MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Dr. Anthony Fauci joins list of government officials entering self-quarantine over COVID-19 exposure
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, entered a “modified quarantine” due to exposure to someone who tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said Fauci tested negative for COVID-19 and is considered to be “at relatively low risk based on the degree of his exposure.” Fauci’s quarantine was described as “modified” and he might still go to his office at the National Institutes of Health, where he would be the only one in the building.
“Nevertheless he is taking appropriate precautions to mitigate risk to any of his personal contacts while still allowing him to carry out his responsibilities in this public health crisis,” NIAID told ABC News.
He joins a growing list of administration officials taking precautions following the news of two known coronavirus cases at the White House, including the vice president’s press secretary.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield announced Saturday afternoon he would be going into self-quarantine due to “low-risk exposure” to someone with the novel coronavirus. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said he would be isolating himself for similar reasons.
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