Former coronavirus response chief Anthony Fauci has been hospitalized for six days after contracting West Nile virus, a spokesman confirmed.
Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has returned from the hospital and is recuperating at home and is expected to be OK, the spokesman said. said CNN on Saturday.
Most people (80%) who are infected with West Nile virus do not experience symptoms, but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): said About 20 percent of people suffer from a variety of symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea and rash.
About 1 in 150 people who are infected with the virus develop a more severe form of the disease that affects the central nervous system and causes illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis.
About 10% of people who develop these severe illnesses die, according to the CDC.
At 83 years old, Fauci is at higher risk of developing the disease because of his age.
Health officials said there is no specific treatment for West Nile fever, but listed “rest, fluids and painkillers” as ways to ease symptoms.
The virus is most commonly transmitted by mosquito bites, but it is unclear how Fauci contracted it.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), there are more than 2,200 cases. Reported in the United States every year.
