Pouch: "Trump was in a non-contagious state of COVID-19... was lucky"

"Not All Elderly Obese People Are as Lucky as Trump"
"Vaccines Won't Be Distributed Until April Next Year... Social Distancing Still Important"
"Told My Children Not to Come During Thanksgiving"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), stated that President Donald Trump has currently been confirmed to be non-contagious for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). He warned that if proper quarantine measures are not followed at campaign rallies, the rallies could become new super-spreader events, and the president himself is at risk of reinfection.

In an interview with CBS News on the 14th (local time), Dr. Fauci said, "We have reviewed all the COVID-19 tests President Trump underwent yesterday, and it has been confirmed that he is not contagious. The staff participating in the rallies with the president are also unlikely to be at risk." He added, "However, if quarantine rules are not properly observed at the rallies, it could lead to another outbreak similar to the nomination ceremony of Amy Coney Barrett, a federal Supreme Court nominee, which was a super-spreader event at the White House. Even if cases are few, the president should be cautious about reinfection."

Dr. Fauci also criticized President Trump's remarks downplaying the risks of COVID-19, saying, "This is like a driver who continues to drive recklessly because they haven't had an accident yet." He emphasized, "President Trump's recovery is truly a fortunate case, and not all elderly or obese patients have been that lucky."

Regarding the vaccine release, he expressed a cautious stance, saying it is difficult to guarantee a launch by the end of the year. Dr. Fauci explained, "We will know by next month or the end of the year whether there are safe and effective vaccine candidates. Even assuming all vaccines currently in clinical trials are effective, most Americans will have access to the vaccine in the first quarter of next year or by April."

Dr. Fauci stated, "What we really need to do is at least double social distancing and mask-wearing compared to now," and added, "I personally told my children to refrain from visiting home this Thanksgiving."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.