A Leading Voice On Coronavirus Task Force, Deborah Birx Draws Praise And Criticism
One of the new staples of the coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S. has been the nightly briefings from the White House Coronavirus Task Force. A regular at the podium, and often the only woman on stage, is Dr. Deborah Birx. In her role as coronavirus response coordinator, she's become one of the most prominent voices of the administration around this crisis.
Her appearances are a cross between a war-briefing and FDR's fireside chat. She mixes the minutia of disease transmission with deeply personal stories, then pivots to complex discussions of antibody testing for the virus. She scolds and reassures within minutes of each other.
Her presence on the Task Force as been well-received in the world of public health, though recently some comments have raised eyebrows.
Thursday night she admonished the media about dire warnings of hospitals running out of beds.
