Fauci unable to walk the streets?

"Coronavirus: US turning on its top expert, Dr Anthony Fauci

The United States is starting to turn on its top coronavirus expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, with prominent voices in the country’s media suggesting he has too much influence.

Dr Fauci, an expert in infectious diseases who’s led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since the 1980s, has been President Donald Trump’s most visible scientific adviser throughout the crisis.

He serves on the White House’s coronavirus task force, and often appears at the President’s televised media briefings.

In recent weeks, as Mr Trump has urged states to reopen their economies, Dr Fauci has been more circumspect, stressing the risks that come with lifting restrictions prematurely.

That apparent division between the President and his adviser was on display yesterday when Dr Fauci fronted a Senate hearing. He said America should be “focused on the proven public health practices of containment and mitigation”.

The US has recorded 1.4 million confirmed cases of the virus, and its death toll stands at 85,000. Reopening too quickly, Dr Fauci said, could cause another spike in deaths.

“There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, and in fact paradoxically, will set you back – not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided, but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery,” he told the senators.

His comments were met with scepticism by some of the senators from Mr Trump’s Republican Party.

“As much as I respect you, Dr Fauci, I don’t think you are the end-all. I don’t think you’re the one person who gets to make a decision,” said Senator Rand Paul, from Kentucky. Senator Paul is also a physician.

“We can listen to your advice, but there are people on the other side saying there is not going to be a surge, and that we can safely reopen the economy. And the facts will bear this out.

“I hope that people who are predicting doom and gloom, and saying, ‘Oh we can’t do this, there’s going to be a surge,’ will admit they were wrong if there is not a surge. Because I think that is what’s going to happen.”

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https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/coronavirus-us-turning-on-its-top-expert-dr-anthony-fauci/news-story/1c77fc0fef3cd777bc68a29cd0beb8b4