Fauci warns against ‘false complacency’ as Trump’s efforts fall to US coronavirus death rate

Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Tuesday that Americans should not be comforted in reducing the death rate among coronavirus patients in the US even as President Donald Donaldfollows the trendas evidence of a successful response to the virus.

“It’s a false story to take comfort in a lower death rate,” Fauci said during a live press conference with Senator Doug Jones of Alabama, a Democrat.

“There are so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus, don’t get yourself into false complacency.”

His comments come after the White House repeatedly noted the declining US mortality rate as evidence of a productive response, despite states across the country being caught with record spikes in the virus.

trump tweeted On Monday that the “Death rate for the Chinese Virus in the US is almost for L GAME IN THE WORLD”, doubling this stance with a later tweet that finally states that “we now have the lowest mortality rate” (mortality) in the world. “

In reality, while US coronavirus mortality rates have dropped recently, they are not the lowest in the world.

Data on coronavirus death rates remain inaccurate, in part because of the limited availability of testing and the predominance of mild or asymptomatic cases that often go unrecorded. Still, among the 20 countries most affected by the virus, at least 14 have lower mortality rates than the United States.

No mandate provided for vaccines

Fauci also said Tuesday that he does not envision a federal coronavirus vaccine mandate in the US once it is made available.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a situation where you mandated for the general population,” he said.

Fauci explained that he “can see individual institutions forcing a vaccine,” but not at the nationwide level “simply because of all the situations you have violated in a person’s freedom to make their own health choice.”

scientists Around the world are vying to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, with some senior health officials predicting that the U.S. may be on track to have one by the end of the year. In preparation for this, Fauci told CNN last month trying to educate vaccines in the US “will not be easy”.

“There is a general sense of anti-science, anti-authoritarianism, antitaxing among some people in this country – a huge alarming percentage of people, relatively speaking,” he said.

Fauci estimated that given the power of the anti-vaccine movement, “we have a lot of work to do” to educate people about the truth about vaccines.

“It won’t be easy,” he warned. “Anyone who thinks it will be easy does not face reality. It will be very difficult. “

Fauci added that the government has a vaccine education program to counter anti-vaccine messages.

“We have a program right now that will be broad in achieving community,” he noted. “They may not like a government person in a suit as I tell them, even though I will tell them. They really need to see people they can relate to in the community – sports figures, heroes of community, people with whom they seek. “

But there is no indication that such a program exists.

‘Force in favor’ of local masks requirements

Fauci, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of face masks in fighting the virus – something he said was “strongly in favor” of the mandate, not just at the federal level.

“I do not like being authoritarian, by the federal government. But at the local level, if governors and others basically mandate the use of masks when you have a blast, I think it would be very important, ”Fauci said.

White House officials are discussing taking on a more active role in encouraging masks as they move into a strategy of preparing Americans to live long-term with the virus.

After appearing at a series of events without social distancing and where masks were scarce, Trump’s campaign said on Sunday it would organize a campaign rally in New Hampshire, where attendees would be offered “face masks” that encourage them to wear “.