Ov. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Wednesday that Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 could not return to their pre-epidemic lives.
“It won’t be like in 2017 and 2018, when we didn’t worry about catching a respiratory pathogen,” the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner told Squawk “X”. “We’ll worry about it, even if we get vaccinated.” “
Still, he said, “I think we’ll worry a lot less than we do right now, hopefully.”
The novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and spread worldwide, killing a total of 86.6 million infections and more than 1.8787 million people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University as of Wednesday morning. Between the second case and the increase in casualties, the U.S. It accounts for more than 21 million cases and more than 357,000 deaths in global cases.
Gottlieb, who led the FDA in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019, compared the potential changes in life in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to life in the United States. For example, he said he believes mental illness can continue to check temperatures in public places. He added, “A conference room is crowded with 50 people, of which there may be reluctance to have 10.”
Making the Covid-19 vaccine, which serves on the Pfizer board, Gottlieb said, “I think things will be different, like now it will be different when you pass through an airport after 9/11.” “I don’t think masks will become mandatory next fall and winter, if we can increase vaccination rates and if these new types go out or not become prevalent. But I think a lot of people will want to wear masks, and that’s okay.”
Gottlieb cited several reasons behind his belief, including the reluctance of some people to be vaccinated against Covid-19, such as the lack of a universal vaccination against seasonal influenza. Furthermore, he stressed that the vaccine protects people from developing the pathogenic Covid-19, not necessarily always infected with coronavirus.
“It will take time to fully answer the question because we will be relying on real-world evidence, but conventional wisdom … that the vaccine may prevent some people from becoming infected and reduce the likelihood of people being infected. [from transmitting] Virus, “Gottlieb said.” What we don’t know is the magnitude of the impact. “
Gottlieb said he believes the U.S. In “If we do things right”, the fall and winter covid-1 will be less than the widespread problem now. Instead, he said, “too bad a season can be like the flu.”
He said, “We are still going to see people who are sick. There will still be people who will die from covid next winter, but it will not become an epidemic.” “It will spread. There will be an epidemic. The risk of those who are vaccinated will be significantly reduced.”
Gottlieb’s remarks, following a warning Tuesday evening about new strains of the coronavirus circulating in South Africa, told CNBC’s Shepard Smith that it was “very relevant” because it could be mutated in a way that limits the effectiveness of antibody drugs. Can.
Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and a member of Pfizer’s board, launching genetic testing Tempus and biotech company Illumina. He also co-chairs Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the Royal Caribbean’s “Healthy Sail Panel”.
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