Stephen Colbert isn't reassured by Fauci saying vaccinated people will do 'reasonably well' if they catch Omicron

"Being attacked for two years has clearly broken Dr. Fauci."
 By 
Amanda Yeo
 on 
Screenshot from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Watch Next

On Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he expects the COVID-19 Omicron variant will infect "just about everybody," but that people who have been vaccinated will "very likely, with some exceptions, do reasonably well." Unfortunately, as Late Show host Stephen Colbert points out, that's a small, cold comfort considering how dangerous the disease has proven to be.

"Okay, there are certain things I don't want to equivocate on," quipped Colbert. "My life is one of them. You don't want to hear a skydiving instructor say, 'Jump from the plane! You will very likely, with some exceptions, do reasonably well!'"

People who are unvaccinated will do even worse though, being 10 times more likely to be infected and 20 times more likely to die, so still get those booster shots as soon as you can.

Colbert also noted optimistic expert predictions that Omicron has passed its peak and will soon drop off. My fingers are aggressively crossed hoping this is true.

"The worst of it could be over by March!" said Colbert. "And by the summer Omicron will be so out of the headlines its publicist will book it on Dancing With the Stars."

Amanda Yeo
Amanda Yeo
Assistant Editor

Amanda Yeo is an Assistant Editor at Mashable, covering entertainment, culture, tech, science, and social good. Based in Australia, she writes about everything from video games and K-pop to movies and gadgets.


Latest Videos

'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.



A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.



Is This The End of Hollywood's ‘Bad Moms’?
Recent representations of motherhood on film: (from left) Amy Adams in 'Nightbitch', Jennifer Lawrence in 'Die My Love', and Rose Byrne in 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!