Dr. Fauci Reveals 'Best Way to Get the Economy Back'

Dr. Anthony Fauci has gone global. The top infectious-disease expert in the U.S. was interviewed on Ireland's Late Late Show on Friday night, where he talked about the current state and future outlook of the coronavirus pandemic. He pointed to a potential problem this winter, shared the latest vaccine predictions, reflected on becoming a political enemy to some people, and addressed his relationship with President Trump. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.

Fauci said that COVID-19 cases had plateaued in the US at about 40,000 a day. "As we move into the winter months, where there will be much more indoor activity, that could be problematic. We have got to do better than that."

He added: "We got hit badly, worse than most countries. Ireland did not get as hit as bad, but you did get hit bad, and what you did is that you put restrictions that were substantial restrictions, and you got a baseline back down."

Fauci said it was "painful" that public health recommendations to blunt coronavirus have become controversial. "Adherence, or not, to these has almost turned into a political statement in the U.S.," he said.

"I myself have been physically threatened and harassed and my family have been harassed," he added. "The enemy is the virus—the enemy is not the public health people who are trying to contain the virus."

Fauci has repeatedly warned against large gatherings, which are driving up coronavirus cases as colleges have reopened. He expressed frustration that his recommendations are going unheeded. "With an infectious disease, you can't consider yourself in a vacuum and say, 'Well I don't really care if I get infected, because I'm a young person, and it's likely that I will not have any serious consequences'," he said. "A high percentage of people who get infected are asymptomatic, but the thing you forget is, by getting infected, even if you are without symptoms, you are inadvertently propagating the outbreak."

"You have public health officials like myself who keep saying wear masks, [keep] physical distancing, avoid crowds, as if that were somehow an affront to some people," he said. "That we were either encroaching upon their individual rights or we were not sensitive to the impact that this has on the economy, neither of which was true."

He added: "The enemy is the virus . . . the best way to get the economy back is to control the virus."

"We should know by the end of this calendar year – let's say November, December – whether we have a safe and effective vaccine that can then be started to be deployed," said Fauci.

"Once we get vaccines distributed in the population – we won't be completely avoiding and not adhering to public health measures – but clearly they will be much less restrictive," he added. "Vaccines are going to make things much more amenable to approaching some sort of normality in society."

Fauci dismissed questions about friction between himself and Trump; Fauci has appeared at White House briefings less frequently of late. "As a health person, my relationship with the president I believe is a good relationship," he said. "As a personal relationship, it is not a bad relationship at all; it's a good relationship. There has been some tension there because I have been having to say things from a public health and scientific standpoint that were at odds with what the president was saying."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

As for yourself, do everything you can to prevent getting—and spreading—COVID-19 in the first place: Wear a face mask, get tested if you think you have coronavirus, avoid crowds (and bars, and house parties), practice social distancing, only run essential errands, wash your hands regularly, disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.