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Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, has promised that “the cavalry is on its way” in the form of a coronavirus vaccine, but urged a last major national effort to stop the spread.
Fauci spoke at the first press conference of the White House coronavirus task force since July. He was joined by Vice President Mike Pence and Response Coordinator Deborah Birx, but there was no sign of Donald Trump or his controversial adviser Scott Atlas.
The task force broke its long silence as the virus reaches new highs, infecting more than 158,000 Americans and killing more than 1,100 every day. The total death toll is now a quarter of a million. Trump, little seen in public and who refuses to accept electoral defeat, has been accused of almost giving up the fight.
Members of the task force said they did not support a new national closure or school closings. But Fauci pointed to the “extraordinarily impressive” efficacy of the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna in clinical trials, telling reporters that he wants to “put an end to any concept that this was inappropriately rushed.” This is really solid. “
Fauci continued: “Now, as the vice president said, we are telling you that aid is on the way, which has two aspects. It means that we have to redouble public health measures while we wait for that help to arrive, which will be soon. We will receive doses of vaccines in the people with high priority at the end of December. “
“We are not talking about closing the country. We are not talking about blocking. We’re talking about stepping up the simple public health measures we all talk about: wearing masks, marking distances, avoiding congregational settings, doing things as much as possible outdoors rather than indoors. If we do that, we can delay things until the vaccine arrives. “
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, added: “Now I have used that metaphor that the cavalry is on the way. If you are fighting a battle and the cavalry is on the way, do not stop firing. You keep going until the cavalry arrives, then you might even want to keep fighting. “
The White House coronavirus task force briefings were an almost daily occurrence during the virus’s first surge in April, and Fauci and Birx became household names. But they faded over the summer when the president fought the election campaign, suffered his own infection, and increasingly mocked Fauci. He brought in a new adviser, Atlas, who has falsely attacked the science of face masks and state measures to reduce infections.
Pence said Thursday’s briefing was held at Trump’s request, but did not respond to questions about the virus or his boss’s refusal to acknowledge that Biden won the election.
The task force recognized that infections and hospitalizations are increasing across the country. Pence acknowledged that the test’s positivity rate for the past 30 days has risen from 5% to 10%, and in some parts of the country it is much higher. Birx, pointing to a graph, added: “There are more cases, more quickly than we have seen before.”
But Pence also insisted that the country is much better prepared in terms of personal protective equipment and other resources than it was at the start of the outbreak, as well as a system and kits to distribute a vaccine.
“The United States has never been more prepared to fight this virus than we are today,” said the vice president. “The day after one of these vaccines is approved, we will ship the vaccines to the American people and within a day after that, we will see those vaccines injected into Americans.”
He added: “We are getting there, America.”
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) urged Americans to avoid traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday. Birx added her voice asking “to decrease those gatherings of friends and family where people gather and unknowingly spread the virus. Every American needs to be vigilant right now because we know that when they are, we can mitigate this virus and stop it from spreading together. “
But Pence also dismissed the kind of massive business closures the United States witnessed in the spring. “President Trump wanted me to make clear that our task force, this administration, and our president do not support another national shutdown and we do not support school closings.”
The sharp comment about the schools came a day after New York officials announced that public schools would be closing again after the city’s positivity rate reached 3%.
Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, argued that it is possible for schools to conduct in-person instruction safely. He insisted: “They can do it safely and they can do it responsibly. The infections that we identified in schools, when assessed, were not acquired in schools. In fact, they were acquired in the community. “
The big threat in broadcasting is “not the public square, but family gatherings” where people feel comfortable and remove their masks, Redfield added.
Alex Azar, the health secretary, said Pfizer would seek an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Friday for its coronavirus vaccine. The application and clinical trial data will be reviewed by an independent board of scientists before approval is granted. Azar added: “Hope and help are on the way.”
Moderna is expected to submit an emergency approval request for its vaccine candidate in the coming weeks.
