A leader in crisis: Dr. Anthony Fauci

As the US has dealt with the unprecedented crisis of the novel coronavirus pandemic, there has been one face that we all turned to for answers — Dr. Anthony Fauci. Dr. Fauci’s confident and reassuring face has become a household name over the course of the pandemic as we eagerly waited for his daily briefings in the White House press rooms on national television.

Dr. Fauci has been the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He’s worked with six different administrations and dealt with many different viral epidemics including H.I.V, SARS, Zika, and Ebola. At 80 years old, he commands respect and authority as an expert in viruses and the immune system.

The full extent of Dr. Fauci’s leadership was exemplified during the H.I.V. crisis and AIDS epidemic. As he reeled under the mounting death toll of the AIDS epidemic, he recognized that the traditional cautious approach of clinical trials and drug development of the F.D.A were not working to combat the AIDS crisis. A true and compassionate leader, Dr. Fauci listened to the political activists, became friends with adversaries and pivoted his approach. He revolutionized American medicine and transformed our approach to clinical trials by initiating a program called Parallel Track, which made unapproved parallel drugs available alongside ongoing clinical trials (Washington Post). Dr. Fauci emphasized the need to balance strict scientific principles with a humanistic approach: “You have to combine social aspects, ethical aspects, personal aspects with cold, clean science” (Good Doctor).

Dr. Fauci is an excellent spokesman and leads by example. He builds trust with transparency and clear and open lines of communication. When the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread, despite the highly politicized nature of the outbreak, Dr. Fauci’s approval rating was nearly 80% from both the Democrats and the Republicans. As a public health official, Dr. Fauci has remained steadfast as a scientist and a physician, ensuring to stray from political ideologies by abiding to the philosophy of illegitimi non carborundum: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” (Good Doctor). He’s mastered the art of diplomacy and, rather than pointing blame, places an emphasis on science and data.

“My motto for that is precision of thought — which means know what you are talking about and know what message you need to deliver; and economy of expression — which means say it as briefly and succinctly as you possibly can,” Dr. Fauci said, according to Smartbrief.

In times of crisis, Dr. Fauci’s confidence and calming presence exudes strength in his patients.

Mina Pham, an Ebola survivor who was treated by Dr. Fauci said that “the fact that he was so confident gave me the strength and confidence in myself that I was going to beat this.”

A courageous leader and a visionary, Dr. Fauci has been advocating for a basic platform vaccine to combat future pandemics. A platform vaccine would address an entire class of virus and not just a particular strain (New Republic). This flexible approach would prepare us adequately to fight future infectious diseases. But the biggest hurdle is investment in research and support by corporations or politicians.

Dr. Fauci is a true hero who is working tirelessly to save the lives of people around the world and is worthy of global respect. According to CBS, applications to medical school are up by 18% nationwide — a feat known as the “Fauci Effect” — — one that could only be accomplished by a true, inspiring leader.

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About the Author

Saloni Shah is a senior at the Harker School in San Jose, CA.

References

1. Garfinkle J. How Fauci exemplifies executive presence [Internet]. Smartbrief.com. 2020 [cited 2021 Jan 30]. Available from: https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2020/06/how-fauci-exemplifies-executive-presence
2. Fauci A. Dr. Anthony Fauci: How Larry Kramer “transformed the relationship” between activists and government. Time [Internet]. 2020 May 29 [cited 2021 Jan 30]; Available from: https://time.com/5843886/larry-kramer-fauci-remembrance/
3. Cohen B, Radnofsky L. Through AIDS, Ebola and covid, Dr. Fauci is still treating patients. Wall Street journal (Eastern ed) [Internet]. 2020 Dec 24 [cited 2021 Jan 30]; Available from: https://www.wsj.com/articles/anthony-fauci-doctor-covid-vaccine-ebola-11608776073
4. The fight against AIDS has shaped how potential covid-19 drugs will reach patients. Washington post (Washington, DC: 1974) [Internet]. 2020 Apr 29 [cited 2021 Jan 30]; Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/29/fight-against-aids-has-shaped-how-potential-covid-19-drugs-will-reach-patients/
5. Schreiber M. Can platform vaccines really save us? [Internet]. Newrepublic.com. 2020 [cited 2021 Jan 30]. Available from: https://newrepublic.com/article/158861/coronavirus-platform-vaccine-influenza-anthony-fauci