Rick Bright, a U.S. health official recently ousted from a post key to developing vaccines, on Thursday warned that the United States could endure the "darkest winter in modern history" if it fails to be more prepared for a resurgence of the coronavirus, or COVID-19.
"Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to improve our response now, based on science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged. There will be likely a resurgence of Covid-19 this fall that will be greatly compounded by the challenges of seasonal influenza," Bright told U.S. lawmakers in a hearing. "Without better planning, 2020 could be darkest winter in modern history."
The hearing came after Bright filed a whistleblower complaint last week alleging he was removed in April as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for opposing the broad use of a drug frequently touted by the White House as a coronavirus treatment.
The official, who is working at the National Institutes of Health with a narrower role, said on Thursday that scientists must be allowed to "speak without fear of retribution."
"We need to be truthful with the American people. Americans deserve the truth. The truth must be based on science," he said. "We have the world's greatest scientists. Let us lead. Let us speak without fear of retribution. We must listen. Each of us can and must do our part now."
