Fact-check: Did Fauci say coronavirus was 'nothing to worry about'?
“On Jan. 21 - the day the first COVID-19 case in the U.S. was confirmed - Fauci appeared on conservative Newsmax TV. "Bottom line, we don't have to worry about this one, right?" asked Greg Kelly, the host.
Fauci said, "Obviously, you need to take it seriously and do the kind of things the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Department of Homeland Security is doing. But this is not a major threat to the people of the United States and this is not something that the citizens of the United States right now should be worried about."
“On Jan. 26, Fauci
gave an interview to John Catsimatidis, a syndicated radio host in New York. "What can you tell the American people about what's been going on?" Catsimatidis asked. "Should they be scared?"
"I don't think so," Fauci said. "The American people should not be worried or frightened by this. It's a very, very low risk to the United States, but it's something we, as public health officials, need to take very seriously."