Fauci returns: Doctor claims getting people to mask up, get boosted a ‘hard sell’ these days

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci returned to MSNBC on Tuesday to recommend viewers continue to mask up indoors and get their second booster shot to combat spread of the BA.5 variant of coronavirus. Though Fauci admitted it’s a "hard sell" to convince Americans to do these things nowadays.

On Tuesday morning, MSNBC host Chris Jansing asked Dr. Fauci if the new COVID-19 variant – omicron subvariant BA.5 to be exact – is something that Americans need to take seriously. 

Fauci responded in the affirmative and added that it’s worse than the previous omicron subvariants. "Well, it’s something we absolutely need to take seriously. It has a transmission advantage over the prior variants that were dominant." 

He added that it "has a transmission advantage which is one of the reasons why we’re seeing throughout several regions of the country, including in particularly the New York area, you’re starting to see cases go up."

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"It needs to be taken seriously," the doctor reiterated. He then reminded folks who have grown fatigued with more than two years of strict COVID-19 prevention protocol, saying not to go slack completely. "Everybody wants to put this pandemic behind us and feel and hope it doesn’t exist. It does."

Though he offered a point of hope: "However, the good news is we have the capability and the tools to address it, and we just need to utilize those tools." Those specific tools, he indicated, are getting vaccinated and boosted.

Notably he mentioned that mandates should not be pursued just recommendations. "We’re not talking mandating anything, but we’re saying recommending people when in indoor congregate settings to wear a mask. Those are simple, doable things that can help prevent us from having even more of a problem than we’re having right now."

Jansing’s next question conveyed sympathy for Americans who have been put through more than two years of COVID restrictions. She asked, "But given where you see the American people and their mindset and, frankly, their exhaustion right now, how much harder a sell is it for you now than it was, say, a year ago, to say, ‘When you go indoors, wear a mask?’"

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He admitted it’s a "hard sell," replying, "You know, no doubt about it, you’re absolutely correct. it becomes a hard sell. We don’t want people to panic. We don’t want this to disrupt their lives the way it has all of us over the last 2 to 2 1/2 years."

He continued, "But you have to remember, we’re still dealing with an issue. And you can deal with it without necessarily disrupting your way of life, by doing some simple things."

Fauci detailed these simple things, stating, "Getting tested, for example. Tests are widely available right now."

He added, "So testing is an important mitigation. The next is vaccination. The next is boosting."

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