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

It’s too early to think about life after the pandemic, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said, urging Americans to continue social distancing.

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.