Scientific rigor against " intuitions By Donald Trump. Once again, Friday March 20, the daily press briefing orchestrated at the White House by the President of the United States gave rise to a confusing exchange between Dr. Anthony Fauci, eminent immunologist and pillar of the American task force set up to fight the coronavirus, and Mr. Trump. Asked about the use of hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria, and its supposed benefits in preventing Covid-19, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (Niaid) was adamant. " No ", he said, the known trials are inconclusive and research is still needed.
A scathing denial of the hopes raised the day before by the American president, who said he was optimistic about the rapid approval by the Food and Drug Administration of this molecule and its availability for patients with coronavirus. The FDA had immediately called for caution.
Friday, speaking again after Dr. Fauci, Trump added to the confusion by stating about the alleged "Miracle cure": " Maybe it exists, maybe not. It may or may not work, but I can feel it. What do we have to lose? Apparently anxious to have the last word, without however crossing paths with the scientist with world-renowned skills, he said: "I'm a smart guy. "
Facing "Smart guy", Doctor Fauci walks on a tightrope. For the past two weeks, the 79-year-old researcher has been on the front line in the media to respond with clarity and rigor to the multiple questions raised by the pandemic and its controversial management by the Trump administration. His short figure, his Brooklyn accent and his straightforward speech came to the fore during daily briefings, where this sharp ex-marathoner is one of the most sought after speakers.
Pedagogy without alarmism
Since the beginning of the health crisis, in an always affable and calm tone, he has concealed nothing of the gravity of the situation from the Americans. With pedagogy but without alarmism. His experience of more than thirty years at the head of Niaid, where he has had to deal with the epidemics of AIDS, SARS (acute respiratory syndrome) or Ebola, gives him an authority and a freedom of tone unmatched.
