Published 11:43 IST, July 15th 2020
Anthony Fauci urges people to listen to health experts, avoid 'political nonsense'
US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has advised people to refrain from involving in “political nonsense” and urged people to listen to experts.
Amid an indirect row between America's medical professionals and the White House, US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has advised the people to refrain from involving in “political nonsense” and listen to the scientists. He even denoted politicization of COVID-19 pandemic as a “waste of time”. While the coronavirus infections in the United States have surpassed 3.4 million with over 136,400, Fauci urged people to take the advice of medical authorities who have the track record of delivering the truth based on evidence and data.
“I believe, for the most part, you can trust respected medical authorities. I believe I’m one of them, so I think you can trust me, but I would stick with respected medical authorities who have a track record of telling the truth, who have a track record of giving information and policy and recommendations based on scientific evidence and good data,” US top infectious disease expert.
In a Georgetown University Global Health Initiative webinar on July 15, Fauci acknowledged the confusion created for the public with mixed messages and said that it is “entirely understandable”. However, when a student asked the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases how the young generation can contribute to de-politicizing the rhetoric around the global health crisis that has emerged in the US, Fauci said that it is hard especially “by not being a part of the politicization” and called it a "distraction".
Anthony Fauci said, “Do your thing and don’t get involved in any of the political nonsense. That’s a waste of time and a distraction.”
Donald Trump targets Anthony Fauci
Fauci’s appeal of refraining from ‘political nonsense’ came just a day after US President Donald Trump targetted the health experts in the country who are leading the response to COVID-19 crisis. After calling US top infectious disease expert a ‘very nice person’ and noting that they don’t always agree on issues, Trump retweeted at least three posts that question not only Fauci but also the guidelines put forth by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The US President has been repeatedly critical about comments made by Fauci as the two are at odds over the reopening of the country. While Trump has insisted that the US is ‘not closing’, the country’s top infectious disease expert has warned about America heading in a ‘wrong direction’.
Updated 11:43 IST, July 15th 2020