No doubt masks make a difference, vaccinations are going to really make a big, big difference. I think a combination of these things, hopefully sometime in the future, we can not only get the kids back to school, but we can get rid of the masking situation. We have got to do it in a step-by-step fashion.

Anthony Fauci

I certainly hope so, because we are not going to get an answer that is a definitive answer — I mean, even if they do cooperate, we may not do that.

Rochelle Walensky have to be consistent, always stick with the facts and the evidence and the data. That was one of the issues that obviously arose when I was part of the Coronavirus taskforce in the prior administration.

We're not over the pandemic. Don't let anybody get the misinterpretation that the pandemic is over, but what we are in is a different phase of the pandemic, a phase that's a transition phase, hopefully headed toward more of a control where you can actually get back to some form of normality without total disruption of society, economically, socially, school-wise, etc.

In general, the risk is low, but I made a personal assessment. I'm 81 years old, and if I get infected, I have a much higher risk.

Each of us, in our own personal way, has to make an assessment of what risk you're willing to accept about getting infected, in general, the risk is low, but I made a personal assessment. I'm 81 years old, and if I get infected, I have a much higher risk.

We are certainly, right now, in this country, out of the pandemic phase, namely, we don't have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now. So, if Anthony Fauci're saying are we out of the pandemic phase in this country ? We are.

Pandemic means a widespread, throughout the world infection that spreads rapidly among people, so, if you look at the global situation, there is no doubt this pandemic is still ongoing.

It didn't meet the criteria for efficacy, there was never a safety issue, but it didn't meet the criteria, which then had them go back and do a study with a third dose as a part of the primary regimen.

Trust me, I'm not here to give Easter Bunny more Covid guidance. I'm not stupid enough to think Easter Bunny're going to follow it, all I'll say is that Covid cases are a lot like Jesus -- they've risen again !

Those conditions are also present in the United States, so, I would not be surprised if we see an uptick in cases. Whether that uptick becomes a surge where there are a lot more cases is difficult to predict.

I think we should expect, David, that over the next couple of weeks, we are going to see an uptick in cases -- and hopefully there is enough background immunity so that we don't wind up with a lot of hospitalizations.

I think we should expect... that over the next couple of weeks, we are going to see an uptick in cases. And hopefully there is enough background immunity so that we don't wind up with a lot of hospitalizations.

[T]he Chinese are very closed, in a way of being very reluctant, particularly when you have a disease that evolves in their country, they become extremely secretive, even though there’s no reason to be secretive, i think they were very concerned and maybe embarrassed that the virus evolved from their country but there’s nothing wrong with that.

I don't want to use the word ‘lockdowns. That has a charged element to it. But, I believe that we must keep our eye on the pattern of what we're seeing with infections, having said that, we need to be prepared for the possibility that we would have another variant that would come along. And then, if things change and we do get a variant that does give us an uptick in cases and hospitalization, we should be prepared and flexible enough to pivot toward going back – at least temporarily – to a more rigid type of restrictions, such as requiring masks indoors.

I would not be surprised at all, if we do see somewhat of an uptick, i don't really see, unless something changes dramatically, that there would be a major surge.

What the UK is not seeing, and that's good news, is an increase of severity or an increase in the use of intensive care unit beds or an increase in the all-cause mortality.

If in fact, we do see a turnaround and a resurgence, we have to be able to pivot and go back to any degree of mitigation that is commensurate with what the situation is.

The overall mortality is actually down. It’s a very interesting situation where the cases are going up, but it does not, at this point in time, appear to be any degree of severity.

It's not too soon if you observe the caveat that's associated with that. And the caveat is, we need to be flexible, and if in fact we do see a turnaround and a resurgence, we have to be able to pivot and go back to any degree of mitigation that is commensurate with what the situation is, we can't just say that' we are done now ; we're going to move on.' We've got to be able to be flexible, because we are dealing with a dynamic situation.

We generally follow what goes on in the UK by about two to three weeks. So we've been paying close attention to what's going on there, what they're seeing is an uptick in cases that are related both to the increased transmissibility of the virus, the waning of immunity, but also the fact that they're opening up the way we are here and the way other countries in Europe and other parts of the world we're pulling back on mask mandates and things like that.