Dr. Fauci Gives Guidance on New COVID-19 Pill, Importance of Vaccines

Coronavirus Pandemic

By Alyssa Wilson Published: December 23, 2021

Dr. Fauci Gives Guidance on New COVID-19 Pill, Importance of Vaccines

In Summary

Dr. Anthony Fauci joined BNC to discuss the new highly transmissible omicron variant and what it means for holiday gatherings.

The latest COVID-19 strain, omicron, has caused a surge in new infections and hospitalizations across the United States.

Cases of the omicron variant are now present in all 50 states as it beat out delta to become the most dominant strain of COVID-19. As BNC previously reported, surges have impacted various sectors, including sports and politics.

As public health officials continue to study omicron to learn about its transmissibility and how it stands up against the COVID-19 vaccines, the Food and Drug Administration has granted Pfizer the green light for a new COVID-19 pill.

“Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally—a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,” Patrizia Cavazzoni, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said. “This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, joined BNC to discuss Pfizer’s new pill and the impact of the new omicron variant.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 Pill

Fauci said the pill is an “extraordinarily effective medication,” saying it diminishes the likelihood a person would require hospitalization by 90%. Now, Fauci said the trick is to make sure manufacturing can produce enough pills to get them to people who need them over the next few months.

Public health officials say it is better to not get infected instead of relying on the COVID-19 pill to protect them as opposed to getting vaccinated. Fauci said it is important to get vaccinated, but it is also critical to get boosted for an “extra amount of optimum protection.”

Omicron Variant

Officials are still trying to understand omicron and its long effects, but Fauci said up to 30% of people will face long-COVID symptoms and lingering effects from a COVID infection. In July, President Joe Biden said serious long-term COVID-19 symptoms could qualify as a disability under federal law.

Holiday Gatherings

Fauci said, “nothing is ever 100% risk-free,” as he spoke about holiday gatherings. He said if a person is having a small gathering with all vaccinated family members, it is safe to gather. However, it is not safe to gather with large groups of people where the vaccination status of guests is unknown. “There’s no way I would go to that kind of gathering with everything we’re going through with omicron,” Fauci said.