Fauci: The vaccinated can be as infectious as the unvaccinated, so they need to wear masks indoors; pandemic will get worse

By Al Cross Published August 3, 2021 CORONAVIRUS, FEATURED, HEALTH POLICY, YOUR HEALTH

Chart by The Washington Post based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data
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As Gov. Andy Beshear issued a vaccination-promotion video with one of the latest student winners of the state’s vaccine lottery, President Biden’s top medical adviser warned that the pandemic will worsen.

“Things are going to get worse” due to the Delta variant of the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci said on ABC‘s “This Week” Sunday. “We are looking, not I believe, to lockdown, but we are looking to some pain and suffering in the future because we are seeing the cases go up.”

Anthony Fauci (CBS image)

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said “The solution to this is, get vaccinated.”

Fauci and other experts stressed that vaccines are still doing the job even though the Delta variant is infecting some vaccinated people, who can spread the virus without knowing the have it.

“Almost invariably they get minimal symptoms or no symptoms at all,” but new research shows they average about the same level of virus in their nasal pharynx as they unvaccinated, so that’s why vaccinated people need to wear masks indoors, Fauci said on CBS‘s “Face The Nation.”

“If you do get infected, the likelihood of you getting a severe outcome of the infection is very low … so the vaccine is doing what you want it to do: it’s preventing people from getting sick,” Fauci said.

Looking at it another way, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that fewer than 0.1% of the 164 million vaccinated Americans have been infected with the virus, and only 0.001% of the vaccinated have died.

Speaking to the 100 million Americans who haven’t been vaccinated though they are eligible, Fauci said, “If you’re going to be part of the transmission chain to someone else, then your decision is impacting someone else. It’s not only impacting you. And you’ve got to think about it, that you are a member of society and you have a responsibility.”

Vaccinations are increasing. In Kentucky, the CDC reported Sunday that 15,482 doses were given Saturday, the highest daily number in almost five weeks but still below the levels seen in most of May. The seven-day rolling average is 8,738 doses per day, a third higher than the previous week.