Emails sent to and from Dr. Anthony Fauci during the coronavirus pandemic's early months show a man overwhelmed with inquiries on how to deal with COVID-19.
The Washington Post obtained 866 pages of Fauci's emails as part of a Freedom of Information Act request.
Fauci received nearly 1,000 messages daily in March and April of last year. They were sent by colleagues, hospital administrators, foreign governments, and random strangers, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.
Some emails offered support and encouragement. Many sought help and advice.
For example, Fauci received an earnest list of questions from a senior official in the Office of the Surgeon General in the Army and U.S. Army Medical Command on April 14, 2020, according to the Post.
"You are the voice of reason for millions of concerned citizens," wrote the official, whose name was redacted in the released emails.
The official followed with a list of questions:
- "Can the virus be contracted from a corpse?
- Can someone who has taken hydroxychloroquine for years contract the virus?
- Are masks and gloves truly effective?
- What keeps you up at night, regarding COVID-19?"
Fauci, who forwarded the email to top advisors and asked for help crafting a response, replied a few days later.
"I have said in the past that what keeps me up at night is the possibility of a pandemic respiratory infection," the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said. "We are in that now, and what keeps me up at night is the response, a major part of which is the development of an effective vaccine and treatments for COVID-19."
Although critics of then-President Donald Trump often praised Fauci for challenging the president, the released emails do not show him directly criticizing Trump.
Organizations, businesses, and politicians reached out to Fauci during the pandemic’s initial months. The doctor sometimes responded well after midnight.
They included the National Football League Players Association’s medical director, who wanted guidance on how to safely start the next NFL season; a documentary filmmaker, who asked to ride along as Fauci drove to work for a forthcoming Disney-backed biopic; and a senior House Republican, who told Fauci to "keep being a science truth teller" despite skepticism about the virus from Trump and other GOP lawmakers.
"I was getting every single kind of question, mostly people who were a little bit confused about the mixed messages that were coming out of the White House and wanted to know what’s the real scoop," Fauci said in a recent interview. "I have a reputation that I respond to people when they ask for help, even if it takes a long time. And it’s very time consuming, but I do [respond]."
During the time period, Fauci also attempted to maintain ties with George Gao, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gao was concerned about a Science magazine story that quoted him saying the U.S. and other Western nations were making a "big mistake" not telling people to mask up. He was concerned Fauci would be upset by the comment.
"I saw the Science interview, how could I say such a word 'big mistake' about others? That was journalist's wording. Hope you understand," Gao, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote to Fauci in a March 28 email. "Lets work together to get the virus out of the earth."
Fauci replied, "I understand completely. No problem. We will get through this together."
After Fauci faced threats for supporting social distancing rules that closed schools, hurt the economy, and threatened Trump’s reelection prospects, Gao, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, emailed again.
"I saw some news (hope it is fake) that [you] are being attacked by some people. Hope you are well under such a irrational situation," Gao wrote on April 8.
"Thank you for your kind note," Fauci replied three days later. "All is well despite some crazy people in this world."
The 80-year-old Fauci currently works for his seventh president. He’s chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden.
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