Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning Americans to be cautious with COVID optimism, pointing out that it’s not likely safe to share toothbrushes again until sometime in 2023.
People across the country are eager to get back to a normal way of life and are anticipating easier access to vaccines in the coming months. However – with news of the toothbrush sharing – things won’t go all the way back to normal for at least a year and some change.
“Even with the vaccine, even with double and triple masking, I’d caution people to hold off on sharing toothbrushes for now,” Fauci said on CNN. “By sometime in 2023, we should all be able to swap and pass around toothbrushes again, but just not yet. We need to be patient.”
For their part, most Americans have said they have cut back on toothbrush swapping. A recent Hamster survey has shown toothbrush sharing is down as much as 18% during the pandemic.