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Dr. Anthony Fauci is the leading infectious disease expert in the United States. It has been a reassuring and constant voice of caution and balance in an often hyperbolic and hypertensive environment.
It was clear in his testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Labor, Education and Pensions that he wanted to issue a warning: a rush to reopen could have serious consequences for the country.
If “states, cities or regions” ignore government “checkpoints” on when it is safe to withdraw from mitigation measures, Fauci said, “I feel that if that happens, there is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that perhaps not being able to control, which in fact paradoxically will slow you down, will not only lead you to a little bit of suffering and death, which could be avoided, but might even slow you down the road trying to get the economy back.
“We would almost turn back the clock, instead of moving forward.”
As for the upcoming school year, the chief scientist said there are new and unusual cases involving children who get sick and need to be understood first.
The idea that he could tell parents it’s safe for children to return to school in the fall, he said, “could be a bridge too far right now.”
Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also acknowledged that the death rate is probably higher than the reported 80,000. But with his grim analysis, words of hope also came.
He told the committee that the scientists claim to know if a success coronavirus The vaccine has been found in late fall and early winter. He added that he was “cautiously optimistic” about a vaccine.
There are currently eight accelerated. “We have many candidates and we hope to have multiple winners,” Dr. Fauci explained to the senators.
Administration officials said a massive increase in testing is underway: 25 to 30 million tests a month, along with follow-up to better determine the spread. But until then, says Dr. Fauci, it is highly conceivable that there will be a second wave.
It is not a surprising evaluation, there have been warnings of that for weeks. But the tone is at odds with that of Donald Trump, who has sounded very positive notes about the United States’ readiness to reopen and its success in overcoming the pandemic.
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The concern among those with whom they work is that states and individuals do not follow the guidelines established by the Coronavirus Task Force.
The scenes of beaches and parks filled with people who don’t wear masks have alarmed those, like Dr. Fauci, who made the recommendations.
The president is not alone in his frustrations, far from it. Some states have been incredibly vocal in their desire to return to normal.
But the man in the coal face of the medical and scientific response has made it clear: he does not believe that a return to normality is or should be imminent.
