Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was recently hospitalized due to West Nile virus.
The 83-year-old was admitted for nearly a week before continuing his recovery at home, according to a spokesperson for the official.
As reported by WND, the spokesperson stated, Tony Fauci has been hospitalized with a case of West Nile virus. He is now home and is recovering. A full recovery is expected. Dr. Fauci, who served as the top COVID-19 official and advised both the Trump and Biden administrations during the pandemic, retired from his four-decade-long tenure at the NIAID in 2022.
West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease, has been the leading cause of such illnesses in the U.S. since its introduction in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus can cause symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and rashes, although approximately 80% of infected individuals will not experience any symptoms. The CDC also notes that there are currently no vaccines or treatments for the virus.
Dr. Fauci became a prominent figure in the federal governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. His stance on the severity of COVID-19 and his endorsement of mask and vaccine mandates drew significant criticism from Republicans.
During a hearing in January before the House Oversight Committees Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Dr. Fauci conceded that the COVID-19 restrictions were likely not based on data or science but rather sort of just appeared.
Republican Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup, Chairman of the subcommittee, reflected on the hearing, stating, After two days of testimony and 14 hours of questioning, many things became evident. During his interview today, Dr. Fauci claimed that the policies and mandates he promoted may unfortunately increase vaccine hesitancy for years to come. He testified that the lab leak hypothesis which was often suppressed was, in fact, not a conspiracy theory. Further, the social distancing recommendations forced on Americans sort of just appeared and were not likely based on scientific data.
Dr. Fauci has previously dismissed lab leak theories as conspiracy, despite the Biden administration discontinuing a State Department inquiry in 2021 that was investigating the origins of the virus. This raises questions about the transparency and credibility of the information disseminated during the pandemic, and the potential long-term impacts on public trust in health mandates and guidelines.
Login