Dr. Anthony Fauci revealed Tuesday how he’s still baffled by some people’s refusal to accept the gravity of COVID-19, which has now killed more than 500,000 Americans.
Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert, told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota that it’s pained him to see hospitals overrun with coronavirus patients in some of the same regions where deniers have called the pandemic a “hoax” or “fake news.”
“How could you possibly say that when people in your own state, your own city, your own county, are dying?” asked Fauci, who serves as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical officer for President Joe Biden’s administration.
“To me, that just boggled me, and it still does — how reality can just be put aside in denying the seriousness of the situation we are in,” he continued. “And here we are today, looking at 500,000 Americans who have died thus far. That’s the proof of what has actually been going on. You can’t deny that.”
A low point of the pandemic has been “when people deny the reality of what’s actually happening,” Fauci added.
Watch the full interview here:
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
- Is it safe to see people who have gotten the coronavirus vaccine?
- What it means if your partner tests positive for COVID-19 but you don’t.
- How worried should you be about the new strains of coronavirus?
- The unexpected challenges of co-parenting during a pandemic.
- 19 things we took for granted pre-pandemic but now miss.
- Find all that and more on our coronavirus hub page.
As COVID-19 cases rise, it’s more important than ever to remain connected and informed. Join the HuffPost community today. (It’s free!)