Dr. Fauci, who has led the new corona infection control in the United States, responded to an exclusive interview with NHK, saying that in Japan, avoiding the so-called "three Cs" and wearing a mask have become effective as an infection control. After evaluating it, I suggested that we should continue to recommend wearing masks depending on the situation.
Dr. Anthony Fauci of the United States is a leading expert in infectious disease research, and has worked on infectious disease control under seven presidents since then President Reagan. I've been leading the infection of Corona.
In an exclusive interview with NHK, Dr. Fauci recently acknowledged that "we are still in the midst of a pandemic," while saying that the current infection situation in the world is different in each country.
Regarding Japan's measures against the new corona so far, he said, ``The fact that avoiding the 'three Cs' and wearing masks has become relatively established in society has been effective in preventing infection in Japan.'' Taking the example of the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recommending wearing a mask indoors in some cases based on the infection status of each region, he said, "In Japan, we will continue to recommend masks indoors depending on the infection status. should be done,' he said.
It will soon be three years since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern in response to the spread of the new coronavirus.
Dr. Fauci acknowledged that the world must be permanently vigilant, as new infectious diseases will continue to occur, not just the new corona.
On top of that, he said that vaccination is the most effective countermeasure against the new corona, saying, ``We will have the latest booster vaccination not only for those who have not yet been vaccinated all over the world, but also for those who have been vaccinated. I have to work harder," he said.
China Ends Zero Corona “Will suffer from huge number of infections and deaths”
Regarding the Omicron strain "XBB.1.5", which is currently spreading rapidly in the United States, Dr. Fauci said, "Although the nature of evading immunity is stronger than before, it is reassuring information that it is unlikely that severe cases will occur at this time. The number of infections will eventually peak and then decline, but there are some countries where we can see signs of that."
Regarding the Chinese government's termination of the "zero corona" policy, he said, "I am very concerned that China will suffer from a huge number of infected people and deaths. I think it's already happened," he said.
Regarding Japan's current consideration of shifting the position of the novel coronavirus under the Infectious Diseases Act to the "5" category, which is the same as seasonal influenza, he said, "There are positive aspects, but there are also difficult aspects. An effective strategy would be to get the public vaccinated every fall, just like the seasonal flu, but if a new mutant virus appears before that, it will be possible to respond flexibly without waiting for the season. I have to," he pointed out.