Fauci Warns Going Back To Normal Won't 'Be A Light Switch That You Turn On And Off'

Dr. Anthony Fauci has cautioned in recent interviews that the coronavirus pandemic will unalterably change aspects of public life. And on Thursday, the nation’s top infectious disease expert again advised Americans not to expect a quick return to anything approaching “normal.”

“When you say ‘get back to normal,’ it’s not going to be a light switch that you turn on and off,” Fauci said on “CBS This Morning.”

Fauci, head of the National Institute on Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said it’s too early to even begin thinking about what life after the pandemic may look like. Even when the risk subsides, the process of how people return to work and school, and resume public gatherings, will likely be different across various states and cities depending on the virus’s spread, he said.

Officials will “progress toward the steps toward normalization as we get closer to the end of the 30 days” of social distancing recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fauci said.

“Hopefully, by the time we get to the summer, we will have taken many steps in that direction,” he said. He added that Americans might be able to make plans for summer events only “if we do the things that we need to do to prevent the resurgence” of the virus.

In China, where COVID-19 cases have tapered off and the government has ended more than two months of lockdown, residents are still under many restrictions to prevent a possible second wave of the pandemic.

U.S. health officials have cautioned against lifting restrictions and relaxing social distancing guidelines too early for the...

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