Washington: America’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci says he was “absolutely not” surprised when Donald Trump contracted COVID-19 after seeing the president surrounded by several people not wearing face masks and flouting best public health practices against the deadly pandemic.
Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases appeared to be referring to the White House Rose Garden event on September 26 where Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett was his pick to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. At least 12 people have tested positive for Covid-19 after attending the function.
Fauci said during an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that was aired on Sunday, “I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded — no separation between people, and almost nobody wearing a mask.”
“When I saw that on TV, I said, ‘Oh my goodness. Nothing good can come out of that, that’s got to be a problem,'” he said. “And then sure enough, it turned out to be a superspreader event.”
His remarks came as Americans face another surge in the COVID-19 pandemic ahead of the November 3 US presidential election.
Infections have crossed the 8-million mark and are rising rapidly. Over 219,000 people have died due to the disease, according to latest Johns Hopkins University. Even though the ceremony was held outdoors and many attendees were tested before being allowed in, photos and videos of the event showed few people wearing masks, many people greeting each other with hugs and handshakes, and people mingling and sitting very closely, CNN reported. (PTI)
