Dr. Fauci has been the National Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He has advised six Presidents on HIV/AIDS and many other domestic and global health issues. He was one of the principal architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved millions of lives throughout the developing world. And he’s in the Government Hall Of Fame. Despite his busy schedule, Dr. Fauci called into The Bobby Bones Show to share his views on how the coronavirus pandemic is moving throughout the country as well as when he thinks concerts, festivals, and restaurants may return to their normal schedules.
While talking about concerts and festivals, Dr. Fauci shared that he doesn’t like blanket statements so he’s not sure on the exact timeline on when these things may return. He said the mitigation the country is doing right now is having a very important effect on dampening the virus. But, he cautioned that cities aren’t in sync with each other, which means tours and big festivals uniting people across the country would only make us vulnerable for reigniting outbreaks.
He continued by reminding the show’s listeners that this pandemic will go down in history like the 1918 pandemic of influenza.
“We’re going to have to accept the fact that it won’t be business as usual.”
As far as restaurants re-opening their dining experiences are concerned, Dr. Fauci could see restaurants reopening with strict capacity and seating guidelines for the foreseeable future. But this also depends on where you live. He said if you’re in a community that’s been in the middle of things, like New York City or Detroit, restaurant dining needs to stay closed until they’re way down on the outbreaks. Dr. Fauci continued by sharing that if your community is appropriately doing a rolling re-entry to reality once outbreaks are down, communities will likely see restaurants opening with these strict precautions in the beginning. He confidently shared that small rural communities will be some of the first to get back to real normals over big cities.
As far as what everyone can do in their communities to keep the outbreaks low, Dr. Fauci reiterated how important it is to wash your hands. He says if you have to interact with people, you should be washing your hands immediately after, because infection can happen quickly after interaction. In the future, he doesn’t anticipate shaking hands being as widely acceptable and suggests people start learning to greet others by elbow bumps, bowing, or putting both hands up with palms facing the other person.
Outside of the serious talk with everything happening, Bobby Bones asked Dr. Fauci some more personal questions. When Bones referenced the petition to make him the Sexiest Man Alive, Dr. Fauci laughed and said, “That would be a joke! Where were all of you when I was 30 years old?” He shared that he’s incredibly busy right now spending most of his time locked inside the White House, but when he’s not he isn’t watching television, but instead getting in late night jog or power walk with his wife.
