A day before America celebrated the big family holidays, Dr. Anthony Fauci made a “final plea” for Americans to follow COVID-19 guidelines this Thanksgiving. According to the country’s leading infectious disease expert, anything less will trigger new case studies.
“Hold the gatherings as much as possible, the indoor gatherings as much as possible,” Fauci told George Stephanopoulos, co-anchor of “Good Morning America,” on Wednesday. “We all know how hard it is because it’s such a beautiful traditional holiday. But by making this sacrifice, it prevents people from becoming infected.”
More than 85,000 Americans are hospitalized with the coronavirus, setting a new record for the 14th consecutive day, and the disease kills more than 1,500 Americans a day, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Nationwide distribution has shown that no community is free from becoming the next hot spot.
According to Fauci, people should avoid gathering with loved ones who are not part of their daily lives. “If you bring people into your home who don’t belong in the direct household, there’s a risk,” he said.
“We know exactly that people who go to a party or go to a gathering without symptoms, innocently – without malignancy – get together indoors, let down the guards, obviously have to take off a mask, eat or drink,” he said. – Try to avoid this as much as possible.
A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says there is a critical shortage of staff in more than 1,000 hospitals across the country. Dr. Hassan Taha, of Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, Kansas, said CBS Evening News on Wednesday that his hospital did not have beds to treat another wave.
“What worries me is the two weeks from Thanksgiving and the many cases that come to us or other hospitals and there is no bed,” he said. Stormont Vail has more than 100 COVID-19 patients.
Fauci has asked people to adhere to COVID precautions during the holiday season so the United States can ease restrictions if a vaccine is available.
Distribution of the vaccine “may begin shortly after” the Food and Drug Administration board meets on Dec. 10 to review Pfizer’s application for an emergency use, Health and Human Resources Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday. Vaccination with Pfizer, which appears to be 95% effective, will be evaluated by the FDA Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products during the meeting.
Core groups such as health care and core workers are given priority in immunization. Azar said the administration expects the population to be able to vaccinate “by the second quarter of next year.”
“The vaccinations are on the horizon,” Fauci said Wednesday. “If we can just stay there a little longer and continue the simple mitigating things we’re constantly talking about: masks, distancing, avoiding crowds, especially indoors. If we do these things, I’ll go through it, so that’s my last plea. before the holiday. “
