Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Easter that faith will help some people through the “historic ordeal” that the United States is facing from the coronavirus.
Appearing Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, Fauci was asked about the role that religion plays for those grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. Host Jake Tapper pointed out that Fauci is Catholic and attended a Jesuit school growing up.
“I think faith means different things to different people. People with a strong foundation in faith, I think it’s very, very important when you go through serious, really terrible ordeals that the country is going through, I think faith helps people through this,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said.
Fauci said his father was “a man of deep, deep faith” and explained that his religion helped him through many difficult times.
“His faith was just extraordinary. I was always in awe of him. I think that there are many, many people that way,” the doctor said. “So, faith is a good thing.”
The White House Coronavirus Task Force member said that while science is crucial to figuring out how to slow the spread of the illness, faith is important because it can help people handle stress during the pandemic and “will take an important role.”
Sunday brought some good news as the coronavirus continues to kill tens of thousands across the world.
Fauci signaled the U.S. is “starting to turn the corner” on the pandemic and that it’s possible the country may look into reopening aspects of the economy as soon as next month. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson left the hospital exactly one week after he was admitted with the coronavirus. In a hopeful speech, he said that he owes his life to healthcare workers and praised social distancing efforts in his country.
Additionally, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the U.S. is nearing the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, but urged caution over when the country should begin reopening stores and businesses.
As of Easter Sunday, there have been more than 530,000 cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. and at least 20,614 deaths.
