Dr. Anthony Fauci doubled down on his signature cautious optimism as he discussed the flattening of COVID-19 cases nationwide during an interview on the TODAY Show Wednesday morning.
After reiterating his line that he envisions a “rolling reentry” for states that won’t be uniform across the board, Fauci warned that “pulling back” on mitigation efforts prematurely will prompt more infections.
However, when asked whether he feels that the worst is behind us in light of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying that there’s been a plateau in the state’s COVID-19 cases, Fauci agreed that we are “for the most part,” with a “couple of exceptions.”
“There are still a couple of cities right now that we’re worried about that haven’t yet peaked and turned around,” Fauci said. “But if you look at the New York metropolitan area as kind of the prototype that’s been driving this through the country, and then look at the country as a whole, there’s no doubt that what we’ve seen over the past several days is a flattening-out.”
Fauci added that COVID-19 cases New York are starting to come down regarding hospitalizations, need for intensive care and intubation, and that he hopes that “trend will continue.”
“So as I say, I’m a very cautious person, but we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel,” Fauci said.
Watch Fauci’s remarks below:
