Former White House COVID-19 Czar: "Trump Received Reports Bypassing Health Authorities"

Deborah Birx, former White House COVID-19 Task Force Coordinator [Photo by AP]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Deborah Birx, former coordinator who led the COVID-19 task force (TF) under the Donald Trump administration, revealed that "there was a separate reporting line that bypassed health authorities."

In an interview with CBS News on the 24th (local time), Birx said, "Former President Trump released a graph that I did not create. Someone, either external or internal, made separate data and graphics."

She added, "At the time, I did not know who was providing former President Trump with separate data, but now it seems that Scott Atlas, former White House medical advisor, provided some of the information." Atlas was known for opposing lockdowns and promoting mask ineffectiveness even as COVID-19 rapidly spread.

Birx, along with Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was a leading figure in the COVID-19 response. She was responsible for daily briefings on the COVID-19 situation and response, earning her the nickname "America's Jung Eun-kyeong," referring to the head of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. An immunologist by training, she conducted research on preventing the spread of HIV at a military medical center before joining the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005 as an infectious disease expert.

Birx emphasized, "Some people in the previous administration treated COVID-19 as if it were a lie, making scientific advising difficult," and added, "The year of a presidential election is the worst time for epidemic response."

Meanwhile, she resigned after it was revealed that she held a family gathering at a vacation home despite urging people to refrain from family meetings during last year's Thanksgiving holiday. She said, "I always wanted to resign from the TF because I was afraid of being seen as a political person."

However, she expressed a desire to continue working on COVID-19 related tasks under the new administration. According to a CNN report, she conveyed her willingness to join the Biden administration's COVID-19 TF, but it was not accepted. In the interview, Birx said, "I will take on any role where I can be helpful in the new administration and then retire."