Dr Anthony Fauci speaks with Healthline about COVID-19 vaccines

Fauci continues to be cautiously optimistic that the United States will know if there is an effective and safe vaccine in late 2020 or early 2021.

By the end of 2021, Fauci expects that we will have enough doses for anyone who wants one, if a vaccine is approved.

The reason why, Fauci said, is because of the promising results we’ve seen in preliminary research conducted on several vaccine candidates.

Studies have shown that some of the vaccines can induce neutralizing antibodies in people who are as protective or potentially better than convalescent plasma, which is present in people who have recovered from COVID-19, according to Fauci.

“It’s not a guarantee, but it’s a good predictor that things will be okay,” Fauci said.

Several candidate vaccines are currently being evaluated in phase III trials to ensure they are safe and effective.

The federal government has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars to jumpstart the manufacturing process. So, if and when a vaccine is proven, it can be distributed quickly.

Asked about Russia’s approval of a vaccine, Fauci said it was essential to understand the difference between having a vaccine and proving that a vaccine works.

The Russian vaccine was approved before a critical Phase III trial was completed, which means it’s unclear whether it’s safe or even works.

Fauci said it takes time to properly test the safety and efficacy of a vaccine.

“We have to be careful when you hear from Russia or China or anywhere else that they have a vaccine that they know works. They can have a product that they are willing to risk giving it to people without necessarily yet showing that it is effective or that it is safe, ”Fauci said.

To gain collective immunity, a large majority of people will need to be vaccinated in the United States.

But there is growing concern that a substantial portion of the American population, especially those who are part of the anti-vaccine movement, will refuse to be vaccinated when a vaccine becomes available.

Fauci doesn’t think the government would ever force a vaccine on the general public.

“If someone refuses the vaccine in the general public, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Fauci said, noting that you cannot force a person to be vaccinated.

In the medical community, however, hospitals may require health care providers to be vaccinated before seeing patients.

Fauci said we have two strong treatment options for people with advanced COVID-19: remdesivir and the corticosteroid dexamethasone.

What we need now are proven treatments for people with newly acquired infections, Fauci said. Many treatment options are currently being tested: direct antivirals, monoclonal antibodies, convalescent plasma, hyperimmunized globulin.

In studies, remdesivir has been shown to reduce the time it takes for people hospitalized with lung problems to recover and leave the hospital.

Dexamethasone has also been shown to reduce the death rate in people on ventilators or on oxygen.

As schools begin to reopen, teachers, school officials and parents wonder if it is safe for students and staff to show up in person.

With COVID-19 hot spots in different parts of the United States, Fauci said there was no single plan for schools to reopen, as infection levels vary widely from region to region. ‘other.

“Making a side-to-side statement, taking the country as a whole, won’t work – we are so heterogeneous when it comes to the level of infection,” Fauci said.

Schools in green areas or in areas with very low infection levels, Fauci said, can probably reopen safely.

In yellow areas, where the infection rate is somewhat higher, it is essential that schools put a plan in place to mitigate the infection. This can include organizing classes outside, wearing a mask, practicing physical distance and alternating classes.

In a red zone, where community spread is endemic and the test positivity rate is over 10%, schools should reassess their plans and reconsider holding in-person classes.

“You’d really better think twice before you do this, because what might happen is what you saw: you walk in, people are infected, they shut them down,” he said, speaking about the closure of schools shortly after reopening. “Better to relax, maybe with the virtual [learning], until you see what’s going on, when you’re in a really hot area.

Schools will have to remain flexible. School benefits children developmentally, so it is important to weigh the developmental and mental health benefits against the physical health risks.

While we’re doing a lot better than before, there are still a number of barriers in our contact tracing efforts, Fauci said.

Mainly, how long it takes people to receive the results of the COVID-19 test, which lasts an average of 5-7 days.

“It almost negates the purpose of contact tracing because it means someone has been there for 5-7 days to potentially spread the infection,” Fauci said, adding officials are currently fixing the delays. test.

Asymptomatic transmission, which is believed to represent up to 40% of cases, also complicates the process. It is more difficult to identify asymptomatic carriers and detect an outbreak.

Fauci wants to see the percentage of positive tests performed drop in areas with high infection rates.

In New York, for example, the percentage of positivity is less than 1%. “It’s what you want the whole country to be,” Fauci said.

The United States is not alone in the fight against COVID-19.

Every week, Fauci and his colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) participate in a weekly appeal organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in which health officials and scientists from nearly every country in the world discuss the latest information and learning about the novel coronavirus.

American scientists also collaborate closely with colleagues in countries such as Australia, Mexico, Canada and Europe.

American researchers have also partnered with countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Chile and Peru to host clinical trials.

“You don’t hear a lot about this in the secular press, but it’s really happening in a pretty intense way,” Fauci said.

In a town hall hosted by Healthline on Tuesday, Dr Anthony Fauci discussed the current state of the pandemic and what to expect in the months ahead.

Along with other health experts, Fauci explored the barriers of contact tracing, how and where schools can safely reopen, collaboration with other countries, and the promise of current and current treatments and vaccines and future.