earlier, iasked dr louise ivers, executive director of the center for global health at massachusettsospital, if the fact that deaths from coronavirus in the united states have just passed 800,000 mean that president biden�*s early optimism about tackling the pandemic was misplaced. certainly, it's a very sobering number, and it's even more sobering when you see that1 in 100 older americans have died. it's really impacted a generation of people. i think any pandemic response needs to be comprehensive, and that requires a whole of public health response. i think there was certainly a lot of messaging about vaccines, vaccines, vaccines, which are critically important. but we also have a very — as in many places around the world — a very exhausted public who are getting mixed messages, often they're not really sure if they should be masking, if they shouldn't, they're tired of doing it. so i don't know that there was unwarranted optimism. we have to hold onto optimism. but i do think we're in a challenging situation at the moment, especially with omicron, as you were mentioning earlier.

let's hear from dr louise ivers in boston.the chief of infectious diseases and executive director of the center for global health at massachusetts general hospital. doctor, the figure hasjust come out of 800,000 covid deaths in america. we already knew that more people had died of covidien 2021 and 2020 despite the vaccine. that mean that president biden and felt repugnant initial optimism now looks misplaced? —— dr fauci. it is even more sobering when you see only 100 older americans have died. it you see only 100 older americans have died. it really impacted _ americans have died. it really impacted a — americans have died. it really impacted a generation - americans have died. it really impacted a generation of- impacted a generation of people. i think any pandemic response needs to be comprehensive, and that requires a whole a public health response. i think there are certainly a lot of messaging about vaccines, vaccines, vaccines, which are critically important. but we also have, as in many places around the world, a very