Anthony Fauci

President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, previously claimed that Americans don't need to wear masks amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

"Every time he goes on television there's always a bomb, but there's a bigger bomb if you fire him. This guy's a disaster," Trump said about infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci.

The NIAID director said there is "no doubt" that masks prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"Masks work? NO," Scott Atlas tweeted Saturday, followed by misrepresentations of the science behind the effectiveness of masks in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Anthony Fauci discussed at length how the country is responding to the ongoing pandemic, including how the U.S. might eventually put the coronavirus to rest.

Three of these states—Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota—saw their case counts rise by over 50 percent.

The White House coronavirus task force member said: "That's sort of like saying somebody was speeding in a car at 95 miles an hour and didn't get in an accident, so I can go ahead and speed and not get in an accident."

Instead of a debate with Joe Biden, Trump will participate in an NBC News town hall on Thursday, two weeks after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

While experts say a vaccine will be available by 2021, it's not clear if it will be enough to stop the pandemic in its tracks.

The White House coronavirus task force member said: "Since campaign ads are about getting votes, their harassment of me might have the opposite effect of turning some voters off."

Fauci has taken issue with a Trump campaign ad suggesting he approves of the White House response to the pandemic.

"We're in a bad place now," Dr. Anthony Fauci said about the U.S. and COVID-19 on Monday. "We've got to turn this around."

"I think it's really unfortunate and really disappointing that they did that," Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

The president said the campaign spot had used Fauci's "own words" after the NIAID director took issue with the ad.

The quote from Anthony Fauci, the government's top expert on infectious diseases and a frequent critic of the response, is taken out of context.

"It was in a situation where people were crowded together without wearing masks, so the data speaks for themselves," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS News Radio

The top immunologist's comments come the week that Donald Trump said people need not be afraid of COVID-19.

"They are devoted to science to the public health and the decisions they make...I have confidence in them...They are very good people," Fauci said.

"That was a very difficult decision because I knew it would have very serious economic consequences," he said.

The president left hospital on Monday after announcing he had tested positive for coronavirus three days earlier.

"You know, I'd like to say that everything is gonna be great by Thanksgiving," Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday, "but I'm not so sure it is."

Dennis Quaid spoke to Dr. Anthony Fauci about the importance of wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic. Now the actor is accusing the press of needlessly politicizing the conversation.

Between late January and late March total cases in the country jumped from six to more than 86,000.

The White House coronavirus task force member and leading immunologist said the public must follow certain measures to prevent a rise in cases.

Health experts told Newsweek that the country's scientific accomplishments in the COVID-19 pandemic have been drowned out by politicisation and a response botched from the start.

"If you believe 22 percent is herd immunity, I believe you're alone in that," Fauci told the Republican senator.

Dr. Robert Redfield joined other top health officials in testifying in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to discuss federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The employee told the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that he plans to retire soon, a spokesperson told Newsweek on Monday.

Former Homeland Security Department chief of staff says he heard the vice president praise former aide Olivia Troye, whom he later called a "disgruntled employee" when she criticized Trump.

"We've got to get those numbers down. If we don't get them down, then we're going to have a really bad situation in the fall," the nation's leading infectious diseases expert said.