OPINION
This article contains commentary which reflects the author's opinion
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Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared to move the ‘normalization’ goalpost again during a Sunday interview on CNN, providing vague, ambiguous responses to direct questions about when he’ll see his kids and when life in America can return to pre-pandemic conditions.
During the “State of the Union” segment, Bash asked Fauci when he planned to reunite with his family in person.
Fauci won’t say that grandparents who have been fully vaccinated against Covid can now spend time with their family; "recommendations will come out to guide us in a more precise way." pic.twitter.com/Y88D7hjbrc
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 21, 2021
“Right now, not yet. Not yet. I mean, I would look forward to it within a reasonable period of time,” he said, adding that his wife has already received her first vaccine and that he wants his kids to be vaccinated as well before seeing them.
“I’m sure by that time recommendations will come out to guide us in a more precise way,” he added.
.@DanaBashCNN: "What does normal mean? Do you think Americans will still be wearing masks for example in 2022?"
Dr. Anthony Fauci: "You know, I think it is possible that's the case. And, again, it really depends what you mean by normality." pic.twitter.com/JQm9Cbo16O
— The Recount (@therecount) February 21, 2021
The subject then turned to masks, with Bash asking the Biden administration’s chief medical adviser and the country’s top immunologist when Americans could finally put them away.
“Do you think Americans will still be wearing masks, for example, in 2022?” Bash asked specifically.
“You know, I think that it is possible that’s the case. And again, it really depends on what you mean by normality —“ Fauci began, as Dash interrupted.
“Right, that’s why I want you to define it,” she pressed.
“If normality means exactly the way things were before we had this happen to us, I mean, I can’t predict that,” Fauci said. “But I think, obviously that we’re going to have a significant degree of normality beyond the terrible burden that all of us have been through the last year, that as we get into the fall and winter by the end of the year, I agree with the president completely that we will be approaching a degree of normality.
“It may or may not be precisely the way it was in November of 2019, but it’ll much, much better than what we’re doing right now,” he added.
Unsatisfied, Bash pressed further to ascertain what ‘normal’ looked like to Fauci.
He said that the “dynamics of virus that’s in the community” would be a determining factor while noting further that he would like to see virus levels “so low” that there is only a “minimal, minimal threat” anyone could become infected.
Once that low level of community presence is achieved — whatever that happens to be — “then I believe you’re gonna be able to say, for the most part, you know, we don’t necessarily have to wear masks,” said Fauci.