Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb: 'By Jan. 4, this pandemic may well be over'
Is the COVID-19 pandemic's end in sight?
Dr. Scott Gottlieb thinks so. The former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration told CNBC on Friday he believes the coronavirus pandemic is nearing its end in the United States and could be "over" in two months. Gottlieb, a Pfizer board member, made the comments while reacting to Pfizer's announcement that its pill to treat COVID-19 is effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization and deaths.
"The bottom line is the end of the pandemic, at least as it relates to the United States, is in sight right now, given all the tools we have to combat this disease," Gottlieb said on CNBC.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Before this can happen, the United States will still need to get through the Delta wave of COVID-19 infections, Gottlieb said. But after that, he suggested therapeutics like Pfizer's pill coming to market will "mark the end of the pandemic for the United States," and as a result, "we need to think about how we put that victory sign on the sign of the White House, how we declare victory over this pandemic." He has previously suggested the Delta wave of COVID-19 cases would be the "last major wave of infection."
This comes after the Biden administration this week announced that Jan. 4 will be the deadline for large companies to adhere to his vaccine-or-testing mandate. "By Jan. 4, this pandemic may well be over, at least as it relates to the United States," at which point "we'll be in more of an endemic phase of this virus," Gottlieb predicted.
Others had similar reactions to the news from Pfzier on Friday, with Slow Boring writer Matthew Yglesias suggesting the drug company's results, combined with the approval of vaccines for children between 5 and 11, "makes it time for the White House/CDC to set a couple of clear benchmarks for declaring victory on COVID."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Playful goslings, an exploding snowman, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
What is rock flour and how can it help to fight climate change?
The Explainer Glacier dust to the rescue
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Covid four years on: have we got over the pandemic?
Today's Big Question Brits suffering from both lockdown nostalgia and collective trauma that refuses to go away
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The hollow classroom
Opinion Remote school let kids down. It will take much more than extra tutoring for kids to recover.
By Mark Gimein Published
-
Excess screen time is making children only see what is in front of them
Under the radar The future is looking blurry. And very nearsighted.
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Covid-19: what to know about UK's new Juno and Pirola variants
in depth Rapidly spreading new JN.1 strain is 'yet another reminder that the pandemic is far from over'
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Long-term respiratory illness is here to stay
The Explainer Covid is not the only disease with a long version
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published