A government whistleblower who alleges he was kicked out from his job after his forewarning to Trump administration to prepare for the pandemic, said that unless the government acts to prevent a rebound of COVID-19, the US is yet to face "darkest winter in modern history."
Making his sobering prediction into testimony, immunologist Dr. Rick Bright prepares for his appearance on Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Bright's complaints about the administration handling of the pandemic in the early stages are expected to be backed up by testimony from an executive of a company that manufactures respirator masks.
Even a federal watchdog agency has found reasonable grounds that Dr. Rick Bright was removed from his job as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority after ringing the alarm at the Department of Health and Services. After Bright urged early efforts to invest in vaccine development and stock up on supplies, he allegedly became a target of criticism.
In his prepared testimony posted on the House committee website, Bright emphasized that the window of opportunity is closing and if they fail to develop a national strategic response, based in science, he fears that the pandemic will get far worse and can be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities.
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The testimony of Bright follows this week's warning by Dr. Anthony Fauci saying that rushing the lift of store-closing and stay-at-home lockdown restrictions could turn back the clock. This could result to more suffering and death as it could also complicate the efforts to get the economy back on track.
Unites States President Donald Trump has dismissed Bright as a disgruntled guy, while some of the president's political allies have urged to fire Fauci as well.
Not less than 83,000 people have died in the United States which covers more than one-fourth of global deaths and resulting in the world's highest death toll. Worldwide, more than 4.3 million people have been infected with coronavirus and around 295,000 have died because of the virus.
Eager to pick up the economy, Trump has been pushing states to lift restrictions, and many governors are answering the call gradually, though people remain leery of going back to restaurants, sporting arenas, and social events.
Bright also stated in his prepared testimony that the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of coronavirus this fall, as it will greatly compound the challenges of the seasonal flu and putting an unprecedented strain on the health care system.
Moreover, he emphasized that without proper implementation and clear planning of the steps that he and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be the darkest winter in modern history
Bright, who is a doctor of immunology outlined a step towards the 'new normal' that would be based on science, as researchers continue to work and develop better treatments and an effective vaccine and these include, the establishment of a national testing strategy.
He also added that speeding up production of necessary supplies and equipment, doubling down on educating the public about basic safety measures, setting up a system to fairly distribute scarce and highly sought supplies, and eliminating state vs. state competition would increase efficiency and reduce costs.
Related article: Fauci, NIH Say Multiple COVID-19 Vaccines May Be Needed to End Pandemic
