America’s foremost infectious disease expert, whose regular televised updates became the face of the pandemic, has spoken out against “low-life” trolls who are harassing his wife and children by determining where they reside and their phone numbers.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told the BBC’s Americast program, “I have superb security protection, but I find it very cowardly to harass people who are entirely uninvolved, even my children.”
Dr. Fauci, who became a target of online conspiracy movements after advising on the Covid-19 epidemic, stated that he does his best not to be sidetracked by online hatred that “takes away your ability to do your work.”
As the principal medical adviser to both the Trump and Biden administrations, he was the nation’s foremost medical expert and the voice of the government’s pandemic response, offering daily briefings to the American people and urging mask use and vaccination.
Former President Donald Trump, who once threatened to fire him, constantly clashed with him. Contrary to the evidence, conspiracy theorists accused Dr. Fauci of playing a crucial role in a diabolical effort to control and damage people with Covid-19 and vaccinations. Two individuals were previously arrested and imprisoned in the United States for “credible attempts on [his] life,” as defined by Dr. Fauci.
He warned of a “tsunami of misinformation and disinformation,” notably on social media, in his country. However, he refused to comment on Twitter’s recent move to stop labeling and removing Covid-19 disinformation out of fear that he would be accused of “attempting to stifle people’s freedom of speech.”
This month, the 81-year-old will stand down from his positions as chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Dr. Fauci has served under seven presidents, including Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama, beginning during the HIV/AIDS pandemic under the Republican Ronald Reagan.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the judgments he and other scientific advisors made regarding limits and medical advice came under increased scrutiny. Occasionally, he disagreed with Donald Trump’s attitude to pandemic management.
He stated that it was difficult to disagree publicly with a serving president and that it “created an amazing degree of hatred” among “far-right” groups in the United States.
Dr. Fauci disagreed when asked if the severity of lockdowns in some American jurisdictions was overestimated. He ridiculed Sweden’s approach, which did not instantly institute a lockdown but promoted voluntary social isolation.
Dr. Fauci told Americast, “I would never follow the Swedish approach because if you compare the number of deaths and hospitalizations in Sweden to other Scandinavian nations, it is much, much worse.” On December 24, Dr. Fauci will turn 82 years old. He stated that he would continue to work in healthcare.
