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The Self-Care Treats I’d Love to Give Dr. Anthony Fauci
The man deserves rest, extravagance, and a basket of time
In this time of Omicron, when I keep a mental list of which friends and colleagues are quarantining due to Covid diagnosis or exposure, when thousands just mingled and shouted at an anti-vaccine mandate rally at the National Mall, hearing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s voice on the radio always perks my ears. Last week, I caught the end of an NPR interview in which a listener called in to ask what Dr. Fauci does for self-care.
Fauci, who faced Donald Trump’s scorn and threats incited by figures such as Senator Rand Paul, seemed taken aback, touched by the question. He admitted he hasn’t been as good about self-care as one should be. He’s been busy, you see.
Threatened and maligned, many state top docs and public health officials have resigned. One-in-five health care professionals have quit, citing trauma, exhaustion, and a bone-weary numbness.
Hearing Fauci’s note of surprise that someone might ask after his self-care, the brief respite that helps one slog through the next hard day, I imagined the care package I’d love to send the person whose voice, more than most, has brought calm and reason during a time of chaos and uncertainty.
