A US official, removed from the presidency of a major health institution, plans to warn Congress on Thursday that in 2020 the United States could face a “darker winter” for decades if it fails to deploy coordinated response tools to the Corona epidemic.
Rick Bright is expected to sound the alarm about improper measures taken to combat the spread of the new Corona virus in the United States, when he testifies before a committee in Congress.
“Our chances are narrowing,” Bright said at the hearing, according to his advance testimony released by Congress.
“If we fail to develop a coordinated, science-based national response, I fear that the epidemic will worsen, prolong its presence and cause unprecedented diseases and deaths.”
“Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have identified, by 2020 there will be the darkest winter in modern history,” according to Bright testimony.
Bright filed a complaint as a reporter for wrongdoing last week after his demotion for allegedly opposing the administration of President Donald Trump’s promotion of scientifically proven treatments to fight Covid-19.
US officials had “rejected” Bright’s scary warnings earlier this year about the severe shortage of essential medical supplies such as masks, test supplies, medicines and a lack of funds, he said.
Bright was removed last month from the post of Chair of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (Barda), the agency charged with developing a vaccine against the emerging coronavirus, and was moved to a less important position in the National Institutes of Health.
Bright claimed he was removed from his position for opposing the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine anti-malarial drugs to treat Covid-19, a treatment that President Donald Trump has repeatedly promoted despite little scientific evidence of his efficacy.
Bright will tell the panel that he believes it is “painfully clear” that the United States government was not well prepared.
“We did not notice early warning signs, and we neglected important pages from our guide to tackle epidemics,” he added.
SOURCE : SAUDI24
