Feels liberated to speak freely on risk of COVID-19 under Biden administration, says Anthony Fauci

Washington [US], January 22 (ANI): US President Joe Biden's top medical advisor on COVID-19, Anthony Fauci, on Thursday, said there were aspects of former President Donald Trump's response to the pandemic that were "not based on scientific fact."
When asked if he felt differently now that he works under President Biden versus President Trump, Fauci said that he feels liberated to speak freely about the coronavirus pandemic and the science behind it under the Biden administration, CNN reported.

Fauci is one of the few holdovers in the Biden administration from former President Donald Trump's Coronavirus Task Force.

"I do not want to be going back, you know, over history, but it is very clear that there were things that were said, be it regarding things like hydroxychloroquine and other things like that, that really was uncomfortable, because they were not based on scientific fact. I can tell you, I take no pleasure at all in being in a situation of contradicting the President. So, it was really something that you did not feel that you could actually say something and there would not be any repercussions about it," he said during a media briefing.

Fauci noted that under President Biden, he feels that he can speak to topics based on his expertise.

"The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know, what the evidence --what the science is -- and know that is it, let the science speak, it is somewhat of a liberating feeling," he said.

Fauci noted that while the number of new COVID-19 infections is still at a "very high rate," when you look more recently at the seven-day average of cases, "right now it looks like it might actually be plateauing in the sense of turning around." (ANI)