Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , is fighting White House spin to put out realistic information about Coronavirus in the US (Andrew Harnik/AP)
As Coronavirus spreads in the US, the White House is choosing a public relations message that is distorting the situation, according to health specialists.
Since Donald Trump finally spoke about the virus last Wednesday, the Administration’s efforts has been marked by optimistic projections without foundation and efforts to shut down the assessments of its medical experts.
Trump said last Wednesday that the virus would soon be controlled, contradicting Center for Disease Control leaders who said that spread is inevitable. At a campaign rally this week in North Carolina, Trump declared that his leadership meant pharmaceutical companies are “going to have vaccines, I think, relatively soon”.
The CDC has said vaccines may be available in 12 to 18 months. Officials and drug industry executives had given Trump the message, but he ignored it.
There are now more than 120 Coronavirus cases, with six deaths, in the US. Numbers are spiking in Washington and California.
But when Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC News of an “outbreak” that was reaching “likely pandemic proportions”, the Administration was upset that the doctor had not given advance notice to Vice President Mike Pence’s staff of the word “pandemic”.
Trump has also falsely claimed that travel restrictions on China would “shut [the virus] down”, undercounted the cases, and said the virus will most likely “go away” by spring.
And he has wished away a stock market fall of more than 12%, the largest since the Great Recession of 2008.
Counting on a rising market as an advantage for re-election, Trump defied another drop of almost 800 points in the Dow Jones index on Tuesday: “The market’s in great shape.”
As it has with other issues, including the Trump-Russia affair, Trump’s impeachment, and the government shutdown, the White House is blaming the media and the “left”. Spokesman Judd Deere said:
Unfortunately, what we are seeing from the left and some in the media is a disgusting effort to distract and disturb the American people with fearful rhetoric and palace intrigue.
The coronavirus is a serious situation that is changing hourly, which is exactly why Vice President Pence, [Health[ Secretary [Alex] Azar and the entire task force continue to lead a whole-of-government response.
“People familiar with his complaints” said Trump, watching coverage of Coronavirus and the markets, is complaining about hysteria from the media and the Government’s health officials.
Katie Miller, a Pence spokeswoman, focused on the message: “We have a responsibility to the American people for transparent and frequent communication while ensuring that we are well-coordinated among the entire federal government. At President Trump’s direction, this is one team, one mission.”
But Fauci, who appeared alongside Trump on Tuesday, told Politico about having to play politics to maintain his position.
You should never destroy your own credibility. And you don’t want to go to war with a president. But you got to walk the fine balance of making sure you continue to tell the truth.
