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Tuesday, June 6, 2023 | 
Coronavirus U.S. & World

Dr. Fauci reveals what inning we’re in when it comes to COVID-19 fight

Dr. Fauci said the U.S. may not be done with the pandemic yet

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks to a group of interfaith clergy members and community leaders and officials at the Washington National Cathedral, to encourage faith communities to get the COVID vaccine, Tuesday, March 16, 2021 in Washington

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks to a group of interfaith clergy members and community leaders and officials at the Washington National Cathedral, to encourage faith communities to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in Washington.

Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a White House medical adviser on the novel coronavirus, recently revealed what inning we’re in when it comes to fighting COVID-19.

Fauci on COVID-19 response

Fauci spoke on CNN Monday night with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer about the COVID-19 pandemic. He was asked to make a baseball metaphor for where we are in the pandemic response. Here’s what he said.

It’s not like baseball, Wolf, because the inning that we’re in is going to depend on how we respond, Fauci said. If I say we’re in the seventh inning, it’s almost over, and we have surges like we’re seeing throughout Europe and the rest of the world and the threat of a surge that we’re seeing now. ... It’s not measured in innings anymore. It’s measured in what we do to contain this.

Fauci doesn’t think we’re in any real inning anymore. He did say people need to get their COVID-19 vaccine shots and double down on health measures. Fauci told MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan that we may need to start preparing for third COVID-19 vaccine shots as well as variants become more prevalent.

Pandemic and innings

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has tried to measure itself in innings. How close are we to the end? Where do we stand when it comes to finishing the pandemic?

Related

I want to point back to something Boyd Matheson wrote for the Deseret News in April 2020 that aligns with what Fauci spoke about.

The nation cannot jump from ‘shelter in place’ to full engagement any more than a baseball player can run directly from first to home. There are rules to fighting this pandemic.

He also explained that the COVID-19 pandemic wouldn’t end anytime soon and that work is required for the game to finish out.

The game is not yet won. There are weeks and months of change ahead. COVID-19 is no game, of course. But the principle is the same. Work together. Understand what’s required. Return to the ballpark. And return safely home.