Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is recovering after being hospitalized with the potentially deadly West Nile virus.
Fauci, a longtime health official who also headed up the White House Coronavirus Task Force, spent six days in the hospital before he was allowed to return home, a spokesperson said Saturday.
The 83-year-old doctor is expected to make a full recovery.
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-spread disease in the U.S. with about 2,500 Americans diagnosed each year, including 1,000 who are hospitalized, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. An estimated 80% of infections are never diagnosed.
Most cases are mild, with the virus typically causing flu-like symptoms and a rash. However, it can also attack the brain and nervous system, leading to brain damage or even death. Around 100 Americans die from the virus each year.
There’s no vaccine, specific treatment or cure.
Fauci served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 until his retirement in 2022. He was also appointed as chief medical advisor to the president by Joe Biden, serving in the role between January 2021 and December 2022.
Since then, Fauci has joined the faculty at Georgetown University, where he serves as a professor in the School of Medicine. He also holds a position in the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
As the face of the COVID-19 response, Fauci drew both praise and condemnation, particularly from Republicans. In June, he testified before a House panel investigating the response, where he was accused by GOP lawmakers of orchestrating a coverup of the virus’ origins. He labeled the allegations as “simply preposterous” at the time.
The same month, Fauci published his memoir, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service.”