Dr. Fauci: 'Normal' May Not Return Until 2022

Dr. Anthony Fauci is concerned that the United States is trending in the wrong direction as the number of cases of coronavirus continues to skyrocket across the country. Several states in the midwest are reporting a record number of people testing positive, while hospitals are struggling to keep up with the surge of new patients.

"If things do not change, if they continue on the course we're on, there's gonna be a whole lot of pain in this country with regard to additional cases and hospitalizations and deaths," Dr. Fauci said during an interview on The News with Shepard Smith.

He said that while big cities, such as New York City and Philadelphia, are capable of handling the influx of patients requiring ICU beds or ventilators, hospitals in more rural areas may struggle to treat patients.

"They never had the kind of hospital and intensive care facility and flexibility that some of the larger hospitals in larger cities have," said Fauci. "They're concerned that if the trajectory continues, they may be in a position where they are going to be strapped for things like intensive care beds."

During an online discussion hosted by the University of Melbourne, Dr. Fauci cautioned that things may not return to normal until 2022. He said that once a vaccine has been approved, it will take months to vaccinate everybody.

"I think it will be easily by the end of 2021 — and perhaps even into the next year — before we start having some semblance of normality," Fauci said.

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content