Fauci is calling it quits!!!!!
Fauci Ready for a New Chapter
At 81 years old, Anthony Fauci, MD, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), reportedly works more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week, according to a new profile in the
Washington Post.
Fauci, who is also the chief medical adviser to the president of the United States, is in his 38th year as the NIAID director and has led the response to several major pandemics, from AIDS to COVID-19. But he believes his time as a director and advisor is coming to an end.
Fauci said this will be the last time he leads the country through a crisis like COVID-19, which he expects to decline in prevalence in the near future, according to the profile. He noted that another wave should be expected in the fall and that he hopes there will be another variant-specific booster to prepare the country for it. And eventually, he believes that COVID-19 vaccines will be offered yearly, according to the
Post.
Despite decades of experience managing new infectious disease threats, the COVID-19 pandemic was a uniquely challenging crisis for Fauci, according to the article. He noted that he struggled with the politicization of the pandemic and his role within the Trump White House. He even wrestled with the decision of whether to stay in his role and continue to endure the insults and threats, or leave and "let his half-century of work be taken over by God-knows-who in his absence," according to the profile.
In the end, Fauci emphasized that his work was too important to leave behind. Several colleagues noted in the
Post's profile that for Fauci work has always been his main "hobby." The article noted that even when he retires from the NIH, Fauci already has plans for other projects to focus on.
Fauci told the
Post that he plans to teach, and to write the story of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a memoir about his early life. He said one of his main goals after he leaves the NIH is to encourage young people to enter civil service.
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