Because of two varieties of the coronavirus—Delta and the "more transmissible" Omicron—which are driving up cases everywhere from restaurants to major sports teams, the coronavirus outbreak has arrived and is spreading quickly. With all of these new advances, how can you keep safe? Dr. Anthony Fauci, the President's principal medical advisor and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave an essential update on CNBC's Squawk Box. Read on for five life-saving tips.
1. Dr. Fauci Warned We're in the middle of a Surge and You Need to Act That Way
Dr. Fauci was asked to be safe in places where individuals can't wear masks, such as offices and restaurants. "Those are challenging scenarios," Fauci said. "We're seeing a huge increase in the Delta surge and the Delta variant, as well as a significant increase in the percentage of the new Omicron variant, which has the unpleasant capacity to spread quickly, with a doubling period of around three days. So the advice is the same as we've always given. We need to get the unvaccinated individuals vaccinated, and boosters are quite helpful in protecting you against illness, especially a severe disease that may require hospitalization. So, in general, if you've been vaccinated but haven't been boosted, get boosted. And, in terms of how you go about your daily life, you must follow the CDC's recommendations, which include that when you are in an indoor situation, such as a congregate environment where you don't know the status of vaccination of those around you, you must wear a mask."
2. Dr. Fauci Warned Too Many People are Unvaccinated and "Optimal Vaccination is With a Booster."
"Unfortunately, there are still a lot of individuals in this nation who haven't been vaccinated or haven't been boosted, and we need to get those people vaccinated." What is it? "Fully vaccinated" might mean two or three shots, which suggested changing the definition to three vaccinations. Although "completely vaccinated"—for the norms and requirements—means two doses, there's little doubt that booster vaccination is the best option. There's no doubt about it... I believe that people should not lose sight of the fact that if they want to be fully protected, they should obtain their booster."
3. Dr. Fauci Said The Risk is "Never Zero" and Here's How to Approach Your Gatherings
In light of the rise, should we all hold holiday get-togethers? Cases are raging in New York, for example. "Well, you just have to take things one step at a time and see how things evolve," Dr. Fauci stated. "You can still have a social gathering in a home if you are vaccinated, your family is vaccinated, and you have friends who have vaccinated and preferably also boosted. It would help if you were alert when entering huge public indoor spaces with many people, which is why you should wear a mask in certain situations, but you also need to pay attention to what's going on. We may need to be more restrictive if the numbers and test positives rise. But, for the time being, anyone who has been vaccinated and boosted should be safe. In any case, though, the risk is never zero."
4. Dr. Fauci Said This Fact Would Influence More Restrictions
When it comes to new limitations, "All you have to do, in my opinion, is consider all of the possibilities. Take a look at the people that are becoming infected. When deciding how restricted you should be, you must consider the severity of the infection, the rate of hospitalizations, and other factors. And those things happen in real-time, and you take it one step at a time. I can't give you a number right now, and then that number becomes the set number, and I don't have any genuine scientific facts to feel confident about a set number."
5. How to Stay Safe Out There
Get vaccinated or boost your vaccinations as soon as possible; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you aren't sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene.