"COVID-19, Handle It Yourself Now"... Why Has the US Infectious Disease Chief Changed?

"COVID-19 Will Not Completely Disappear"

Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). / Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the United States' chief epidemic response official, urged that "from now on, Americans must handle COVID-19 on their own."

On the 10th (local time), Fauci appeared on ABC's 'This Week' and stated, "COVID-19 will not completely disappear, and we cannot fully eradicate it," adding, "From now on, each American must assess the risks and respond accordingly."

This statement by Fauci is quite different from what he said two years ago when the COVID-19 situation was severe. In the early stages of COVID-19, he emphasized strengthening quarantine measures, mandatory mask-wearing, and regional lockdowns. When vaccinations began, he said vaccination was the only way to protect ourselves from the virus. He also maintained this stance during the emergence of the Delta variant.

However, as the Omicron variant became dominant, the virus's severity has weakened significantly compared to before, and public fatigue over quarantine measures has accumulated, which seems to have led to his sudden change in position.

The U.S. government currently considers the COVID-19 situation not severe, taking into account vaccination rates, immunity levels, and treatment conditions, and has lifted most quarantine measures.

Regarding concerns about President Biden's health after several U.S. government officials and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi contracted COVID-19, Fauci expressed confidence, saying, "The White House's quarantine measures to protect the president are strong."

President Biden has received four vaccine doses so far, and anyone meeting the president must undergo a COVID-19 test in advance.

Meanwhile, recently in the U.S., infections caused by the Omicron subvariant (BA.2) are spreading mainly in the eastern regions such as Washington DC and New York. As a result, on the 8th, the daily number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. approached 100,000, marking the highest level this month.