Before the Senate Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions Committee in Washington, D.C., Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert, testify before them on July 20, 2021.
Walensky stated that "we have a lot science right now; vaccines are available," he told reporters during a session hosted by the Health Coverage Fellowship (a program for health journalism). Human behavior is something we cannot predict. Human behavior during this pandemic is not something we can predict.
The Covid-19 pandemic is now in its 20th month. This comes after the peak of 172,000 cases per day in September's delta wave. Some experts believe we may be the last major surge of the virus, but it is anyone's guess when it will end.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC, cannot predict when the pandemic is going to end. She said that it largely depends upon human behavior. That could be a problem.
We are fighting with each other and not with the virus.
The infectious diseases expert said that although 55% of Americans are fully vaccinated and some protection for those who have recently been infected, this does not provide enough immunity to combat the more contagious Delta variant.
Walensky stated that the R-naught for the delta variant is either 8 or 9. R-naught, also known as the basic reproduction number (or the R-naught), is the average number of people an infected person will transmit the virus to. To prevent the spread of disease, we need to have a lot more protection.
She said that while some communities have high vaccination rates, and are well protected, there are still pockets of vulnerable areas.
Walensky stated that the virus doesn't think it's stupid and will spread. Your question really depends on how well we can all come together as a human race and a community to do what we need in these communities to protect ourselves.
Walensky said that so far "we are fighting with each other and not with the common foe, the virus itself,"
