While the US exceeds five million COVID-19 cases, the virus shows no sign of stopping. But in an Aug. 7 interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci, MD, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), shared that is possible to turn the tide – even in the worst hotspots. We just need to look at the areas that successfully contain the virus and follow their lead. Fauci turned the spotlight on one state that recently overcame a severe outbreak, praising it as “a good example” of how we can all move forward: that state is Arizona.
© Provided by Best Life
At its peak in early July, Arizona registered 4,753 new cases in one day, according to a coronavirus tracker by The New York Times. Hospitals filled up quickly, and the death toll increased. Then, in mid-July, the state slammed him with new regulations.
Fauci explained that Arizona’s success in controlling its outbreak was the direct result of the state following what he calls “The Fundamental Principles” of COVID. Using a handful of basic precautionary measures that anyone can take to limit the spread of coronavirus, Arizona has shown that our actions determine the course of the pandemic. Fauci outlined the strategy as follows:
- Wear a mask outdoors
- Exercise physical distance
- Avoid crowds
- Spend time outside whenever possible
- Practice good hand hygiene
- Stay away from bars
“Those things work!” Fauci exclaimed in the interview. “I strongly believe, and I will say it very clearly, we do not have to shut up completely if we do things right … I believe we can open the economy, get jobs back, get people out of the doldrums locked – if we do it carefully, cautiously and the way the guidelines say, ‘he continued.
Today, Arizona registered 1,054 new cases in a pattern that continues to trend. “This is not a victory shot,” Gov. Doug Ducey said last week of the declining numbers of the state. “This is not a celebration. If it is anything, it is proof that the decisions and the sacrifice that Arizonans make work,” he added. The key, Ducey insists, remains the course. It’s a safe bet that Dr. Fauci would agree. And for more on hotspots that have stopped the excitement, find out why this state is the “Wonderful Success Story” of the Pandemic.
Gallery: Fauci Just Said This One Thing Could Stop a ‘Catastrophe’ (ETNT Health)
Continue reading
