Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the country who became one of the most polarizing public health personalities in recent memory in his efforts to lead the response to Covid-19, announced he will be retiring later this year.
Fauci, who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for 38 years, said on Monday that leaving his position in government was “bittersweet,” but he was also looking forward to what lies ahead.
Though Anthony Fauci had informed friends and coworkers of his intention to retire this year, the date of the announcement itself, according to a senior administration official, was highly guarded within the White House and even took some senior health officials off guard.
Prior to Monday’s statement, Anthony Fauci claimed he spoke with President Joe Biden for a significant amount of time. The seventh president to whom Fauci has served was quick to express his admiration for the scientist’s lengthy service in the executive branch.
Fauci entered the public spotlight as the face of the government’s pandemic response when Covid hit the United States in 2020. He gained international fame thanks to his outward appearances; many people viewed him as a pandemic era hero.
However, Fauci’s fame also made him a pariah in some communities, particularly among Covid skeptics and opponents of public health initiatives meant to fight the infection.
