The immunologist-in-chief of the White House, Dr. Anthony Fauci,a figure highly respected in the United States, said he is “really” concerned about flare-ups “of concern” in the number of cases detected in several us States.
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June 23, 2020 15: 31
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Trump persists on the downside of screening, its the “experts” contradict each other
Elodie Cuzin
Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci and other experts in health administration, Trump said Tuesday that the u.s. president had ever asked to slow down the pace of screening of the COVID-19, unlike the controversial comments of republican.
The immunologist-in-chief of the White House, a figure highly respected in the United States, is on the other hand says “really” concerned about flare-ups “of concern” in the number of cases detected in several us States.
“He has never been asked any of us to slow down the screening, it is a fact. Moreover, we will increase screening,” pointed out Anthony Fauci during a hearing in the us Congress.
At his side, three other senior officials in health administration Trump also responded “no” without hesitation to the question of whether the president had asked them to slow down the screening : Robert Redfield, director of the Centres for prevention and disease control (CDC), the minister-deputy Health Brett Giroir and Stephen Hahn, the boss of the agency of drugs (FDA).
The u.s. president has provoked a deep controversy by declaring on Saturday that he had recommended to its health officials to slow the pace of screening, because by doing more tests, “we find more cases”.
Donald Trump has made his statements during a meeting of the campaign itself a focus of controversy since it was organized in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in front of thousands of people then that this southern State is among those experiencing a flare-up of the COVID-19.
The White House then said he was joking, but the billionaire republican reiterated Tuesday morning : “I’m not kidding.”
“With more testing, we find more cases,” he stressed.
His rival democrat for the presidential election of 3 November, Joe Biden, denounces with virulence its management of the pandemic.
“It’s very simple : if we want to save jobs and lives, we need more screening, and we need it more quickly. The president slows down intentionally”, he tweeted on Tuesday, commenting on the video of the recent statements by Donald Trump.
“Historical challenges”
The United States have the worst record in the world in absolute value, with more than 120 000 people dead and more than 2.3 million cases detected.
Various us States have for many now lifted the containment measures. But several States in the south and the west of the country are experiencing a surge in the number of positive cases.
“The next two weeks will be critical” for the answer to these outbreaks “of concern”, warned Anthony Fauci, before a committee of the House of representatives.
Contrary to what that implies Donald Trump, referring to the increases related to the number of tests, the immunologist has pointed out that this increase came, in particular, of “contagion” between people. “And this is something that really worries me”, he confided.
Without quoting directly from the meeting of Tulsa, Mr. Fauci insisted: “you should not gather in crowds.”
In “an event or a meeting, it is absolutely necessary to bring and keep his mask, he added, while many gatherings are held in the United States since the death on may 25, George Floyd, a black man killed by a white policeman.
“We’re still in full-in the “first wave” of the pandemic, and “we would like to bring this epidemic under control,” before the fall, he recalled.
The United States has led to this day more than 27 million tests, said Dr. Giroir, highlighting the importance of screening.
They are currently at a rate of “500 000 tests per day,” he added, predicting that the country would take “40 to 50 million tests per month” in the fall.
The experts pointed out that the challenges posed by the pandemic were “many”, “historical”, and that the epidemic of the COVID-19 last “probably”.
If the coronavirus and seasonal influenza prevalent at the same time next winter, “this could pose a huge burden on the health system”.
“We are cautiously optimistic” on the progress of the research to find a vaccine, said Anthony Fauci, recalling that he had hoped for it to be available in the United States “at the end of the year or the beginning of 2021.
