Dr. Fauci: 'Full-Blown' COVID-19 Pandemic Is Nearly Over In The U.S.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, said he believes the United States is almost done with the "full-blown" pandemic phase of COVID-19. Speaking to the Financial Times, Dr. Fauci said he does not think that are "we are going to eradicate this virus," but suggested we can reach an "equilibrium."

"There is no way we are going to eradicate this virus," Dr. Fauci told the paper. "But I hope we are looking at a time when we have enough people vaccinated and enough people with protection from previous infection that the COVID restrictions will soon be a thing of the past."

Dr. Fauci said that he hopes that COVID restrictions can be lifted "soon." However, he did not give a specific timetable when things would begin to return to normal.

"As we get out of the full-blown pandemic phase of COVID-19," Fauci said. "Which we are certainly heading out of, these decisions will increasingly be made on a local level rather than centrally decided or mandated. There will also be more people making their own decisions on how they want to deal with the virus."

Dr. Fauci also suggested that not everybody may need a booster shot as the number of infections declines.

"It will depend on who you are," he said. "But if you are a normal, healthy 30-year-old person with no underlying conditions, you might need a booster only every four or five years."