Washington:
President Joe Biden’s Covid adviser Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert who has become the face of the country’s fight against the pandemic, announced Monday that he will resigned in December.
Fauci said in a statement that he would be leaving both his position as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and primary medical adviser to Biden – although he added: “I will not be retiring. .”
The 81-year-old, who previously revealed plans to leave at the end of Biden’s current term, announced he will be leaving in December to “pursue the next chapter in my career.”
Biden offered his “deepest thanks” to Fauci in a White House statement.
“Because of Dr. Fauci’s contributions to public health, lives have been saved in the United States and around the world,” the president said, adding that the country was “stronger, more resilient.” and healthier thanks to you.”
Fauci has directed the US response to infectious disease outbreaks since the 1980s, from HIV/AIDS to Covid-19, and has served under seven presidents.
When Covid first emerged globally from China in 2020, he became a trusted source of information, reassuring the public with his calm and professional demeanor during times of crisis. appear frequently in the media.
But his honesty in the face of America’s early failures to capture the virus has brought Fauci into conflict with former president Donald Trump, and turned the doctor-scientist into a hated figure. for some people on the right.
Fauci now lives with security protection after his family received death threats and harassment.
Biden said that after winning the 2020 election, as he was trying to build a team to lead the Covid-19 response, Fauci was “one of my first calls.”
“In that role, I can call him at any hour of the day for his advice as we’ve tackled the pandemic only once in this generation,” the president announced.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the syndication feed.)
