Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, is speaking with “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell in an interview that will be streamed live on Wednesday. They are expected to speak about the fall coronavirus surge and the government’s response in the interview, which will stream at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBSNews.com.
Viewers are invited to text Norah their questions at (202) 217-1107.
Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has publicly diverged from President Trump’s coronavirus messaging in recent days.
How to watch Norah O’Donnell’s interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci
- What: Norah O’Donnell interviews Dr. Anthony FauciDate: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 Time: 3:30 p.m. ETLocation: via ZoomOnline stream: Live on CBSNews.com in the player above and on the CBS News app
After Mr. Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and return to the White House earlier this month, the president described the treatment he was given as a “cure.” There are no known cures for COVID-19. Fauci told CBS News the term could lead to unnecessary “confusion.” “We don’t have any indication — I think you really have to depend on what you mean by a ‘cure,’ because that’s a word that leads to a lot of confusion,” Fauci said. “We have good treatments for people with advanced disease who are in the hospital.”
Fauci has also taken issue with the Trump campaign’s unauthorized use of his comments in a 30-second ad. Fauci said the decision to use his comments without consent, and out of context, is a form of harassment. “By doing this against my will they are, in effect, harassing me,” he told The Daily Beast in a report posted on Monday.
Fauci has identified the White House ceremony for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett as a “super-spreader” event. At least 24 people in Mr. Trump’s orbit, not all whom attended the event, have tested positive for COVID-19.
“I think the — the data speaks for themselves,” Fauci said of mask-wearing. “We had a super-spreader event in the White House and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks. So the data speak for themselves.”
He warned that coronavirus cases are on the rise in a majority of states, with only three seeing fewer cases. “It’s going in the wrong direction right now,” Fauci said. “So if there’s anything we should be doing, we should be doubling down in implementing the public health measures that we’ve been talking about for so long. Which are: Keeping a distance, no crowds, wearing masks, washing hands, doing things outside as opposed to inside.”
Portions of Norah O’Donnell’s interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci will air on the “CBS Evening News” on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS and 10 p.m. ET on CBSN.