Dr. Deborah Birx on Tuesday said that medical experts failed to understand the seriousness of the coronavirus because of incomplete data coming out of China.
“I think the medical community interpreted the Chinese data as that this was serious but smaller than anyone expected,” she said. “Because I think probably we were missing a significant amount of the data.”
Birx spoke about the experts’ relationship with the data during a White House press briefing on Tuesday evening.
She acknowledged frankly that when she saw early data from China reporting only 50,000 cases of the virus among the 20 million people in Wuhan, China, and the 80 million in Hubei province, she felt that the threat was similar to that of SARS, which had 8,098 cases globally and 774 deaths.
Tim Tebow Announces He’s ‘Pausing’ Relationship with Christian Group Targeted by Liberal Reporter
Trump Terminates ‘Ridiculous’ Biden-Buttigieg EV Mandate with Sweeping New Fuel Standards
Trump’s Greenland obsession isn’t random. Here’s what’s at stake
Trump reaffirms ICE arrest policy after confusing guidance sparks alarm among agents
Disturbing Video: ‘One of the Most Horrific Things I’ve Seen’ – Journalists Disgusted as Illegal Nearly Drowns Toddler in Effort to Cross Border
Florida sex offender accused of babysitting-ad trap as police investigate potential interstate predator
China Isn’t Waiting for Permits: US Leaders Warn It’s ‘Quicker to Get a College Degree’ Than to Power America
Nonimmigrant visas in flux due to Trump administration fees
Lee Gilley’s Texas attorney ‘never had one like this’ as accused wife killer clings to Italian lifeline
The folksy Senate Republican in hot demand on the campaign trail
SCOTUS detention fight could unleash dangerous criminal migrants onto US streets, experts warns
Michigan man doxxed after exposing his city’s booming Islamic surge takes defiant stand: ‘Not gonna stop’
How Ms. Rachel went from beloved children’s streaming sensation to ‘mouthpiece for Hamas’
Nicki Minaj urges young Americans to ‘vote red’ in 2026 midterms while doubling down on Trump support
Florida man, 76, with suspended license allegedly admits to driving under the influence of rum, cocaine
The devastation hitting countries like Italy and Spain and South Korea gave the experts much more complete data, helping them draw models that were far more alarming.
“Let’s see if we can do much better than that,” President Donald Trump said during the briefing, pointing to the models predicting 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the United States.
Trump noted that the virus was also more contagious than expected.
“I think the one thing that nobody really knew about this virus was how contagious it was,” he said. “It’s so incredibly contagious, and nobody knew that.”
Story cited here.
