Fauci: Double-Masking ‘Just Makes Common Sense’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT GUTHRIE Joining ░░░░░░░░ now is Dr Anthony ░░░░░░░░ the chief medical adviser ░░░░░░░░ President Biden and director ░░░░░░░░ The National institute of ░░░░░░░░ and infectious diseases Dr ░░░░░░░░ good to see you ░░░░░░░░ always Fauci Good to ░░░░░░░░ with you GUTHRIE Let ░░░░░░░░ start with some good ░░░░░░░░ for a change The ░░░░░░░░ day average shows a ░░░░░░░░ in cases in this ░░░░░░░░ of about 30 Hospitalizations ░░░░░░░░ down as well How ░░░░░░░░ is this drop off ░░░░░░░░ it possible with the ░░░░░░░░ that we are starting ░░░░░░░░ see the beginning of ░░░░░░░░ end or at least ░░░░░░░░ worst is behind us ░░░░░░░░ Well you know what ░░░░░░░░ think this really is ░░░░░░░░ just the natural peaking ░░░░░░░░ then plateauing and coming ░░░░░░░░ The number of vaccines ░░░░░░░░ we ve gotten into ░░░░░░░░ arms of people good ░░░░░░░░ We want to keep ░░░░░░░░ get a lot of ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated but I don ░░░░░░░░ think the dynamics of ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing now ░░░░░░░░ the plateauing is significantly ░░░░░░░░ yet it will be ░░░░░░░░ but yet by the ░░░░░░░░ I think it is ░░░░░░░░ natural course of plateauing ░░░░░░░░ see when you get ░░░░░░░░ a holiday season we ░░░░░░░░ expecting that there may ░░░░░░░░ been even more Apparently ░░░░░░░░ We re going to ░░░░░░░░ down and stay there ░░░░░░░░ one thing we have ░░░░░░░░ keep our eye on ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ complacent and think oh ░░░░░░░░ are going in the ░░░░░░░░ direction We could pull ░░░░░░░░ a bit You know ░░░░░░░░ do have circulating now ░░░░░░░░ this country a variant ░░░░░░░░ the U K that ░░░░░░░░ in over 20 states ░░░░░░░░ now that is a ░░░░░░░░ that has a better ░░░░░░░░ of being transmitted more ░░░░░░░░ from person to person ░░░░░░░░ s one of those ░░░░░░░░ There s good news ░░░░░░░░ there s also sobering ░░░░░░░░ The good news is ░░░░░░░░ you just said that ░░░░░░░░ seem to be plateauing ░░░░░░░░ sobering news is that ░░░░░░░░ cannot bring our guard ░░░░░░░░ and lose the intensity ░░░░░░░░ being able to use ░░░░░░░░ public health measures to ░░░░░░░░ the further spread GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ battle Fauci If in ░░░░░░░░ the variant becomes dominant ░░░░░░░░ the variant that has ░░░░░░░░ greater degree of of ░░░░░░░░ becomes dominant we re ░░░░░░░░ to be faced with ░░░░░░░░ challenge of a virus ░░░░░░░░ has a more efficient ░░░░░░░░ of spreading GUTHRIE And ░░░░░░░░ leads me to the ░░░░░░░░ question Because this variant ░░░░░░░░ the U K which ░░░░░░░░ CD C has said ░░░░░░░░ likely become dominant the ░░░░░░░░ K Just announced that ░░░░░░░░ is not only more ░░░░░░░░ it is more deadly ░░░░░░░░ concerning is that Fauci ░░░░░░░░ Well obviously that s ░░░░░░░░ concerning when you see ░░░░░░░░ The data has not ░░░░░░░░ out officially but taking ░░░░░░░░ look at the eliminary ░░░░░░░░ the U K scientists ░░░░░░░░ I m convinced there ░░░░░░░░ a degree of increase ░░░░░░░░ seriousness of the actual ░░░░░░░░ which we have to ░░░░░░░░ an eye on GUTHRIE ░░░░░░░░ s talk about South ░░░░░░░░ It has its own ░░░░░░░░ Actually I believe a ░░░░░░░░ of strains One of ░░░░░░░░ has been shown to ░░░░░░░░ reduce the effectiveness of ░░░░░░░░ vaccine or antibody protection ░░░░░░░░ is of course very ░░░░░░░░ The Biden Administration just ░░░░░░░░ a travel ban to ░░░░░░░░ into effect on South ░░░░░░░░ Is it fast enough ░░░░░░░░ worried are you that ░░░░░░░░ south African strain is ░░░░░░░░ or may already be ░░░░░░░░ Fauci Well let s ░░░░░░░░ that a bit first ░░░░░░░░ all Yes we are ░░░░░░░░ concerned about the south ░░░░░░░░ strain right now Because ░░░░░░░░ you do studies in ░░░░░░░░ test tube in vitro ░░░░░░░░ it shows the ability ░░░░░░░░ monoclonal antibodies that have ░░░░░░░░ used for therapy that ░░░░░░░░ really impaired in the ░░░░░░░░ of these particular