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Fauci says Christmas could be even worse than Thanksgiving for COVID-19 spread

"This may be even more compounded because it's a much longer holiday. It starts several days before Christmas and it goes through into New Year's," Fauci said on CNN.

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci wears a face mask as he waits to testify before a House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in June.
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci wears a face mask as he waits to testify before a House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in June.Read moreKevin Dietsch / AP
    by Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, McClatchy-Tribune
    Published 

If you thought Turkey Day was an epic coronavirus super-spreader event, wait till Santa’s sleigh flies down from the North Pole.

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday warned that the Christmas holiday has the potential to be "even more of a challenge" than Thanksgiving for the still-spreading pandemic.

"This may be even more compounded because it's a much longer holiday. It starts several days before Christmas and it goes through into New Year's," Fauci said on CNN. "It could be even more of a challenge than what we saw with Thanksgiving."

The world-famous pandemic doctor said he sympathized with the desire of COVID-weary Americans to celebrate the holidays with friends and loved ones.

But he pleaded for discipline as we face the darkest days yet and hospitals face the grim prospect of being overwhelmed by coronavirus sufferers.

"No one wants to modify if not essentially shut down their holiday season," he said. "But we are in a very critical time in this country. This is very tough going."

Fauci spoke out as the impact of Thanksgiving is only now coming into focus. Ten days after the holiday that usually features indoor family gatherings, numbers are again spiking to previously unseen record levels.

He backed California's strict new stay-at-home measures, saying health officials have little alternative if they hope to protect the health system.

Fauci said he is looking forward to working with the newly minted health leadership team of President-elect Joe Biden.

Despite his fancy new title of chief medical officer, Fauci said he doesn't expect to play a dramatically different role than he is supposed to play under President Trump.

Although he's skipping Monday's Trump-mounted Vaccine Summit, Fauci praised the vaccine effort as a medical miracle that will eventually end the pandemic.

“It’s really been a very successful effort with the vaccine,” the doctor said. “There’s no doubt that vaccine is about to turn this thing around.”