WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – There are encouraging signs the coronavirus pandemic is improving, with the number of new cases dropping in many parts of the country. However, hospitals are still overwhelmed and hundreds of Americans are still dying from COVID each day.
Washington D.C. correspondent Hannah Brandt asked Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday if an end to this pandemic is finally in sight.
“Well this will end for sure, hopefully sooner rather than later,” Fauci said.
Dr. Fauci says while we won’t be able to eradicate the virus entirely, we can control it.
“That the infection gets to such a low level that there’s relatively few hospitalizations and deaths and it is not disruptive of society,” Fauci explained.
The GOP Doctors Caucus, led by Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, insists President Joe Biden isn’t doing enough.
“It’s clear the Biden administration doesn’t really have a plan to combat the virus besides mailing people tests and pushing less-than-effective boosters,” Harris said.
This week, the Biden administration introduced a new website aimed at increasing testing access and promised to send millions of N95 masks to Americans.
“It could’ve been done better earlier but we’re making extraordinary progress now and catching up with that,” Fauci said.
Many Republicans also argue vaccine mandates aren’t helping
“We’re not going to be able to boost or mandate or test our way out of this virus,” Harris said.
But Dr. Fauci points to how dangerous the virus can be for the unvaccinated.
“There’s a 10 times greater chance of being infected, a 17 times greater chance of getting hospitalized and a 20 times greater chance of dying,” Fauci said.
Dr. Fauci says he doesn’t blame people who haven’t gotten vaccinated, but he won’t stop encouraging them to get the shots.