Fauci says comfort in lower coronavirus death rate is 'false narrative'

President Trump on Tuesday criticized the media for not reporting enough on the declining death rate among coronavirus patients in the United States. It is true the death rate is lower now than it was earlier on the during the pandemic, but Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Tuesday that taking comfort in that fact can lead to "false complacency."

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, expressed concern about "the false narrative" during a Facebook event hosted by Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.). His point was that mortality isn't the only negative consequence of COVID-19, which also appears to be causing lingering health issues for recovered patients.

Of course, even if the death rate is significantly lower than has been officially reported — which is possible — an ever-increasing number of infections will still result in a staggering number of fatalities.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up