Fauci asks Americans to ‘sacrifice’ Thanksgiving in COVID-19 plea

Dr. Anthony Fauci made one final plea with Americans on Wednesday, urging them to “sacrifice” their Thanksgiving plans in order to help thwart the spread of COVID-19.

“Keep the indoor gatherings as small as you possibly can. We all know how difficult that is because this is such a beautiful, traditional holiday,” the nation’s top infectious disease expert said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“But by making that sacrifice, you’re going to prevent people from getting infected.

“A sacrifice now could save lives and illness and make the future much brighter as we get through this.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci
Dr. Anthony FauciGetty Images

Fauci also expressed optimism in the fight against coronavirus, with now three vaccines showing effectiveness in warding off the bug.

“Vaccines are right on the horizon,” he said. “If we can just hang in there a bit longer and continue to do the simple mitigation things that we’re talking about all the time — the masks, the distancing, the avoiding crowds, particularly indoor. If we do those things, we’re going to get through it. So that’s my final plea before the holiday.”

The doc said if people don’t heed his advice, the country could see “yet another surge” of infections within three weeks.