Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that he will not rule out Americans still having to wear masks by 2022 – even if the country is returning to some degree of “normalcy”.
When asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether masks will be needed next year, Fauci replied, “I think it could be, and again, it really depends on what you mean by normality.”
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said he does not know when the country will return to a pre-pandemic life, but believes that by the end of the year “we will have a significant degree of normalcy over.” the terrible burden we have all endured over the past year. “
“As we move into fall and winter, I agree by the end of the year [President Joe Biden] completely that we will be approaching some degree of normalcy, ”said Fauci.
“It may not be exactly as it was in November 2019, but it will be much better than what we are doing now.”
But he said wearing a mask depends on how often the virus persists.
“It depends on the level of virus dynamics in the community and that’s very important because … when you see the level getting really, really low, I want it to keep dropping to a baseline where there is next to no threat – it will never be zero – but a minimal, minimal threat of being exposed to someone who is infected, ”said Fauci.