The fully vaccinated and double-boosted Dr. Anthony Fauci has tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Fauci, 81, tested positive on Wednesday and was said to be experiencing "mild symptoms."
Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is a division of the National Institutes of Health. He also serves as Biden’s chief medical advisor.
According to a statement from the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Fauci has not been around other senior government officials, including President Joe Biden.
"Today, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test," the statement said. "He is fully vaccinated and has been boosted twice. He is currently experiencing mild symptoms. Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work from his home. He has not recently been in close contact with President Biden or other senior government officials."
The agency added that, "Dr. Fauci will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical advice from his physician and return to the NIH when he tests negative."
Fauci has been the public face of the American response to COVID-19 since the pandemic began in 2020. He has received a mixture of both hero worship and biting criticism for his response, depending on which side of the aisle you are looking at.
During a recent interview with CNN, Fauci said that he would not continue to serve as a White House medical advisor if former President Donald Trump takes back the White House in 2024. CNN’s @acosta asks Dr. Anthony Fauci if he would return to the White House if Donald Trump was elected for a second term. Hear his response. pic.twitter.com/RM26OPZgYO
— CNN (@CNN) May 15, 2022
"If you look at the history of what the response was during the administration, I think, you know, at best you could say it wasn't optimal," Fauci said. "And I think just history will speak for itself about that."
