Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is one of the most trusted voices of the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore yesterday, when he gave a 45 minute interview Ashish Jha, MD, the incoming dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, people sought more than advice for sage health: they looked for signs of optimism and hope. While Fauci shares invaluable insights into the state of the pandemic and possible paths ahead, one thing he could net giving was unbelievable confidence – especially when it came to the question of whether we would have an effective vaccine in the very near future.
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About halfway through the interview, Jha initiated the exchange with a question he said he was often asked, himself: “How confident are you that we will have a fax, let’s say by the end of this year or early next year? “
Once the pragmatist Fauci stated that “trust” without data is essential, so any confidence he could have in something that has not yet been tested is purely speculative. “You should never feel confident when dealing with something that requires a randomized placebo-controlled trial to prove it,” Fauci said. “You feel your confidence when you start to see the data coming in … I’m not confident in guessing or conquering,” he added.
While Fauci doubted confidence, his caution should not be mistaken for pessimism. He shared that he feels ‘cautiously optimistic’ about our chances of developing a vaccine on time, but stressed that confidence should be reserved for things that have successfully passed the test phase with the data to make it. (That is actually the reason why such rigorous testing is necessary.)
If not trusted, Fauci has good reason to be optimistic about a timely fax. “If you look at the early response both in the data of the animals – but more importantly in human phase one – it induces a reaction with neutralizing antibodies that are at least as good, if not better, than the plasma of recovering people, “he said, referring to those who have already recovered from coronavirus.
True to form, he added with aroused enthusiasm: “It’s a good start. Not a guarantee, Ashish, but it’s a good start. And for more pearls of wisdom from Fauci’s recent interview, view Dr. Fauci says this is how the US can prevent a “disaster” this fall.
Gallery: Fauci said exactly how we can turn things around in November (ETNT Health)
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