Lauren Dempsey, MS in Biomedicine and Law, RN, FISM News
Amidst a recent spread of COVID amongst D.C. politicians, Dr. Anthony Fauci seems to be changing his guidance on how to deal with the virus, saying that Americans are responsible for making their own health decisions regarding COVID-19.
This change in rhetoric comes after two years of flip-flopping on masking and demanding that all Americans get vaccinated.
In an interview with ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Fauci said, “[COVID] is not going to be eradicated, and it’s not going to be eliminated,” adding, “And what’s going to happen is that we’re going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci says Americans should continue assessing risk for themselves as COVID-19 cases rise.
“We don't want to pooh-pooh getting infected. I think people sometimes say, ‘Well, it's OK to get infected.’ No, it's not.” https://t.co/3EWXE4DXYr pic.twitter.com/K3frevrq5z
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 11, 2022
The new guidance follows a rash of infections amongst D.C. politicians following a dinner that many Washington officials, including Dr. Fauci, attended.
Fauci’s comments fall in line with what many critics of the doctor have been saying for a long time. While Fauci and the government have focused on mass vaccination and forced pandemic restrictions, the majority of those on the right have pushed for individual freedom – promoting the viewpoint that preventing COVID-19 has always been the responsibility of the individual; that where there is risk, there must always be choice, especially when it comes to medical decisions.
Now, Americans are “going to have to live with some degree of virus in the community” and moving forward will need to consider certain risk factors such as age, vaccination status, and if they live with vulnerable individuals. Fauci did not discuss other risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity or recommend the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Fauci added that he is hopeful that there won’t be an uptick in hospitalizations and praised vaccinated Americans. He also cautioned that some individuals may need a fourth dose of the vaccine, something that the CDC also recently recommended.