Dr. Fauci says Americans should skip this Thanksgiving

Fauci's message in a nutshell was that the same methods professionals have been recommending since earlier this year are every bit as valid now, as our struggle with the novel coronavirus is far from over.

In an interview with CBS News managing editor Norah O’Donnell of, the doctor noted that cases are "surging" in 37 out of 50 states within the US. "That is not a good sign as you're entering into the cooler weather," opined Fauci, referring to the fact that there may be a possibility that the virus thrives in cooler weather.

"They sound very simple, but people are not doing that [following medical professionals’ advice] and that's why we have an uptick in cases," he went on to say:

"That is unfortunately a risk, when you have people coming from out of town, gathering together in an indoor setting," Fauci commented, when asked about the tradition of families getting together for Thanksgiving. "It is unfortunate, because that's such a sacred part of American tradition — the family gathering around Thanksgiving. But that is a risk."

"Given the fluid and dynamic nature of what's going on right now in the spread and the uptick of infections, I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age or their underlying condition. You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering, unless you're pretty certain that the people that you're dealing with are not infected."

Fauci went on to state that his children will not be joining him this year for Thanksgiving dinner, due to how far away they live from him, and his advanced age. Fauci is 79-years-old.

"They themselves, because of their concern for me and my age, have decided they're not going to come home for Thanksgiving — even though all three of them want very much to come home for Thanksgiving," Fauci said.

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