Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a Friday interview that he fears that the current…
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a Friday interview that he fears that the current bout of widespread protests raise the risk of new COVID-19 hotspots.
“Every time I hear about or see the congregation of large crowds at a time and geographic area where there is active infection transmission, it is a perfect set-up for the spread of the virus in the sense of creating these blips that might turn into some surges,” Fauci told radio station WTOP in a June 5 interview.
“So I get very concerned,” he said, calling the current situation a “delicate balance,” referring to the tension between protesters’ right to voice grievances and restrictions necessary to contain the spread of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, the novel coronavirus that emerged from China and that causes COVID-19.
“The reasons for demonstrating are valid, yet the demonstration itself puts one at an additional risk,” Fauci said of the protests over the police custody death of George Floyd, which has sparked outrage and led to criminal charges against four Minneapolis police officers.
Fauci’s comments come as debate heats up, also among epidemiologists, over how to respond to the protests, which violate restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus.
