Dr. Anthony Fauci communicated with a Chinese official about the United States's coronavirus response and said they'd “get through this together,” a newly released email batch shows.
“Let’s work together to get the virus out of the earth,” said George Gao, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in an email correspondence.
Gao initiated the email correspondence after a science magazine misreported him, worried a comment the outlet included may have potentially offended Fauci.
The science magazine cited Gao as saying the United States and other countries were making a “big mistake” at the time for not requiring people to wear personal, protective face masks.
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“I saw the Science interview, how could I say such a word ‘big mistake’ about others? That was the journalist’s wording. Hope you understand,” Gao wrote to Fauci.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and then-spokesman of Trump’s coronavirus task force, responded: “I understand completely. No problem. We will get through this together.”
The exchange came as Trump was blaming China and its government’s attempt to cover suspected origins of the pandemic outbreak at a virology lab in Wuhan.
Gao followed up with Fauci again in April, wishing him well amid criticisms he was receiving from Trump and others, the emails show.
“I saw some news (hope it is fake) that [you] are being attacked by some people. Hope you are well under such an irrational situation,” Gao said in an email on April 8, 2020.
Fauci thanked him for the “kind note,” adding: “All is well despite some crazy people in this world.”
The 866 pages of Fauci’s released emails also include messages to and from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the...
