Government officials should prioritize transparency and avoid politics when discussing national health issues

ORIANA LUKAS opinions with oriana

A “thank-you-for-yourservice” pat to the woman who manages the Carrier Starbucks, who seemed a little tired and stressed this week.

From a senior who’s grateful for all the coffee over the years.

An “I’m-in-shambles” dart to my printer for taking forever to print my resume.

From someone who needed to get to a job fair and was stressed.

Dr. Anthony Fauci attended JMU on April 3 to discuss the details of the COVID-19 pandemic. CNN Chief Domestic Correspondent Jim Acosta (’93) interviewed Fauci with a series of questions that pertained to how he and his team managed the virus.

Though this event was beneficial for students to learn from such prominent figures, there were certain elusive answers from Fauci that made it seem as though facts were being hidden.

For example, when asked about the origins of COVID-19, Fauci answered in an indirect manner that didn’t give any definite conclusion.

“You have two possibilities on how this brand new virus, similar to SARS, which we knew came from a bat to a market that was sold to a human, broke out,” Fauci said.

“So if the two possibilities are somebody was working on something in the lab and it leaked out versus a natural occurrence, and you don’t definitively know which it is, it is absolutely essential to keep an open mind.”

Fauci’s a familiar name to most U.S. citizens. Whether he’s on TV, social media or the radio, many people have heard his voice. He’s made a prominent name for himself as the director of the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden. He worked at NIAID during the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, according to Fox News, and has worked with many previous presidents including Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

Once COVID-19 reached the U.S., Fauci took charge as the face of the government’s response to the virus. He worked with the NIAID to mandate safety procedures such as masks, lockdowns and vaccinations. Though COVID-19 quickly became politicized, with one side supporting Fauci, and the other discrediting him and refusing vaccinations, as demonstrated in a March 8 Politico article. According to Politico, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) said turning against Fauci was the wrong move.

“I want the facts, but I hope and say to my colleagues on the other side: We cannot go down a dangerous path by pushing unfounded conspiracies about Dr. Fauci and other longserving career public health officials,” Dingell said in the Politico article.

An “I’m-sleepy” dart to my workload.

From someone who’s been up past 2 a.m. doing homework for weeks now.

A “tax-fraud” dart to the person who filed taxes in my name.

From someone who doesn’t want to deal with the IRS.

Though COVID-19 has simmered down with countries opening back up, the skepticism of its origin has persisted.

According to the New York Times, some scientists claim evidence shows the virus came from a racoon-dog while others claim it escaped from a lab. The arguments are polarized, with Democrats siding with the theory of a spillover and Republicans siding with a lab leak. Indirectly perpetuating the Democrats’ theory, Fauci said there’s little evidence indicating a lab leak.

“You ask yourself, what is the data for a lab leak? None. Zero,” Fauci said. “Does that mean it didn’t happen? No. It could possibly happen.”

The answers are vague and reveal certain political agendas. Nick Hovis, a junior at JMU who attended the event, said government officials owe it to their supporters to tell the truth.

“I feel like a lot of them are very polished in their responses and you were able to see that with Fauci and Acosta, who seemed to have molded his questions to have a certain response,” Hovis said. “You have to be truthful to those who put their faith and support in you. If you are able to quickly lie and evade questions, how are we supposed to support you?”

Lethal viruses shouldn’t be politicized. Every aspect of COVID-19 was politicized — conflict over masks, lockdowns, vaccines, you name it. Government officials should work harder to tell the truth instead of working toward their desired agenda — especially when eager students simply want to know the truth.

CONTACT Oriana Lukas at lukasok@dukes. jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and Twitter @Breeze_Opinion.