Anthony Fauci criticizes WHO for its recent claim about coronavirus transmission [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Dr. Fauci negates WHO’s announcement that asymptomatic Coronavirus patients can rarely infect other people.
• The American disease authority also said that the statement by a WHO representative does not reflect the data they gathered, which indicates that anyone can be infected.
• After facing backlash, the WHO delegate pulled back her statement, explaining that she did not mention her pronouncement was only based on models.

On Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci lambasts the World Health Organization (WHO), saying the claim of a delegate of the global health agency was wrong that a COVID-19 positive person might rarely infect a healthy individual.

During an interview with  Good Morning America (GMA), Fauci said there was no clear evidence that the WHO representative’s claim was valid.  

The American infectious diseases expert also said the evidence they gathered indicates that about 45 percent of people infected by the disease are said to be asymptomatic. Fauci added that they found out from public health studies that coronavirus can be transmitted to an uninfected person,  even if they don’t have symptoms.

Dr. Fauci’s reaction was following the remarks made on Monday by Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s emerging infectious diseases expert,  who said that it’s not likely COVID-19 would transmit from patients to healthy people.

During a press conference in Geneva, Kerkhove said the data they gathered showed that there are only rare instances where an asymptomatic person infects the next individual.

However, on Tuesday, Kerkhove retracted her earlier statement after facing a backlash.

On another press briefing, she said their estimates comprising around 40 percent of the total transmission could be attributed to asymptomatic cases based on models, noting that she didn’t mention about the data from her previous statement.

Fauci, one of the notable members of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus taskforce, told GMA that the COVID-19 remains a rare infection that will still threaten the country and the rest of the world as lockdown measures starts to be lifted.

He added the range of indicators is unusual, noting there are a group of people who did not show symptoms but are infected. Fauci also observed that while other individuals have more severe symptoms, there are also cases where people have the virus but shows slight indications.

Dr. Fauci also said earlier that a coronavirus vaccine might be ready either by the end of this year or early next year.

Source: New York Post