Dr. Anthony Fauci will reportedly warn states in about premature US reopening during his Senate testimony. He said that this can cause “needless suffering and death.”
On Monday evening, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times reported that Dr. Fauci sent her an email.
“The major message that I wish to convey to the Senate HLP committee tomorrow is the danger of trying to open the country prematurely,” Fauci wrote in the email, which Stolberg published on Twitter.
Dr. Fauci gave this statement ahead of his testimony before the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
“If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to: ‘Open America Again,’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country. This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal,” wrote Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The content of his email suggests a contradiction to President Donald Trump's recent announcements about reopening states. A White House official did not respond to an email about Fauci’s remarks.
CDC guidelines
The US government previously said that the governors will be the ones to decide if they will adhere to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on these guidelines, the states can only start a phased reopening if they meet certain criteria.
These criteria include a downward rate in the number of “positive tests” or “documented cases” of coronavirus for two consecutive weeks. The ability to conduct “robust contact tracing” for individuals who test positive and “surveillance testing” for high-risk groups is also a critical factor.
However, many states are reopening despite not meeting the said criteria. Experts like Dr. Fauci believe that premature US reopening can put people's lives at risk.
Trump commended Governor Greg Abbott of Texas last week for reopening his state. "Texas is opening up and a lot of places are opening up. And we want to do it, and I’m not sure that we even have a choice. I think we have to do it. You know, this country can’t stay closed and locked down for years,” Trump told reporters.
Under "modified" quarantine
Dr. Fauci will observe a “modified” quarantine after “low-risk” exposure to a White House staff who tested positive for coronavirus.
An administration official told NBC News that the top infectious disease specialist would start working from home. He may go into his office, but he must practice social distancing and wear a face mask.
Dr. Fauci’s quarantine is “modified” because he aims to testify in person before the Senate hearing. This is reportedly subject to change.
Moreover, Robert Redfield, the director of CDC, will self-quarantine after being exposed to a White House aide who contracted the virus. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director Stephen Hahn will also do the same, according to two administration officials.
“In addition to social distancing, daily temperature checks and symptom histories, hand sanitizer, and regular deep cleaning of all work spaces, every staff member in close proximity to the president and vice president is being tested daily for COVID-19 as well as any guest,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said.
