Fauci: At least ‘several weeks’ needed to measure coronavirus restrictions’ impact

It will likely take at least several weeks for restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus to have a measurable effect on the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday. 

“It probably would be several weeks and maybe longer before we know whether they are having an effect,” Fauci said at a White House press briefing. 

He added that he wouldn’t measure the impact of new administration guidelines every few days as a way to decide if more drastic measures should be taken. 

Doing so would be misleading, he said, adding that the number of cases could be going up while the measures are lessening the overall peak number of cases. 

“It’s kind of like a race against the virus. If left to its own devices, it would do this,” Fauci said, gesturing to form a curve with a high peak, “and us trying to somehow blunt that.”

“Now you could see the virus going up and up and … your work, what you’re trying to do, it may actually be having an effect. But you may not see it because it will still be going up. And as you’re trying to implement your interference with the virus, you may not realize that you’re actually interfering,” he added.

President Trump urged Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people in a Monday address.

Several states have also implemented statewide closures on schools, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues in efforts to limit the spread of the outbreak. 

Fauci on Tuesday again pleaded to young people, who are less vulnerable to the worst effects of the virus, to cooperate with recommendations of social distancing to mitigate the spread. 

“We can’t do this without the young people cooperating. Please cooperate with us,” Fauci said.