variants ░░░░░░░░ other words these monoclonal ░░░░░░░░ don t nearly work ░░░░░░░░ well as treatment There ░░░░░░░░ a very slight modest ░░░░░░░░ in the efficacy of ░░░░░░░░ vaccine against it but ░░░░░░░░ is enough cushion with ░░░░░░░░ vaccines that we have ░░░░░░░░ we still consider them ░░░░░░░░ be effective against both ░░░░░░░░ U K Strain and ░░░░░░░░ south African strain But ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ that ly because these ░░░░░░░░ continue to evolve But ░░░░░░░░ don t want people ░░░░░░░░ think at this point ░░░░░░░░ the vaccines are not ░░░░░░░░ against them They are ░░░░░░░░ we really need to ░░░░░░░░ sure that we begin ░░░░░░░░ we already have to ░░░░░░░░ if it s necessary ░░░░░░░░ upgrade the vaccines We ░░░░░░░░ already taking steps in ░░░░░░░░ direction Despite the fact ░░░░░░░░ the vaccines that we ░░░░░░░░ now do work your ░░░░░░░░ about what we want ░░░░░░░░ do about travel from ░░░░░░░░ Africa I believe it ░░░░░░░░ very prudent that the ░░░░░░░░ made the decision to ░░░░░░░░ block travel from South ░░░░░░░░ from people who are ░░░░░░░░ U S Citizens There ░░░░░░░░ also going to be ░░░░░░░░ additional situation where anybody ░░░░░░░░ into the country is ░░░░░░░░ to have to have ░░░░░░░░ negative Covid test before ░░░░░░░░ get on the plane ░░░░░░░░ they get here they ░░░░░░░░ going to have to ░░░░░░░░ a period of quarantine ░░░░░░░░ a second test We ░░░░░░░░ taking seriously the potential ░░░░░░░░ the influx of these ░░░░░░░░ of mutants into the ░░░░░░░░ GUTHRIE A lot of ░░░░░░░░ are are hearing now ░░░░░░░░ double masking wearing two ░░░░░░░░ or try to get ░░░░░░░░ of the N 95 ░░░░░░░░ grade masks Do you ░░░░░░░░ that s advisable and ░░░░░░░░ a difference Fauci You ░░░░░░░░ it it likely does ░░░░░░░░ I mean this is ░░░░░░░░ physical covering to prevent ░░░░░░░░ and virus to get ░░░░░░░░ So if you have ░░░░░░░░ physical covering with one ░░░░░░░░ you put another layer ░░░░░░░░ it just makes common ░░░░░░░░ that it likely would ░░░░░░░░ more effective And that ░░░░░░░░ the reason why you ░░░░░░░░ people either double masking ░░░░░░░░ doing a version of ░░░░░░░░ N 95 GUTHRIE As ░░░░░░░░ await this vaccine rollout ░░░░░░░░ really get going this ░░░░░░░░ CD C director said ░░░░░░░░ government has no idea ░░░░░░░░ much vaccine they have ░░░░░░░░ states and localities can ░░░░░░░░ even really plan and ░░░░░░░░ those appointments Ron Klain ░░░░░░░░ White House chief of ░░░░░░░░ told Meet the Press ░░░░░░░░ there was no process ░░░░░░░░ distributing the vaccines beyond ░░░░░░░░ homes and hospitals I ░░░░░░░░ you have a unique ░░░░░░░░ because you ve been ░░░░░░░░ the whole time How ░░░░░░░░ this happen and how ░░░░░░░░ can this be fixed ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I think we ░░░░░░░░ going to get our ░░░░░░░░ around that pretty quickly ░░░░░░░░ imagine that the comment ░░░░░░░░ the CD C director ░░░░░░░░ taken a little out ░░░░░░░░ context What she was ░░░░░░░░ to say is that ░░░░░░░░ are multiple steps producing ░░░░░░░░ vaccine getting it into ░░░░░░░░ Viles getting it shipped ░░░░░░░░ it distributed and getting ░░░░░░░░ into people s arms ░░░░░░░░ are you know vaccine ░░░░░░░░ each one of those ░░░░░░░░ And there is confusion ░░░░░░░░ you ask a given ░░░░░░░░ Well how many are ░░░░░░░░ this stage and how ░░░░░░░░ are at that sge ░░░░░░░░ I had done in ░░░░░░░░ past is call up ░░░░░░░░ person who was responsible ░░░░░░░░ that type of a ░░░░░░░░ to the local places ░░░░░░░░ they should be and ░░░░░░░░ s the person involved ░░░░░░░░ operation warp speed general ░░░░░░░░ He can tell you ░░░░░░░░ how many are going ░░░░░░░░ be shipped We ll ░░░░░░░░ the number But Dr ░░░░░░░░ was right there is ░░░░░░░░ at any given stage ░░░░░░░░ we can get our ░░░░░░░░ around that and get ░░░░░░░░ information quickly GUTHRIE Dr ░░░░░░░░ good to have your ░░░░░░░░ and perspective this morning ░░░░░░░░ you very much Fauci ░░░░░░░░ to be with you ░░░░░░░░ you for having me.”