Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Global -253,640,693/5,104,899; USA – 47,244,379/762,994 I went to a book party last night for Jonathan Karl’s new book about Trump. It took place at the Cafe Milano. The place was incredibly crowded and I was almost forced to take my mask off for 2/3 of the time I was there since they were serving drinks and people were talking and taking selfies. I was totally swamped all night by people wanting to say hello, shake my hands, and take pictures with me. I could not get away from it . Although some people may think that this is great to have people treat you like Elvis Presley , but it was really very unnerving. Jon was very gracious to me being very excited about my meeting his family . We took hundreds of pictures with each member of his family, as well as one big family photo. It turns out that his father-in-law grew up in Bensonhurst and knew about my father's pharmacy on 13th Ave. The book party event was punctuated by doctor Bill Hughes whom I know for years and who is married to Ann Compton getting a vaso-vagal attack and I tended to him at the bar. We called an ambulance, but Ann took him home after we documented that he was stable. When I went home that night I was nervous all night looking at the ceiling concerned about having gotten infected in that very crowded restaurant despite the fact that vaccination proof was required to get in. I'm well aware that many people who are vaccinated are still getting infected and that worried me a lot. I'm supposed to go to an even bigger black tie affair at the home of the French ambassador tomorrow. I think I am going to cancel out since I don't want to go through the nerve-wracking experience that I did last night worrying about having gotten infected. Of note, there are more than one congressional bills that have been proposed with my name on it . One is the “Fires Fauci Act” which was written by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Another bill floating in the Senate (proposed by Senator Joni Ernst) is forbidding gain of function research and that bill is called the “Fauci Act” PRESS: NBC Now TV with Hallie Jackson; Did an interview with Margaret Brennan today to be shown two weeks from now on Face the Nation. Curiously she spent most of the time asking me to justify the many “mistakes “that have been made by the CDC during this outbreak both during the trump administration and the Biden administration. I was trying to defend the CDC to the best of my ability, but this was not easy since in many respects she was right. I try to steer the conversation so with discussion of what I am responsible for namely the development of vaccines and therapeutics. She responded by saying I am “America's doctor “and so I should have to answer these things . She was not being mean since Margaret is tough but she's a very fair and good person.