Here's Dr. Fauci's comments about the U.S. transitioning out of the pandemic phase.
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The United States is "certainly, right now, in this country, out of the pandemic phase," Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on PBS's "NewsHour" on Tuesday.
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(CNN)The United States is "certainly, right now, in this country, out of the pandemic phase," Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on PBS's "NewsHour" on Tuesday.
"Namely, we don't have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now. So if you're saying, are we out of the pandemic phase in this country? We are," he said.
On Wednesday, Fauci told CNN that his comments had been mischaracterized by some to mean that the pandemic is over, "which is not what I said."
"We're not over the pandemic. Don't let anybody get the misinterpretation that the pandemic is over, but what we are in is a different phase of the pandemic," he said. "A phase that's a transition phase, hopefully headed toward more of a control where you can actually get back to some form of normality without total disruption of society, economically, socially, school-wise, etc."
Fauci noted that, in fact, Covid-19 cases are trending up again, though it's not anywhere near the rise we saw over the winter with the Omicron wave.
"So what we need to do is continue to be vigilant, to follow the CDC guidelines, to do the kinds of things that protect you: Get vaccinated, if you're not vaccinated; get boosted if you're eligible for a boost. If you do get infected, be aware that there is availability of antivirals."
Fauci's comments on PBS drew attention on the same day the Biden administration announced that he would not be attending the annual White House Correspondents Dinner after considering his individual risk.
"Each of us, in our own personal way, has to make an assessment of what risk you're willing to accept about getting infected," Fauci told CNN. "In general, the risk is low, but I made a personal assessment. I'm 81 years old, and if I get infected, I have a much higher risk."