets to protest, leaving some to wonder if they are running the risk of a spike in coronavirus cases in the future.
“I hope not, but i’m telling you that’s a considerable risk,” Fauci said.
Fauci also expressed his opinion that the U.S. could have done better handling the outbreak of the coronavirus, but expressed his desire to look ahead and see how we can prevent further infections and deaths.