Holy smokes, man! Every time I changed the channel this morning looking for a Sunday news show to watch, there he was: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Trump administration’s chief medical expert dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Fauci repeated himself, but I didn’t care. I wanted to hear more from him, given that Donald Trump cannot tell the truth about anything, even when it concerns life and death issues. So, we get to hear from the premier epidemiologist on the planet.
His primary message? We had better prepare to “hunker down” for the foreseeable future as doctors, scientists and others look for a way to mitigate the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
Hunker down, eh? Got it, doc. Will do.
My wife and I are making changes in our lifestyle. We aren’t going out nearly as much. We are staying home, not wanting to venture too close to others out there who might be, you know, infected with the disease. We’re wiping down surfaces with antiseptic wipes; things like fuel pumps, shopping carts, door handles.
This hunkering down business isn’t intended to create panic. It is intended, as I listen to Dr. Fauci, as a method of deploying what we hear as an “abundance of caution.” I am OK with that.
I also am hearing some words of hope from Fauci, who told us this morning that the new cases in China and South Korea, where this outbreak reportedly started, appear to be declining. He won’t offer that as a final word of good cheer, preferring instead to caution that there might be another spike in new cases if the Chinese and South Koreans relax their own restrictions.
Having said all that, the cases in the United States are still increasing. Forty-nine of our 50 states have reported positive tests for coronavirus; only West Virginia remains untouched — so far!
Anthony Fauci said he’s working 19 hours each day. He has no time for anything else. He said he’s trying to persuade “the boss,” meaning Donald Trump, to stop shaking hands. He wants the president to use that elbow bump to greet folks. Get with the program, Mr. President. Listen to the doctor!
As for Dr. Fauci’s ubiquitous presence, as long we’re looking for answers to this pandemic, I can’t get enough of this brilliant man.