Fauci says 'we had a superspreader event in the White House'

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, testifies during a US Senate Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine C
(Image credit: GRAEME JENNINGS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The White House experienced an outbreak of COVID-19 following a "superspreader event," Dr. Anthony Fauci says.

Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert and a member of President Trump's coronavirus task force, spoke to CBS News Radio on Friday and again stressed that "everybody should wear a mask, literally universally" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But after Trump and numerous people in his orbit recently tested positive for COVID-19, CBS' Steven Portnoy asked Fauci "what did we learn about the efficacy" of the White House's strategy of trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by conducting testing for those around the president but not requiring aides to wear masks. The recent White House outbreak, Fauci suggested, says all one needs to know about that.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.